The aim of the local squeezing casting process examination has been to eliminate the hot spot i.e. the place of potential formation of shrinkage porosity. The influence of variation of process parameters on the density i.e. soundness (compactness) of AlSi10Mg alloy castings has been obtained by the local squeezing process with the pin during gravity casting in the special permanent mould. Local squeezing parameters have been determined on the basis of preliminary investigations of AlSi10Mg alloy: temperature intervals and relevant temperature of singular phases precipitation and the microstructure development at different cooling rates. The temperature interval of performing the local squeezing casting process have been established in which the density values approaching to the theoretic ones have been determined

J. Medved

P. Fajfar

P. Mrvar

Z. Brodarac

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METALURGIJA 46 (2007) 1, 29-35 29Z. BRodARAc et al.: LocAL SQUEEZING cASTING INFLUENcE oN THE coMPAcTNESS oF AlSi10Mg ...Received - Primljeno: 2006-03-07Accepted - Prihvaćeno: 2006-05-26Original Scientific Paper - Izvorni znanstveni radIS N 543-5846METABK 46 (1) 29-35 (2007)Udc - UdK 672.71:535.82:531/534=111 ZovKo BRodARAc, P. MRvAR, J. MEdvEd, P. FAJFARZ. Zovko Brodarac, Faculty of Metallurgy University of Zagreb, Sisak, croatia, P. Mrvar, J. Medved, P. Fajfar, Faculty of Natural Science and Engineering University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, SloveniaLOCAL SQUEEZINGCASTING INFLUENCE ON THE COMPACTNESS OF AlSi10Mg ALLOY CASTINGSINTRODUCTIONCasting solidification brings to the shrinkage in the liq-uid state, solidification shrinkage and shrinkage in the solid state. Recently, technologies of die and gravity casting have increased the number of highly functional castings, which have been characterized with the very complex geometry. due to the different wall thickness in these castings, as well as the high solidification rates, premature interruption of feeding occurs. Impossibility of adequate feeding results in occurring of stand-alone solidification areas. These areas have been characterized with the smallest cooling and solidification rate and with the volume defects such as shrinkage, micro- and macro porosity appearance.The aim of the local squeezing casting process examination has been to eliminate the hot spot i.e. the place of potential formation of shrinkage porosity. The influence of variation of process parameters on the density i.e. soundness (compactness) of AlSi10Mg alloy castings has been obtained by the local squeezing process with the pin during gravity casting in the special permanent mould. Local squeezing parameters have been determined on the basis of preliminary investigations of AlSi10Mg alloy: temperature intervals and relevant temperature of singular phases precipitation and the microstructure development at different cooling rates. The temperature interval of performing the local squeezing casting process have been established in which the density values approaching to the theoretic ones have been determined.Key words:	Al-Si	alloy,	thermal	analysis,	microstructure	development,	local	squeezing	process,	density,	com-pactnessUtjecaj postupka lokalnog tiskanja na kompaktnost odljevka od AlSi10Mg legure. U radu se ispitivao postupak lijevanja lokalnim tiskanjem s ciljem eliminiranja toplog čvorišta odnosno mjesta potencijalnog nastanka usahline. Postupkom lokalnog lijevanja trnom pri gravitacijskom lijevanju odljevka u specijalno izrađene kokile ispitan je utjecaj varijacije procesnih parametara na gustoću odnosno ispravnost (kompaktnost) odljevka od legure AlSi10Mg. Parametri lokalnog tiskanja određeni su na osnovi preliminarnih ispitivanja legure AlSi10Mg pri čemu su utvrđeni temperaturni intervali i relevantne temperature izlučivanja pojedinih faza, te razvoj mikros-trukture pri različitim brzinama hlađenja. Utvrđen je temperaturni interval izvođenja postupka lokalnog tiskanja u kojem je uočeno približavanje vrijednosti gustoće ispitnih uzoraka teorijskim vrijednostima.Ključne riječi:	Al-Si	legura,	tolinska	analiza,	razvoj	mikrostrukture,	postupak	lokalnog	tiskanja,	gustoća,	kom-paktnostAlSi10Mg alloy has been used for the acquiring thin wall castings of complex geometry production for the airplane, automotive, chemical and nutritional industry. During solidification of commercial hypoeutectic Al-Si10Mg alloy, the following reactions would roll on as shown in Table 1. [1].Also, the chemical composition can also, due to the cor-responding phases precipitations and by restricting of feed-ing, induce defect occurring. There has been the tendency of the secondary raw materials application, which beneath the low price has wide tolerances for the impurity elements.Since the mass iron concentration has been influenced the microstructure development, it can also influence the porosity share which appears in the castings due to the cooling rate. Cooling rate influences the time required for the ferrous intermetallic phases forming, which bring the kinetic of the reactions on the first place. At the gravity sand mould castings low cooling