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Investigation of effect of conformal cooling inserts in high-pressure die casting of AlSi9Cu3

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Abstract

Porosity is one of the challenges in high-pressure die casting (HPDC) of aluminum alloys. A typical control of porosity involved controlled solidification which is attained by the cooling of the die. In traditional cooling, this is done by straight cooling channels. However, they can be ineffective due to the limited geometry of these channels. Alternatively, conformal cooling channels can be produced in any geometry by additive manufacturing. In this study, the thermal analysis of the mass production engine crankcase die was performed and the regions where the metal-die heat transfer load is high and limiting the production rate were examined. In order to increase the heat transfer and maximize the cooling rate in the different locations of the mold, conformal cooling inserts were designed and produced in a direct metal laser sintering 3D print machine by additive manufacturing technology. AlSi9Cu3 alloy was used to produce the cast part by HPDC. It was observed that porosity was decreased by 43% (from 251 to 156 mm3) and the cycle duration was decreased by 4 s when conformal cooling was used. Secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) was decreased by 39% to 8.27 mm while eutectic silicon modification was enhanced.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kırpart Otomotiv Parçaları Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.Ş., Bursa, Turkey

    Can Karakoc

  2. ITU, Metallurgical and Materials, Istanbul, Turkey

    Kerem Can Dizdar

  3. Foseco R&D, NonFerrous Metal Treatment, Enschede, Netherlands

    Derya Dispinar

Authors
  1. Can Karakoc
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  2. Kerem Can Dizdar
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  3. Derya Dispinar
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Can Karakoc and Kerem Can Dizdar. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Derya Dispinar, and all authors commented on all versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Derya Dispinar.

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Karakoc, C., Dizdar, K.C. & Dispinar, D. Investigation of effect of conformal cooling inserts in high-pressure die casting of AlSi9Cu3. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 121, 7311–7323 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-022-09808-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-022-09808-7

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