Die structure optimization of equal channel angular extrusion for AZ31 magnesium alloy based on finite element method

Three-dimensional（3D） geometric models with different comer angles （90° and 120°） and with or without inner round fillets in the bottom die were designed. Some important process parameters were regarded as the calculation conditions used in DEFORMTM-3D software, such as stress--strain data of compression test for AZ31 magnesium, temperatures of die and billet, and friction coefficient. Influence of friction coefficient on deformation process was discussed. The results show that reasonable lubrication condition is important to plastic deformation. The change characteristics for distributions of effective stress and strain during an equal channel angular extrusion （ECAE） process with inner angle of 90° and without fillets at outer comer were described. Inhomogeneity index （C） was defined and deformation heterogeneity of ECAE was analyzed from the simulation and experiment results. The deformation homogeneity caused by fillets at outer comer increased compared with the die without fillets. The cumulated maximum strains decrease with increasing the fillets of outer comer in ECAE die and the inner comer angle. The analysis results show that better structures of ECAE die including appropriate outer comer fillet and the inner comer angle of 90° for the die can improve the strain and ensure plastic deformation homogenization to a certain extent. The required extrusion force drops with increasing the fillet made at outer comer in ECAE die. It is demonstrated that the prediction results are in good agreement with experiments and the theoretical calculation and the research conclusions in literatures.

Finite element verification on constitutive law of AZ31 magnesium alloy at 400℃

A constitutive law is offered for an AZ31B-H24 Mg alloy within a strain rate range of 10-5-10-2 s-1 at a temperature of 400 ℃ The constitutive law, which is developed by curve fitting the tensile tests data, is expressed as a flow stress function of strain and strain rate. Furthermore, the constitutive law is embedded into a proper FE model to simulate the tensile experiments for the purpose of verifying reliability, where the incremental stress-strain relationships are calculated by an elastic-plastic theory in the finite element analysis （FEA）. The results show that the stress-strain characteristics and the final deformed shapes in the FEA agree well with the experiments. In addition, the predicting analysis of constant-velocity stretch conditions and the verification of a free bulge forming experiment show that the proposed FE model is practicable for mechanical analysis on superplastic forming problems. A selective numerical method is offered for advanced superplastic analysis on AZ31 Mg alloys.

Research of Magnesium Alloy Wheel Vibration Performance Based on Finite Element Method

As the automotive industry is increasingly demanding on energy saving and environmental protection,people are taking more attention on the lightweight design and comfort of automobiles.Wheel vibration is one of the most important parts of a vehicle performance.The dynamic characteristics of the vehicle are determined by the modal parameters of the vehicle system.The wheel also has a great influence on the vibration.Based on finite element method,we analyze wheel vibration performance.This research studies the effect of different damping properties on wheel frequency.By comparing of acceleration and speed of the wheel,we can improve the vibration performance of the vehicle.

Finite element analysis of strain distribution in ZK60 Mg alloy during cyclic extrusion and compression

Finite element method was used to study the strain distribution in ZK60 Mg alloy during multi-pass cyclic extrusion and compression （CEC）. In order to optimize the CEC processing, the effects of friction condition and die geometry on the distribution of total equivalent plastic strain were investigated. The results show that the strain distributions in the workpieces are inhomogeneous after CEC deformation. The strains of the both ends of the workpieces are lower than that of the center region. The process parameters have significant effects on the strain distribution. The friction between die and workpiece is detrimental to strain homogeneity, thus the friction should be decreased. In order to improve the strain homogeneity, a large corner radius and a low extrusion angle should be used.

Grain refinement of Mg-Al alloys by optimization of process parameters based on three-dimensional finite element modeling of roll casting

