• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.293-295
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• 2007

The thixoforming process become important for forming automobile parts. But, the thixoforming process cannot still prevent to forming defects such as pores and shrinkage which reduce mechanical properties of automobile parts. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the correlation between forming defects and mechanical properties. However, it is difficult to get data about relations between mechanical properties and forming defects in thixoformed aluminum alloy parts. In this study, three parts of aluminum thixoformed knuckle have been analyzed using tensile test and computer tomography(CT scan). Experimental results showed that the elongation properties of thixoformed aluminum parts were significantly dependent on size and number of forming defects.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.45-53
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• 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
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.373-382
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• 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
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• 1999.03b
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• pp.199-202
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• 1999

Many processing times for fabricating complex shaped parts by near net shape process such as thixoforming or semi-solid forming, are required due to the time for die design, induction heating and forming process. Therefore, for the thixoforming process, multi-capacity induction heating process is very important due to the reduction of the processing time and cost. It is indispensable to adopt a power-time heating pattern which manages to conciliate complete eutectic melting at the core with limited overheating at the periphery. The total reheating time is thus dependent on billet diameter; in inches$(pm20%)$. Typically, high frequency is used for the rapid reheating of the billet to the eutectic temperature range and low frequency for the remelting of the desired fraction of liquid and for the radial homogeneization of the liquid fraction. So in this study, the multi-capacity induction heating conditions of ALTHIX 86s alloy to reduce the processing time and cost would be proposed. The suitability of multi-capacity induction heating conditions would be verified through the comparison to Garat's data.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 1997.06a
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• pp.196-209
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• 1997

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.422-427
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• 2009

Computed tomography(CT) has been applied to measure micro-defects in the aluminum knuckle parts manufactured by the thixoforming process. 6061 aluminum alloys were used to form knuckle samples in the semi-solid temperature after the SIMA processing of billets. Tensile specimens were cut from the different locations in a thixoformed knuckle. The size and the distribution of forming defects in tensile specimens were analyzed using CT scanning and image analysis technology before tensile tests. It has been qualitatively shown that the stress-strain curves were significantly affected by the size and the distribution of forming defects although the defect sizes lie in the range of micro-meters.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.123-131
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• 2002

The rheology process is net shape manufaturing technology to high of automobile part and improve the mechanical properties. For the rheology forming process, Phase and globular microstructure are very important. The equipments to make a rheology alloys with slurry statement have been introduced. Therefore, the Problems to Produce a rheology alloyas with continuous process had also been investigated to make Production in industries. The validity of the introduced rheology Process is investigated by comparing the reported thixoforming results. Therefore, the many advantage of rheology process to be reduced the reheating Process and billet fabrication method has been expressed in terms of mass production, in the future.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.261-264
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• 2003

Semi-solid processing is now becoming of great interest for the production of various parts by pressure die casting. Many advantages are associated with this forming process at the condition that the forming operation is performed under appropriate conditions. The thixoforming process, which needs a suspension of a globular, non-dendritic solid phase in the liquid phase, is characterized by three major steps. The first step is casting of billets with a microstructure suited for thixoforming. The second step is reheating of slugs cut from these billets. The third step is injection of the semi-solid slugs into a die. In this paper, the horizontal reheating machine to obtain the optimal conditions suitable for semiu-solid die casting process was used and applied to extrusion material. It is estimated the possibility of application on semi-solid die casting with extrusion material through various results.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.120-123
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• 2001

The semi-solid casting will have a higher internal integrity, mechanical properties and dimensional accuracy than the conventional castings. This process can reduce the manufacturing costs and finished weight for critical components. The semi-solid casting are capable of greater dimensional repeatbility, this supplies considerable savings when extensive machining, salvage and scrap are key variables in the current automotive product. One of the most important factor regarding the semi-solid die casting process are the reheating method of the raw materials to the semi-solid state. Therefore, in this present work, the horizontal type induction heating system to obtain the optimal reheating conditions suitable for semi-solid die casting process was designed and manufactured. And the microstructure of reheated materials was investigated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.185-190
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• 2000

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. First of all, thixoforming die design was applied to previously geometry shape. The value of pressure distribution shows high and uniform as the gate diameter is 18mm. Designed gating system considering the deformation of die and product was suggested by the filling simulation. Gate velocity(7.25m/s) of designed gating system shows that propriety to semi-solid metal working process and CAE results were in good agreement with experimental results.