• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.7-21
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• 2000

This paper describes an overview of the thixoforming and thixomolding processes. Semi-solid metalworking (SSM), which is called the thixoforming process of aluminium materials, incorporates the elements of both casting and for the manufacture of near net shape parts. The SSM has some advantages such as net shape or near net shape manufacturing, the ability to form thin walls, excellent surface finish, tight tolerance, and excellent dimensional precision. The thixomolding process of Mg alloy (AZ9l) is a combination of two technologies both conventional die casting and plastic injection molding. The feed material used is a machined chip with a geometry of approximately 1 mm square and a length of 2~3 mm. The semi-solid forming (SSF) of high quality aluminium and magnesium parts will be established in the automotive and electronic industry, in the future. The hybrid method of casting/forging has been caused attention. This process uses a preformed material made by casting instead of the wrought material and finishes it by a single forging process. This process is expected to lower costs without sacrificing the mechanical and finishes it by a single forging process. The process is expected to lower costs without sacrificing the mechanical properties. The authors, intending that the casting/forging process contributes to a reduction in production cost of aluminum automotive parts in Korea, describes the feature of the casting/forging process, aluminum alloys suitable for the cast preform, microstructure and mechanical properties of the cast preform, application examples of cast/forging, and further study.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 1999.06a
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• pp.15-32
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• 1999

A relationship between stress and stain is very important to design a die to avoid defects of products during semi-solid forming process. Since the liquid will be of eutectic composition in alloys liquid segregation will result in significant or undesirable situation. The materials used in this experiment are A 357. A390, Al2024 alloys that is fabricated by the electro-magnetic stirring process from Pechiney in France. The compression test was performed by induction heating equipment and MTS. In order to prevent the liquid segregation these measured temperature would be useful to control of strain rate during compression test. The liquid segregation is controlled as change of the strain rate and solid fraction during the compression process, The characteristics of flow between solid and liquid phase considering liquid segregation is examined through the above experiments. In the case of medium and high volume fractions of solid the distribution of strain rate is calculated by using compression test data of semi-solid materials (SSM). The thixoforming experiments with the designed die are carried out successfully. The die filling patterns of SSM for variation of die temperature and pressing force have been investigated. The hardness of the thixoformed scroll products is evaluated in terms of the microstructure for each position.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.450-461
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• 1998

The optimal reheating conditions to apply the thixoforging and semi-solid die casting process were investigated by changing the reheating time, the holding time, the reheating temperatures, the capacity of the induction heating system, and the adiabatic material size. In the case of solid fraction fs=50% (for semi-solid die casting), the microstructure of SSM (specimen size:$d76{\times}l90$) at the condition of the first elevating time of 4 min, holding time of 1 min and holding temperature of $350^{\circ}C$, the second elevating time of 3 min, holding time of 3 min and holding temperature of $575^{\circ}C$, the third elevating time of 1 min, holding time of 2 min and holding temperature of $584^{\circ}C$, capacity of Q=8.398KW is obtained with globular microstructure and finest. In addition, in the case of solid fraction fs=55% (for thixoforging), the SSM (specimen size:$d76{\times}l90$) at the condition of the first elevating time of 4 min, holding time of 1 min and holding temperature of $350^{\circ}C$, the second elevating time of 3 min, holding time of 3 min and holding temperature of $570^{\circ}C$, the third elevating time of 1 min, holding time of 2 min and holding temperature of $576^{\circ}C$, capacity of Q=12.04KW is obtained with the finest globular microstructure. We saw that the most important factor in a three-step reheating process is the final holding time.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.281-289
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• 1999