rates contributes the Al5FeSi METALURGIJA 46 (2007) 1, 29-3530Z. BRodARAc et al.: LocAL SQUEEZING cASTING INFLUENcE oN THE coMPAcTNESS oF AlSi10Mg ...phase forming. High cooling rates, such as those from the high pressure die casting, suppresses (restricts) iron segre-gation in the Al5FeSi form, while the Al15(Mn,Fe)3Si2 form is favorable [2].It has been claimed that Al5FeSi plates physical blocks melt flow for interdenritic feeding, which results with in-creased porosity, [2]. It has been made and hypothesis that those phase serves as an efficient place for the pore nucle-ation as well as for the restricting of the pore growth, [2].The quantifying method for casting porosity has been developed. Porosity has been represented by formulae:%P = (solidification shrinkage porosity)                                                    + (gas porosity) (1)Which can be determined as, [3]:( )**% .(237 )CV T LP v vV K pβ ρ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅  = + Φ −  ⋅   (2)Tendency of volume defects removal, as well as the high requirements for the quality and low product price brought to the new production processes development. A new processes group is made of semi solid casting processes which enable the high integrity die casting and squeeze casting processes, [4]. One of the subtypes is the local squeeze casting process, which has been applied in this work for the volume defects removing. Local squeeze casting process enfolds the local squeezing of hot spot i.e. potential place of shrinkage forming.EXPERIMENTALResearches were obtained in Foundry laboratory, Labo-ratory for heat treatment of Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana. Preliminary examinations of chemical composition, with simple ther-mal analysis, simultaneous thermal analysis and optical microscopy of an AlSi10Mg alloy were performed on the test samples poured in three cups of different geometry and materials to achieve the different cool-ing rates and its influence on the microstructure.Test sample was a cast-ing in the form of two joined cubes of different dimen-sions. Mold was preheated on the work temperature, close to those in real casting terms (~350°c). casting charge (m ~ 0,5 kg) were melted in the corundum cup until the temperature of ~740 °c achieving. After the melting, local squeez-ing casting process were obtained. Local squeezing casting process experiment was obtained toward scheme il-lustrated on the Figure 1.Temperature has been registered with the ther-mocouples Nicr-Ni (K typ), as shown on the Fig-ure 1. Their works were monitored during mould preheating and melt pour-ing, as well as during local squeezing process with the pin.Local squeezing pro-cess was performed on the center of the big cube up-per surface by the pin impact. Applied force was obtained by the 5 kg weight falling from the 0,5m height.The force measuring method with the strain gauge was applied “in situ”. Strain gauge was embedded on the pin, as shown on Figure 2.a, from which the registered impact has been transferred to the device and personal computer where the registered applied force curve has been obtained, as shown on Figure 2.b.Strain gauge was preliminary calibrated on the force: weight with the mass of 5 kg corresponding the voltage of 0,145 v. diagram on the Figure 3. illustrates measured force of 2339 N applied on the pin during weight falling at the local squeezing process.Local squeezing process was obtained in the mushy state of an alloy. Applied force projects corresponding pressure within the casting which results in filling in of the formed shrinkage. The applying moment of the local METALURGIJA 46 (2007) 1, 29-35 31Z. BRodARAc et al.: LocAL SQUEEZING cASTING INFLUENcE oN THE coMPAcTNESS oF AlSi10Mg ...squeezing process was determined by the monitoring of the temperature decreasing with the thermocouple Nr. 1.Local squeezing process examinations were performed in the temperature interval from the 550 - 570 °c.During local squeezing casting process the following parameters were examined: temperature and the time of the local squeezing process. Test samples density were obtained based on the Archimed’s low to establish the cor-relation between the local squeezing process and density relatively casting soundness i.e. compactness.RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONchemical composition analysis was performed on the test samples from the simple thermal analysis of an AlSi10Mg alloy from the AMAG charge supplier. Aver-age values of the chemical composition could be seen in the Table 2.:Results of the chemical composition analysis were within the referent values.Temperature changes with time at the different cool-ing rate are shown on the Figure 4. Thermo-calc software provides equilibrium solidification with the cooling rate of 0 K/s. At the equilibrium cooling rate liquidus TL and solidus temperature TS were determined. Simultaneous thermal analysis provides the cooling rate of 0,17 K/s. Results from the cooling rate of approximately 5 K/s, 40 K/s and 100 K/s represents the simple thermal analysis examinations.The decreasing trend of the liquidus temperature TL, solidus TS