To study the influence of roll casting process parameters on temperature and thermal-stress fields for the AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets,three-dimensional geometric and 3D finite element models for roll casting were established based on the symmetry of roll casting by ANSYS software.Meshing method and smart-sizing algorithm were used to divide finite element mesh in ANSYS software.A series of researches on the temperature and stress distributions during solidification process with different process parameters were done by 3D finite element method.The temperatures of both the liquid-solid two-phase zone and liquid phase zone were elevated with increasing pouring temperature.With the heat transfer coefficient increasing,the two-phase region for liquid-solid becomes smaller.With the pouring temperature increasing and the increase of casting speed,the length of two-phase zone rises.The optimized of process parameters（casting speed 2 m/min,pouring temperature 640 ℃ and heat transfer coefficient 15 kW/（m2·℃） with the water pouring at roller exit was used to produce magnesium alloy AZ31 sheet,and equiaxed grains with the average grain size of 50 μm were achieved after roll casting.The simulation results give better understanding of the temperature variation in phase transformation zone and the formation mechanism of hot cracks in plates during roll casting and help to design the optimized process parameters of roll casting for Mg alloy.

Experimental and simulation research on hollow AZ31 magnesium alloy three-channel joint by hot extrusion forming with sand mandrel

Magnesium alloy is one of the lightest metal structural materials.The weight is further reduced through the hollow structure.However,the hollow structure is easily damaged during processing.In order to maintain the hollow structure and to transfer the stresses during the high temperature deformation,the sand mandrel is proposed.In this paper,the hollow AZ31 magnesium alloy three-channel joint is studied by hot extrusion forming.Sand as one of solid granule medium is used to fill the hollow magnesium alloy.The extrusion temperatures are 230℃ and 300℃,respectively.The process parameters(die angle,temperature,bottom thickness,sidewall thickness,edge-to-middle ratio in bottom,bottom shape)of the hollow magnesium alloy are analyzed based on the results of experiments and the finite element method.The results are shown that the formability of the hollow magnesium alloy will be much better when the ratio of sidewall thickness to the bottom thickness is 1:1.5.Also when edge-to-middle ratio in bottom is about 1:1.5,a better forming product can be received.The best bottom shape in these experiments will be convex based on the forming results.The grain will be refined obviously after the extrusion.Also the microstructures will be shown as streamlines.And these lines will be well agreement with the mold in the corner.

Ultrasonic Welding of Magnesium–Titanium Dissimilar Metals:A Study on Thermo-mechanical Analyses of Welding Process by Experimentation and Finite Element Method

Ultrasonic welding is an effective ways to achieve a non-reactive/immiscible heterogeneous metal connection, such as the connection of magnesium alloy and titanium alloy. But the thermal mechanism of magnesium alloy/titanium alloy ultrasonic welding has not been defined clearly. In this paper, the experimental and the finite element analysis were adopted to study the thermal mechanism during welding. Through the test, the temperature variation law during the welding process is obtained, and the accuracy of the finite element model is verified. The microscopic analysis indicates that at the welding time of 0.5 s, the magnesium alloy in the center of the solder joint is partially melted and generates the liquid phase. Through the finite element analysis, the friction coefficient of the magnesium–titanium ultrasonic welding interface can be considered as an average constant value of 0.28. The maximum temperature at the interface can exceed 600 ℃ to reach the melting point temperature of the magnesium alloy. The plastic deformation begins after 0.35 s and occurs at the magnesium side at the center of the interface.

Finite element analysis of temperature and stress fields during selective laser melting process of Al−Mg−Sc−Zr alloy

A 3D finite element model was established to investigate the temperature and stress fields during the selective laser melting process of Al−Mg−Sc−Zr alloy.By considering the powder−solid transformation,temperaturedependent thermal properties,latent heat of phase transformations and molten pool convection,the effects of laser power,point distance and hatch spacing on the temperature distribution,molten pool dimensions and residual stress distribution were investigated.Then,the effects of laser power,point distance and hatch spacing on the microstructure,density and hardness of the alloy were studied by the experimental method.The results show that the molten pool size gradually increases as the laser power increases and the point distance and hatch spacing decrease.The residual stress mainly concentrates in the middle of the first scanning track and the beginning and end of each scanning track.Experimental results demonstrate the accuracy of the model.The density of the samples tends to increase and then decrease with increasing laser power and decreasing point distance and hatch spacing.The optimum process parameters are laser power of 325−375 W,point distance of 80−100μm and hatch spacing of 80μm.