The stirred and thixoformed $SiC_p/AZ91HP$ Mg composites are studied on the basis of microstructural analysis using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The products of interfacial reaction are identified as $Mg_2Si$, MgO and $Mg_{17}Al_{12}$ phases and the crystallized phases are found to be orthorhmbic $Al_6Mn$ and decagonal T phases. It is shown that $Mg_2Si$ and $Mg_{17}Al_{12}$ phases are found at the surface of $SiC_p$ and $Al_6Mn$ is found near interface and crystallized on the matrix. Phase identification is carried out by crystallographic work based on primitive cell volume, zero order Laue zone (ZOLZ) patterns and single convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED) patterns containing higher order Laue zone ring from a nanosized region.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.131-134
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• 2007

A semi-solid forming technology has a lot of advantages compared to the die casting, squeeze casting and hot/cold forging, so semi-solid forming has been studied actively. Semi-solid forming has two methods. One is thixoforming with reheating of prepared billet, the other is rheoforming with cooled melt until semi-solid state. Thixoforging technology can produce non-dendritic alloys for semi-solid forming complex shaped parts in metal alloys. In this study, the thixoforging was experimented with made rheology materials by the spiral stirrer equipment. Rheology materials for forging were made by A356 casting aluminum alloy and A6061 wrought aluminum alloy. After experiment, forged samples were measured microstructure and were heat treated for high mechanical properties.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.240-243
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• 2001

Recently, many automobile parts produced by semi-solid forming(SSF) process has been applied for improved weight reduction, better environmental protection and energy savings. SSF process was well developed for high volume production of light weight aluminum components. In this paper, knuckle has been manufactured with A357 by SSF and thor investigated for microstructures and mechanical properties followed by various heat-treatment conditions. It was found that the examined microstructure was equiaxed at the whole cross-section area and as a result, the mechanical properties were satisfied by 100MPa YS, 260MPa UTS and $14\%$ elongation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.55-59
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• 2003

Rotor in small-medium induction motor has been usually manufactured by aluminum diecasting. In order to improve efficiency of induction motors, however, it is desirable that pure aluminum is replaced by high electrical conductivity copper alloy. For this purpose, a rotor is thixoformed with Cu-Ca alloy. Thermomechanical processing(TMP) is carried out to modify the semi-solid microstructure of the alloy and final microstructures and filling defects of thixoformed Cu- rotors are investigated. The characteristics of thixoformed Cu-rotor such as motor efficiency and torque are compared with those of Al rotor.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.127-132
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• 2014

The semi-solid metal forming process has been applied to realize a near-net shape fabrication of a high speed tool steel. A complicatedly shaped part out of SKH51 was successfully manufactured by introducing pertinent materials, tooling and processing conditions. A SKH51 billet with globular grains was heated at temperatures between 1300 and $1350^{\circ}C$ using high frequency induction heater to get semi-solid microstructure before high rate injection of mushy metal into a die cavity for the forming process. It was necessary to control the preheating of dies between 300 and $400^{\circ}C$ to maintain the homogeneous microstructure during the semi-solid metal forming process. Significant defects such as pores, high fraction of liquid fraction and segregation could be removed from the part by using air vents.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.178-184
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• 2000

To obtain high quality component with thixoforming process, it is important that the homegeneous distribution of solid particles without liquid segregation. In closed-die semi-solid forging process, liquid segregation is strongly affected by injection velocity than any other process variables because the material has to travel relatively long distance to fill the cavity through a narrow gate before solidification begins. The optimal injection velocity and die temperature were investigated to fabricate near-net-shape compressor component called Al frame.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.167-170
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• 1997

For the optimal net shape forging of semi-solid materials (SSM), it is important to predict the deformation for variation of strain rate. It should be necessruy to conduct a formation of stress-strain curve in semi-solid alloys for analysis of the thixoforming process. Particularly, important problem to application of computer aided engineering in SSM processing is to prevent a segregation of liquid component during compression process. The liquid segregation is studied as multistage change of the strain rate and test piece size to prevent the liquid segregation during the compression process. The compression test for semi-solid aluminium alloy with a controlled solid fraction is performed by dynamic material test system with a furnace. Moreover morphology of structure and fraction of pore are investigated through compression test.