and eutectic temperature TE with the increasing of the cooling rate could be seen.depending on the cooling rate different microstructure types can be obtained. At the cooling rate of 4,4 K/s the big dendrites could be seen. At the higher cooling rate of 32,4 K/s the grains of the primary crystals are smaller and the microstructure is directed. At the highest cooling rate of 96 K/s the grains are the smallest and equally distributed.METALURGIJA 46 (2007) 1, 29-3532Z. BRodARAc et al.: LocAL SQUEEZING cASTING INFLUENcE oN THE coMPAcTNESS oF AlSi10Mg ...Metallographic examinations are performed on the test samples from the simple thermal analysis. The samples were recorded under the different magnifications. In common, microstructure should be consisting of primary crystals αAl and eutectic which consists of αAl and βSi. Regarding chemical composition insoluble intermetallic Fe rich phases can be expected, which are responsible for the strength increasing, the decreasing fluidity as well as the decreasing of the feeding capacity, [5]. due those reasons the bigger tendency to the porosity forming can be expected while the physical blocking of the Al5FeSi plates and the melt flow for the feeding of the interdendritic spaces, [2]. Manganese presence also refers on the forming intermetallic Fe phases such as Al15(MnFe)3Si2, [5].The decreasing of the cooling rate results in the share and the size increase of the characteristic phases, established in the microstructure such as: Al5FeSi, Al15(Mn,Fe)3Si2 and Mg2Si. characteristic microstructure constituent are shown on the Figure 5.Experimental process of the local squeezing was per-formed by the several pouring temperatures (701,9 °c, 667,8 °C and 687,1 °C) which have not influenced the squeezing parameters as well as the casting densities.During local squeezing process the temperature de-crease was established during cooling after the pouring and during local squeezing process performing. The example of the local squeezing process performing was shown on Figure 6. The melt temperature measured in the furnace was ~740 °c. The maximum registered temperature was Tp = 701,9 °c in the mould cavity at the beginning of cast-ing. during casting the markedly temperature decrease of ~100 °c occurs due to taking the heat off toward mould, preheated on the 350 °c.During cooling and solidification between the mould and the casting an empty space occurs while the separation of the formed casting shell from the mould is taking place. That results the cooling rate decreasing. The pin impact during local squeezing process evolves the casting shell again lie on METALURGIJA 46 (2007) 1, 29-35 33Z. BRodARAc et al.: LocAL SQUEEZING cASTING INFLUENcE oN THE coMPAcTNESS oF AlSi10Mg ...the mould surface after which the thermal flux is again es-tablished, and the cooling rate is rapidly increased as shown on the cooling curve. Temperature measured inside the big cube was 1SQT  = 567,1 °c. on the small cube those impact had the insignificant influence which has been reflected as a smaller temperature decrease. Temperature registered in the central part of the small cube was 2SQT  = 557,4 °c. At the mould edge no changes have been noticed in the moment of the local squeezing process performing.The slot depth occurred by the pin impact during the local squeezing process performing in this example was h = 5 /mm.density determinations were obtained to establish the correlation between the local squeezing process and the den-sity as a measure for the casting soundness (compactness).The casting produced without the local squeezing process had the markedly bigger difference between the theoretical and real obtained casting density. The biggest approach to the theoretical value was obtained in the tem-perature interval ∆TSQ = 565 - 575 °c in which the local squeezing process should be performed. The local squeezing temperature increases in those temperature interval because METALURGIJA 46 (2007) 1, 29-3534Z. BRodARAc et al.: LocAL SQUEEZING cASTING INFLUENcE oN THE coMPAcTNESS oF AlSi10Mg ...of the casting density i.e. compactness decrease. correla-tion dependence of those parameters is rather small which could be consequence of the central shrinkage movement toward the riser, whereby the local squeezing shrinkage filling became indirectly.The density increase trend was noticed with the slot depth (from the pin indent) increase, as shown on Figure 8.Exponential curve of the correlation between the theoretical and the real obtained casting density difference (∆ρ) and the slot depth (h):4,60219 0,709970,212630,02514 e 0,02351 e                               0,01195 e 0,03503.h hhρ− −−∆ = ⋅ + ⋅+ ⋅ +correlation factor between assumed and the software obtained curve was: R2 = 0,99. This correlation refers on the casting compacting during local squeezing process.CONCLUSIONSThe influence of the composition of the process pa-rameters variations on the casting density e.g. soundness (compactness) was examined by the local squeezing pro-cess with the pin at the gravity AlSi10Mg alloy casting.The local squeezing parameters were determined on the base of preliminary examinations of the