Deformation mechanisms and microstructural characteristics of AZ61 magnesium alloys processed by a continuous expansion extrusion approach

The unique continuous extrusion-based severe plastic deformation approaches were proposed recently to process high-performance magnesium (Mg) alloys,while the in-depth deformation mechanisms under such complicated thermomechanical conditions were not well understood In the present work,the fundamental deformation behaviors of AZ61 Mg alloy from 25 to 400°C were firstly examined under uniaxial compression deformation.Then the deformation mechanisms and microstructural characteristics of AZ61 Mg alloy during continuous expansion extrusion forming (CEEF) were systematically investigated by microstructural observations,finite element and cellular automata simulations The results showed that the continuous evolutions of temperature,larger strain level and complex stress state with strain rate range of 0~5.98 s-1during CEEF brought the distinctive dynamic recrystallization behaviors and texture development in AZ61 Mg alloy,which were different to that of uniaxial compression deformation.In details,a remarkable grain refinement was achieved via CEEF processing due to the simultaneous actions of continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) and discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX).Gradually enhanced CDRX were observed from center to edge region,which had significant effects on the texture distribution and texture strength.The c-axis of most grains rotated under distinctive shear strain following parabolic metal flow,resulting in stable fiber texture.In addition,the evolution of the internal texture of the alloy led to an obvious increase in the Schmid factor for the activation of basal(c+a)slip system.©2022 Chongqing University.Publishing services provided by Elsevier B.V.on behalf of Ke Ai Communications Co.Ltd.

Study of microstructure evolution of magnesium alloy cylindrical part with longitudinal inner ribs during hot flow forming by coupling ANN-modified CA and FEA

Hot flow forming(HFF)is a promising forming technology to manufacture thin-walled cylindrical part with longitudinal inner ribs(CPLIRs)made of magnesium(Mg)alloys,which has wide applications in the aerospace field.However,due to the thermo-mechanical coupling effect and the existence of stiffened structure,complex microstructure evolution and uneven microstructure occur easily at the cylindrical wall(CW)and inner rib(IR)of Mg alloy thin-walled CPLIRs during the HFF.In this paper,a modified cellular automaton(CA)model of Mg alloy considering the effects of deformation conditions on material parameters was developed using the artificial neural network(ANN)method.It is found that the ANN-modified CA model exhibits better predictability for the microstructure of hot deformation than the conventional CA model.Furthermore,the microstructure evolution of ZK61 alloy CPLIRs during the HFF was analyzed by coupling the modified CA model and finite element analysis(FEA).The results show that compared with the microstructure at the same layer of the IR,more refined grains and less sufficient DRX resulted from larger strain and strain rate occur at that of the CW;various differences of strain and strain rate in the wall-thickness exist between the CW and IR,which leads to the inhomogeneity of microstructure rising firstly and declining from the inside layer to outside layer;the obtained Hall-Petch relationship between the measured microhardness and predicted grain sizes at the CW and the IR indicates the reliability of the coupled FEA-CA simulation results.

Review on the effect of different processing techniques on the microstructure and mechanical behaviour of AZ31 Magnesium alloy

Magnesium(Mg)alloys despite being the ideal candidate for structural applications,owing to their high specific strength and low density,are not widely used due to lack of active slip systems at room temperature in their hexagonal close-packed crystal structure,eliciting poor ductility and formability.Amongst the various series of Mg alloys,the AZ and ZK series alloys have been standouts,as they inherit better room temperature strength and flow characteristics through their solute elements.Grain refinement,as well as eliminating casting defects through metal processing techniques are vital for the commercial viability of these alloys since they play a key role in controlling the mechanical behaviour.As such,this review highlights the effect of different Bulk-deformation and Severe Plastic Deformation techniques on the crystal orientation and the corresponding mechanical behaviours of the AZ31 alloy.However,every process parameter surrounding these techniques must be well thought of,as they require specially designed tools.With the advent of finite element analysis,these processes could be computationally realized for different parameters and optimized in an economically viable manner.Hence,this article also covers the developments made in finite element methods towards these techniques.

