• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.9-12
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• 2008

Recently, industries and academic institutes have been interested in the rheology forming technology for light weight materials. However, this rheocasting process has advantages such as the high initial investment cost and the lower mechanical properties than thixocasting. In this study, the continuous fabrication of rheological material with a spiral stirring equipment(mechanical stirring system) was newly devised to overcome the disadvantages of rheocasting process. The experimental parameters were stirring time($0{\sim}1200sec$), stirring velocity ($0{\sim}100rpm$) and stirring temperature($650{\sim}680^{\circ}C$). The optimal conditions for fabricated rheological material of A6061 alloy were stirring time at 300sec, stirring velocity at 60rpm and stirring temperature at $650^{\circ}C$. At these results, the equivalent diameter was $45{\sim}65{\mu}m$, mean roundness was $1.4{\sim}1.6$ and Vickers hardness was 60Hv.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.205-212
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• 2008

Characteristics of microstructures, mechanical properties and formability of two Al-20Si-5Fe-2Ni alloys produced by gas atomizing (P/M) and spray forming (S/F) respectively were compared at temperatures up to $560^{\circ}C$. Room temperature hardness values and tensile strengths of both alloys were increased in accordance with temperature after heat treatment above $300^{\circ}C$. The highest values of hardness and tensile strength of both alloys were obtained at $490^{\circ}C$. It was interpreted that increase in hardness and tensile strength according to heating temperature between $300{\sim}490^{\circ}C$ was mainly related to increase in internal stress between Al matrix and reprecipitated particles. S/F alloys showed better formability and wear property than P/M alloys due to the homogenity of microstructures above $300^{\circ}C$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.247-248
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• 2006

In this study, the morphology of the change of primary Al phase in A356 alloy by two kinds of electromagnetic stirrers(vertical and horizontal) were investigated to obtain the globular structure. The effects of the stirring current, the stirring time and the pouring temperature were determined. The greater stirring current and longer stirring time were to get the finer the Al phase. However, over a certain stirring current and stirring time, the primary Al was merged together and was increased. The reason is the degree of breakdown of initial dendrites has been decreased by the collision and coalescence of particles with increasing stirring current and stirring time. The optimum conditions and difference of the two kinds of electromagnetic stirrers have been investigated for rheology forming with controlled solid fraction.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 2003

Semisolid forming requires alloys with non-dendritic microstructure of the thixotropy. Recently, low pouring temperture method without stirring, i.e. liquidus casting has been found out new fabrication method of the semisolid metals. Effects of melt superheat and mold conditions on the globulization of primary Al of $AlSi_7Mg$ alloy were investigated in gravity casting process without stirring. The microstructures of primary Al as function of melt superheat and mold temperature show globular, rosette and dendritic shapes. The conditions for globular microstructure of primary Al were low melt superheat < 35 K and low mold temperature < 500 K. The thermal conditions for globular microstructure of primary Al were undercooled melt at early solidification stages and slow cooling < 0.6 K/s. It was found that the initial microstructure was maintained throughout the solidification and the globules of primary Al can be obtained by high nucleation of fine and spherical nuclei due to enhanced undercooling of melt.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.15 no.7 s.88
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• pp.490-495
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• 2006

The application of Al parts in passenger car has been increasing for the last decade, which gives many advantages such as better fuel efficiency, driving performance and safety. Control arm is one of the most preferably substituted parts from steel into Al alloys among numerous automotive parts. Currently, both wrought and cast Al alloys can find the application for control arm in passenger car. The balance between performance and cost determines a material as well as a fabrication process for a particular part model. In the present study, comparison among various processing techniques has been carried out to build up a data base for Al control arm fabrication.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.385-388
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• 2001

In part forming process of metal matrix composites, the die casting and squeeze casting process are limited the size and dimension in term of final parts without machining. The thixoforming process for metal matrix composites has numerous advantages compared to die casting squeeze casting and compocasting. However, for the thixoforming process, the billet with the desired volume fraction must be heated to obtain a uniform temperature distribution over the entire cross-sectional areas. To obtain the reheating conditions of composites, the particulate reinforced metal matrix composites for thixoforming were fabricated by combined stirring process which is simultaneously performed with electro-magnetic stirring and mechanical stirring process.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.244-249
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• 2014

The thixoforming process has been applied to forming of a joint node for the aluminum frame of a low speed electric vehicle. A joint node should connect three aluminum extruded chassis showing different profiles. The MHS(magnetohydrodynamic stirring) A357 billet was selected because homogeneous globular grains are necessary as the billet materials for thixoforming. A careful design of joint node has been performed by the considerations of structural demands and the simulation results for the thixoforming process using the MAGMAsoft. Optimum heating temperature for the A357 billet was between 580 and $585^{\circ}C$ corresponding to the semi-solid temperatures showing 20-30% of liquid fraction. An injection speed of around 100mm/s and preheating of die at temperatures of $200^{\circ}C$ were also necessary conditions to obtain reasonable thixoformed parts.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.808-811
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• 2002

In thixoforming process, the size of Si particles is changed by many parameters of forming. Especially, reheating and heat treatment are very important parameters. It was found that the mechanical properties was significantly improved by the thixoforming process. In this study, to investigate the relation between the mechanical properties and Si particles, the experiment of semi-solid die casting has been performed. Large suspension part with A356 alloy was fabricated with controlled ram speed. The effect of the size and shape of silicon particles on microstructure of tensile test has been investigated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.268-271
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• 2001

The die design of the liquid and semi-solid forming process is performed by CAE technology, The die design by the computer simulation has some advantages compared with the conventional method which has been performed by the designer's experiences in trials and emu. The defect zones such as porosity and shrinkage has been predicted by simulation results. The result of the numerical analysis for the proposed casting condition shows the characteristics of thixotropic flow, and was used to determine the geometry of the gating system and die cavity. The optimized production conditions were also proposed by result of computer aided engineering.