Microstructure and mechanical properties of A356 aluminum alloy wheels prepared by thixo-forging combined with a low superheat casting process

The A356 aluminum alloy wheels were prepared by thixo-forging combined with a low superheat casting process. The as-cast microstructure, microstructure evolution during reheating and the mechanical properties of the thixo-forged A356 aluminum alloy wheels were investigated. The results show that the A356 aluminum alloy billet with fine, uniform and non-dendritic grains can be obtained when the melt is cast at 635 ℃. When the billet is reheated at 600 ℃ for 60 min, the non-dendritic grains are changed into spherical ones and the billet can be easily thixo-forged into wheels. The tensile strength and elongation of thixo-forged wheels with T6 heat treatment are 327.6 MPa and 7.8%, respectively, which are higher than those of a cast wheel. It is suggested that the thixo-forging combined with the low superheat casting process is an effective technique to produce aluminum alloy wheels with high mechanical properties.

Production of A356 aluminum alloy wheels by thixo-forging combined with a low superheat casting process

The A356 aluminum alloy wheels were produced by thixo-forging combined with a low superheat casting process. The as-cast microstructure, microstructure evolution during reheating and the mechanical properties of thixo-forged wheels made from the A356 aluminum alloy were studied. The results show that the A356 aluminum alloy round billet with fine, uniform and non-dendritic grains can be obtained when the melt is cast at 635 ℃ When the round billet is reheated at 600 ℃ for 60 min, the non-dendritic grains are changed into spherical ones and the round billet can be easily thixo-forged into wheels. The tensile strength, yield strength and elongation of the thixo-forged wheels with T6 heat treatment are 327.6 MPa, 228.3 MPa and 7.8%, respectively, which are higher than those of a cast wheel. It is suggested that the thixo-forging combined with the low superheat casting process is an effective technique to produce aluminum alloy wheels with high mechanical properties.

Parametric Study on the Effect of Aspect Ratio of Selected Cooling Hole Geometries on the Mechanical Response of an Automobile Aluminium Alloy Wheel

Aluminium alloy wheels are increasingly popular for their light weight and good thermal conductivity. Cooling Holes (CH) are introduced to reduce their weight without compromising structural integrity. Literature is sparse on the effect of aspect ratio (AR) of CHs on wheels. This, work, therefore, attempts to undertake a parametric study of the effect of aspect ratio (AR) on the mechanical response of an aluminium alloy wheel with triangular, quadrilateral and oval-shaped CHs. Three-dimensional wheel models (6JX14H2ET42) with triangular, quadrilateral and oval shaped CH (each with CH area of 2229 mm2) were generated, discretized, and analyzed by FEM using Creo Elements/Pro 5.0 to determine the mechanical response at the inboard bead seat at different ARs of 1, 0.5, 0.33 and 0.25, each for quadrilateral-CH and oval-CH, at a static Radial Load of 4750 N and Inflation Pressures of 0.3 and 0.15 MPa, respectively. The study shows that the magnitude of stress and displacement is affected by shape and AR of CH. From the results, it could be established that oval-shaped-CH wheel at AR of 0.5 offers greater prospect in wheel design as it was least stressed and deformed and, that the CH combination with highest integrity was the oval-CH and quadrilateral-CH at AR of 0.5.