Coupled CA-FE simulation for dynamic recrystallization of magnesium alloy during hot extrusion

In the present research,the dynamic recrystallization(DRX) behavior of a newly-developed Mg-Al-Zn-RE alloy with abundant secondphase particles during hot extrusion is investigated by coupling finite element(FE) and cellular automaton(CA) models.A two-dimensional CA model is developed to quantitatively and topologically evaluate the DRX process during deformation with constant forming conditions.Considering the fact that second-phase particles with various sizes extensively exist in the studied Mg-Al-Zn-RE magnesium alloy,models of DRX nucleation and grain growth velocity are modified.The coefficients of the modified CA model are calibrated by isothermal compression experiments of the magnesium alloy.Subsequently,the CA model is coupled with FE analysis to investigate the DRX behavior during the hot extrusions of the Mg-Al-Zn-RE alloy.The DRX behavior of the magnesium alloy at different stages and positions of extruded plates is simulated by the established model.Finer grains near the edge than in the inner of the plates result from higher strain and strain rate.The influence of extrusion conditions on microstructural evolution is explored.Under the employed forming conditions,average grain size decreases 28-62 times from as-cast and solution-treated to as-extruded state due to grain refinement by DRX.With increasing initial billet temperature or extrusion speed,average grain size increases.The finest grains are obtained at the initial billet temperature of 623 K and the extrusion speed of 7.83 mm/s.Low initial billet temperature or high extrusion speed benefits homogeneous grain distribution.The simulated results are in good agreement with experimental ones.

Effects of temperature and strain rate on critical damage value of AZ80 magnesium alloy

A series of AZ80 billets were compressed with 60%height reduction on hot process simulator at 250,300,350,400℃ under strain rates of 0.01,0.1,1 and 10 s- 1.In order to predict the occurrence of surface fracture,the values of the Cockcroft-Latham equation were calculated by the corresponding finite element numerical algorithm developed.A concept about damage incremental ratio in plastic deformation was defined as the ratio of damage increment at one step to the accumulated value.A method of finding the intersection of incremental ratio varying curve and simulation step axis was brought forward to make the fracture step certain. Then,the effects of temperature and strain rate on critical damage value were achieved.The results show that the critical damage value is not a constant but changes in a range of 0.021 8-0.378 0.It decreases significantly with the increase of strain rate at a certain temperature.While under a certain strain rate,the critical damage value has little change with the increase of temperature.

Ductility improvement methods for commercial AZ31B magnesium alloy in cold forging

In order to realize cold forging of magnesium alloys in practical application,some methods for ductility improvement of a commercial wrought AZ31B magnesium alloy(Mg-3%Al-1%Zn,mass fraction) at room temperature were suggested.The effects of heat treatment before forging and hydrostatic pressure during forging on the ductility were investigated in cold upsetting and cup forging.High-temperature annealing was effective to reduce the degree of the texture anisotropy of the specimen,and it was found that the forging limit of the annealed specimen was improved in cold forging.On the other hand,cold cup forging of the annealed specimen was carried out with applying counter pressure.By applying counter pressures of 100-200 MPa during forging,the critical punch stroke for forging limit of the specimen without crack was improved by 25%in punch stroke.

Modeling of microstructure evolution of AZ80 magnesium alloy during hot working process using a unified internal state variable method

In this paper, a unified internal state variable(ISV) model for predicting microstructure evolution during hot working process of AZ80 magnesium alloy was developed. A novel aspect of the proposed model is that the interactive effects of material hardening, recovery and dynamic recrystallization(DRX) on the characteristic deformation behavior were considered by incorporating the evolution laws of viscoplastic flow, dislocation activities, DRX nucleation and boundary migration in a coupled manner. The model parameters were calibrated based on the experimental data analysis and genetic algorithm(GA) based objective optimization. The predicted flow stress, DRX fraction and average grain size match well with experimental results. The proposed model was embedded in the finite element(FE) software DEFORM-3 D via user defined subroutine to simulate the hot compression and equal channel angular extrusion(ECAE) processes. The heterogeneous microstructure distributions at different deformation zones and the dislocation density evolution with competitive deformation mechanisms were captured.This study can provide a theoretical solution for the hot working problems of magnesium alloy.

