Influence of Different Si Levels on Mechanical Properties of Aluminium Casting Alloys

Abstract

AlSi7 and AlSi11 are the most commonly used materials in aluminum alloy wheel production. The main difference is the heat treatment application; for wheel production AlSi7 is usually used in heat treated form while AlSi11 is not. Heat treatment processes play a vital role on production costs. More than fifty percent of aluminum wheels are heat treated however the exact value varies between different manufacturers. Additional heat treatment costs directly affect the competitiveness of the manufacturer. In this study the material properties of an alternative Si level between AlSi7 and AlSi11 are examined and the effects of these intermediate Si levels on mechanical properties are compared with that of AlSi7 and AlSi11. The aim of this study to examine the possibility of obtaining mechanical properties of heat treated AlSi7 with a non-heat-treated material differing only in Si content. In this experiment all processes and casting parameters for different material types are the same except for the Si content. In addition to an experimental study, the mechanical properties of the alternative material are simulated by utilizing a material analysis software and these properties are compared with experimental results. Thus, correlation between simulation and experimental study results can also be examined. As a conclusion, the alternative non-heat-treated material is presented to manufacturers. These results may be used to bypass the heat treatment process and to decrease the cost of final product.

Keywords

• Aluminum,Heat Treatment,Mechanical Properties,Simulation of Material Properties

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