· Fundición ·
P. Kapranos & M. Farnsworth
The University of Sheffield, Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, (AMRC/Boeing), UK
67th World Foundry Congress
Thixoforming, is the method of shaping metal components in a semi-solid
state, utilizing non-dendritic alloy feedstock heated to a semi solid state,
before being injected into a tooling cavity. The major advantages of this
process are the lower energy costs due to lower temperatures involved,
the removal of molten metal handling, reduced shrinkage porosity and gas
inclusions, fine grain structure and improved mechanical properties, and
the ability to cast near-net shape components considerably reduces the
need for machining, hence reducing the amount of waste material
produced.
A201 is a high strength aluminum-casting alloy but it is also a difficult and
an expensive alloy to cast. The application of the thixoforming process to
the A201 would allow this alloy to be reliably produced with mechanical
and metallurgical properties superior to other cast aluminum alloys, and
with substantially reduced fabrication defects.