Deformation behaviors of magnesium alloy AZ31 sheet in cold deep drawing

To investigate how the popular magnesium alloy AZ31 sheet(aluminum 3%,zinc 1%)behaves in cold working,deep drawing experiments at room temperature,along with finite element(FE)simulation,were performed on the cold forming sheet of the AZ31 alloy after being annealed under various conditions.The activities were focused on the fracture pattern,limit drawing ratio(LDR),deformation load,thickness distribution,anisotropic effect,as well as the influences of the annealing conditions and tool configuration on them.The results display that punch shoulder radius instead of die clearance,has much influence on the thickness distribution.The anisotropy is remarkable in cold working,which adversely impacts the LDR.The fracture often happens on the side wall at an angle to axis of the deformed specimen.The results also imply that the LDR for the material under present experimental conditions is 1.72,and annealing the material at 450 ℃ for 1 h may be preferable for the cold deep drawing.

Multi-objective Optimization Design of Magnesium Alloy Wheel Based on Topology Optimization

Lightweight of automatic vehicle is a significant application trend,using topology optimization and magnesium alloy materials is a valuable way.This article designs a new model of automobile wheel and optimizes the structure for lightweight.Through measuring and analyzing designed model under static force,clear and useful topology optimization results were obtained.Comparing wheel performance before and after optimization,the optimized wheel structure compliance with conditions such as strength can be obtained.Considering three different materials namely magnesium alloy,aluminum alloy and steel,the stress and strain performances of each materials can be obtained by finite element analysis.The reasonable and superior magnesium alloy wheels for lightweight design were obtained.This research predicts the reliability of the optimization design,some valuable references are provided for the development of magnesium alloy wheel.

Magnesium Alloy Wheel Structure Design and Wheel Casting Process Performance Analysis

Recently,as the automotive industry is increasingly demanding on energy saving and environmental protection,people are paying more attention to the lightweight design and comfort of automobiles.Casting is a very important part of wheel manufacturing.Casting method includes centrifugal casting,sand casting,high pressure casting,low pressure casting and so on.In this research,magnesium alloy wheel casting numerical simulation was carried out.Analysis of casting process was researched based on finite element theory,filling and solidification data at the end of the simulation were obtained for guidance of produce.

Prediction of edge cracks and plastic-damage analysis of Mg alloy sheet in rolling

A thermal-mechanical-damage coupled finite elements model was established to investigate temperature changes, edge cracks and rolling force during roiling of magnesium alloy sheet. A cuneal sheet was also adopted to study the influence of reduction on temperature, damage and rolling force. The results show that with increasing the reduction, the rolling force increases, and the temperature of the Mg sheet decreases. Edge cracks occur when the reduction is above 51.6%, with the damage value of above 0.49. The plastic-damage in Mg sheet rolling is a result of hole development, shearing deformation and accumulative plastic strain.

新型混编支架的制备与径向支撑力学行为

背景:编织支架因良好的柔顺性被广泛应用于狭窄动脉的治疗,但在提供足够的径向支撑性能方面存在明显局限。目的:针对单一材料制成的编织支架存在径向支撑力不足的问题,采用不同力学参数的生物可降解材料混合编织支架,探究影响混编支架径向力学性能的影响因素。方法:在镁合金支架中引入铁合金纱线,采用有限元分析法对不同编织参数的混编支架进行参数化分析,通过与0.18 mm直径镁合金纱线制备的普通支架进行对比,评估其径向支撑力、径向回弹率和扩张不均匀性。结果与结论:①当铁合金纱线直径为0.18 mm和0.14 mm时,随着铁合金纱线数量的增多,混编支架的径向支撑力增加;此时,尽管直径0.14 mm铁合金纱线提供的径向支撑力小于同数量的0.18 mm铁合金纱线,但增加细铁合金纱线的数量可以达到与较粗铁合金纱线混编支架相媲美的径向支撑力。当铁合金纱丝直径为0.10 mm时,随着铁合金纱线数量的增加,混编支架的径向支撑力降低。②增大编织角度,混编支架的径向支撑力降低,但其径向回弹率和狗骨率得到了改善。通过降低编织角可以改善小直径铁合金纱线造成的支架径向支撑力不足。③结果显示,在镁合金支架中引入铁合金纱线,可以实现在不增加纱线直径的情况下精确地调整支架的径向力学性能,这不仅克服了单一材料支架的局限性,也为多材料支架的设计提供了新思路。