AlSi10Mg alloy whereby the temperature intervals and the relevant temperature of the single phases precipitations were es-tablished, as well as the microstructure development by the different cooling rate.From the results obtained by the experimental examina-tions the following was established:1. The simple and simultaneous thermal analysis examina-tions in combinations with the metallographic analysis, and the AlSi10Mg alloy solidification was monitored and the followed microstructure constituents were establi-shed: primary crystals αAl, eutectic consists of the αAl and βSi, needles of the Al5FeSi phase, phase Al15(Mn,Fe)3Si2 in the chinese script form, and the Mg2Si phase.2. As the cooling rate increases (4,4 K/s, 32,4 K/s, 96 K/s), single temperatures of the phases transformations (liquidus, eutectic and solidus temperature) are moving toward the lower values.3. The cooling rate increase significantly influences the microstructure development. The increase of the char-acteristics phases size and share, determined in the microstructure such as: Al5FeSi, Al15(Mn,Fe)3Si2 and Mg2Si can influence on the feeding with the cooling rate decrease.4. The local squeezing process of the AlSi10Mg alloy test samples must be obtained in the temperature interval from the 565 - 570 °c when the casting is in the mushy state. The smallest difference between the theoretical and real obtained density was determined in those temperature interval.5. The local squeezing temperature increases in the tem-perature interval from the 565 - 575 °c because of the decrease of the density i.e. compactivity. correlation of these parameters is rather small probably because of the central shrinkage cavity movement toward riser while the indirect filling of the cavity occurs.6. The increase density trend with the slot depth is pres-ent. correlation curve of the difference between the theoretical and real obtained casting density value and the sloth depth from the pin indent is presented by the following equitation:METALURGIJA 46 (2007) 1, 29-35 35Z. BRodARAc et al.: LocAL SQUEEZING cASTING INFLUENcE oN THE coMPAcTNESS oF AlSi10Mg ...List of symbols %P - percent porosity /%	 β	 - solidification shrinkage factor /%REFERENCES [1] L. Bäckerud, G. Chai, J. Tamminen: Solidification Characteristics of Aluminum Alloys. volume 2, Foundry Alloys AFS/SKANALU-MINIUM. department of Structural chemistry - Arrhenius Labora-tory, University of Stockholm, 1990., p. 7 - 12, 71 - 223. [2] M. o. otte, S. d. Mcdonald, J. A. Taylor, d. H. StJohn: controlling porosity - related casting rejects: Understanding the role of iron in Al - Si alloys, Transactions of American Foundrymen’s Society 107 (1999), 471 - 478. [3] E. J. vinarcik: High Integrity die casting Processes, New York, 2003., p. 3 - 11, 51 - 65. [4] R. U. Zehe: The Squeeze Play, Foundry Management & Technology 127 (1999) 5, 65 - 70. [5] P. N. crepeau: Effect of iron in Al-Si casting alloys: A critical re-view, Transactions of American Foundrymen’s Society 103 (1995), 471 - 478.4,60219 0,709970,212630,02514 e 0,02351 e                               0,01195 e 0,03503.h hhρ− −−∆ = ⋅ + ⋅+ ⋅ +correlation factor of the assumed and the software calculated curve is: R2 = 0,99.For the industrial application of the local squeezing process with the pin at the serial gravity die and the high pressure die casting, a series of the additional examina-tions on the real tool i.e. casting must be obtained. The acquainting of the local squeezing process with an alloy parameters, numerical simulation of the pouring and the casting solidification would provide the high integrity casting production.	 V*	 - volume of liquid in casting cavity that is not sup-plied liquid during solidification /cm3	 VC	 - volume of the casting cavity /cm3	 T	 - temperature of the gas in the casting cavity /K p - pressure applied to the gas during solidification /MPa	 Φ	 - fraction of the gas that does not report to the solidification shrinkage pores	 ρ	 - liquid alloy density at the melting temperature /(g/cm3) v - quantity of the gas contained in the casting at stan-dard temperature and pressure condition (273 K and 105 Pa) /(cm3/100 g alloy) v* - solubility limit of gas in the solid at the solidus temperature at standard temperature and pressure conditions /(cm3/100 g alloy) 1SQT  - temperature in the big cube cavity at the local squeezing process applying /T 2SQT  - temperature in the small cube cavity at the local squeezing process applying /T	∆TSQ	 - temperature interval of the local squeezing ap-plication /T	 ∆ρ	 -	 theoretical and real obtained density difference of the test samples /(g/cm3)	 h	 - slot depth of the pin obtained by the local squeez-ing process /mm	 R2 - correlation factor	 V	 - volume of the indent part of the pin /mm3 (V = r2πh)	 ρo - casting density /(g/cm3)	 ρt	 - theoretical casting density /(g/cm3) (ρt = 2700 /(g/cm3), [11])	 ρv - relative water density at the 293 K /(g/cm3) (ρv = 1 /(g/cm3), [25])	 ∆ρ	 - theoretical and real obtained density difference /(g/cm3)

Local Squeezing Casting Influence on the Compactness of AlSi10Mg Alloy Castings

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