• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
• /
• 2000.04a
• /
• pp.218-223
• /
• 2000

A both mixing process of electro-magnetic stirring and mechanical process technique were used to fabricate particulate metal matrix composites(PMMCs) for variation of particle size. The PMMCs were tested for their tensile test for with and without heat treatment with T6. PMMCs fabrication processing conditions for both electrical and mechanical process are also suggested. In order to thixoforming of PMMCs, fabricated billet are reheated by using the optimal coil designed as a function of length between PMMC billet and coil surface, coil diameter and billet length. The effect of reinforcement distribution on billet temperature variation are investigated with calculated solid fraction theory proposed as a function of matrix alloy and volume fraction of reinforcement.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.45-53
• /
• 2002

The forming process of metal matrix composites by die casting and squeeze casting process are limited in size and dimension In term of final parts. The melt strirring method have the problems that the homogeneous distribution of the reinforcements is difficult due to the low weldability and the density difference between the molten metal and the reinforcement. The thixoforming process for metal matrix composites has numerous advantages compacted to die casting, squeeze casting and compocasting. However, for the thixofoming 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. The matrix alloy and reinforcement are used to aluminum alloy(A357) and SiCp with diameter 14, $25{\mu}m$, respectively. The microstructure characteristics were investigated by changing the volume fraction and reinforcement size. The heating conditions to obtain the uniform temperature distribution in cross section area of fabricated metal matrix composites billet are proposed with heating time, the heating temperature and the holding time.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
• /
• v.9 no.5
• /
• pp.494-503
• /
• 2000

The electro-magnetic stirring and mechanical process were applied to fabricate particulate metal matrix composites(PMMCs) with various particle size. The mechanical test on PMMCs was carried out in order to clarify the effect of 76 heat treatment on tensile behaviors. In order to study the thixoforming of PMMCs, fabricated billet are reheated by using the coil designed as a function of length between PMMC billet and coil surface, coil diameter and billet length. The effect of reinforcement distribution on billet temperature variation has been investigated with the calculated solid fraction theory based on a function of matrix alloy and volume fraction of reinforcement.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
• /
• v.16 no.5
• /
• pp.267-274
• /
• 2003

The effect of the thermo-mechanical treatment on the microstructural development and the electric conductivity of Cu-Ca alloys are studied for the thixoforming processed rotor of the induction motor The Cu-Ca alloys containing Ca less than 1.0wt% show the electrical conductivity higher than 80% IACS They also show broad melting range over $150^{\circ}C$ which is desirable for the thixoforming process The semi-solid microstructure of cast alloy changes from the dendrite structure to globular structure by prior deformation before reheating. The details of microstructural changes by the thermo-mechanical treatment are discussed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
• /
• 1997.10a
• /
• pp.808-811
• /
• 1997

MMC has excellent mechanical properties in many ways in automotive industrial, and get into the spotlight as a light materials substituted for iron and steel. But the know-how about MMC research lack, MMC is expensive and difficult to apply the sound parts. Especially it is difficult to produce the hollow type parts composed with MMC. Therefore, hollow type parts of metal composites by using thixoforming process which as co-existing solidus-liquidus phase, it is very important to obtain forming condition. In this study, MMC billet producted by electro-magnetic stirring and mechanical stirring process is formed to hollow type parts of thixoforming process and inspected of suitability for application. It is optimized production condition, and applied to experiment. After variable materials were produced for thixoforming process, it were inspected of suitability for application by comparsion with mechanical properties. In this study, used materials were A357, A380 10%vol, and 20%vol SiCp, and the size of particultes were 14$\mu\textrm{m}$ and 5.5$\mu\textrm{m}$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
• /
• 2001.04a
• /
• pp.389-392
• /
• 2001

The characteristics of thixoforming process can decrease liquid segregation because of the improvement in fluidity in a globular microstructure state and utilizes flow without an air entrapment. Therefore, in order to obtain the sound parts of metal matrix composites by using thixoforming process which is co-existing solidus-liquidus phase, it is very important to obtain a die design, fabrication conditions which affects the uniformity of the solid fraction on unfilling state and various defects throughout the fabricated parts. The die designs and fabrication conditions to obtain the good piston part are proposed for thixogorging process of metal matrix composites.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
• /
• 1999.03b
• /
• pp.195-198
• /
• 1999

For the thixoforming process beside an existing solidus-liquidus interval, the reheating conditions to obtain the globular microstructure are very important. It relies on the control of globular microstructure of semi-solid alloys that contain non-dendritic particles. To obtain the globular microstructure in cross section of billet, the optimal design of the induction coil is necessary. Therefore, in this paper the optimal coil design to minimize electromagnetic end effect will be proposed. The results of coil design were also applied to the reheating process to obtain a fine globular microstructure. Finally, reheating data base of aluminum alloys for thixoforming and FEM model for induction heating based on the optimal coil design have been proposed.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
• /
• v.10 no.5
• /
• pp.373-382
• /
• 2001

Die design by computer simulation has some advantages compared with the conventional method which has performed by designer's experiences and trials and errors. The die filling and solidification process of thixoforming process were simulated by MAGMAsoft/thixo module. Furthermore, the die design for thixoforming was performed with the various geometry shape. The effect of designed gate dimension on filling phenomenon was estimated by filling simulation. The calculated results was compared with experimental data. The free surface phenomenon obtained by experiment have good agreement with computer simulation results. The solidification effect much as prosity and shrinkage for designed semi-solid forging die had been predicted by computer simulation. The designed die for semi-solid forging had been applied to produce of the frame part which is used to airconditious system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
• /
• 2001.10a
• /
• pp.236-239
• /
• 2001

In thixoforming, the globule size is determined by the hoding time of last reheating stage. In this study, some experiments to investigate the relationship between the mechanical properties and the holding time were performed A357, A390 and A3l9 alloys are used in this study. This paper shows the evolution of the microstructure according to the holding time of last reheating stage. Tensile test was performed for each reheating condition to examine the effect of globule size.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.19-32
• /
• 2000

The fabrication process of particulate metal matrix composites(PMMCs) with homogeneous distribution of reinforcement and reheating for thixoforming has been studied. Both of eletro-magnetic stirring and mechanical stirring were used to fabricate particulate metal matrix composites(PMMCs) for variation of particle size. The electrical and mechanical processing conditions for fabricating PMMCs are also suggested. For thixoforming of PMMCs, fabricated bi1lets are reheated by using the designed optimal coil with as function of length between PMMC billet and coil surface, and coil diameter and billet. The effect of reinforcement distribution according to variation of billet temperature were investigated with solid fraction theory with a function of matrix alloy and volume fraction of reinforcement.