DaimlerChrysler Corporation

Chassis & Powertrain Materials Engineering

Introduction to Die Casting

(VEDCME600)
Presented by Cast Metals Engineering & Prototyping Larry Kopka - Sr. Specialist Materials Eng. Ph: 776 - 7473, E-mail: lk7@dcx.com Randy Beals - Materials Eng. Ph: 776 - 7478, E-mail: rsb19@dcx.com

DIE CASTING - DIE ALLOYS

QUALITIES REQUIRED FOR DIE STEELS: EXHIBIT GOOD TOUGHNESS RESISTANCE TO CRACKING RESISTANCE TO WEAR I EROSION RESISTANCE TO HEAT CHECKING HIGH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY LOW THERMAL EXPANSION RESISTANCE TO OXIDATION GOOD THERMAL SHOCK RESISTANCE REASONABLE COST MOST POPULAR DIE STEELS USED FOR PRODUCTION CHROMIUM BASED - USED FOR ALUM & MAG DIE CASTING: H-13 / OTHERS: H-11, H-12, CROMO-N, QRO 80M, & ORVAR M SUPREME LOW CARBON STEEL - USED FOR ZINC, LEAD, & TIN DIE CASTING: P-20, P-21, SAE 1020 & MARAGING STEELS

Introduction to Die Casting Larry Kopka

DCX Materials Engineering

Agenda
Die Casting Process
Equipment, Operation, Process Parameters

Die Casting Defects/ Trouble Shooting DaimlerChrysler Materials Engineering

Process Control Requirements for Die Cast Structural Components

Introduction to Die Casting Larry Kopka

DCX Materials Engineering

Agenda
Die Casting Design Considerations Case Studies of DCX Die Cast Components
Problems, Failure Analysis

Die Casting Supplier - Process Control

DIE CASTING - DIE ALLOYS

MOST POPULAR DIE STEELS USED FOR PROTOTYPING P-20, P-21, & SAE 1020 DIE HEAT TREATMENTS AUSTENITIZE / QUENCH / TRIPLE TEMPER TO Rc 45-52 STRESS RELIEF DIE SURFACE HARDENING HEAT TREATMENTS CARBURIZING, CARBO-NITRIDING, NITRIDING, TUFFTRIDING, & IONITRIDING

Curve of Plunger Travel vs. Time

Curve of Plunger Pressure vs. Time

CRITICAL DIECASTING OPERATING PARAMETERS

1. METAL TEMPERATURE 2. DIE TEMPERATURE (HOT OIL FOR DIE HEAT) 3. SLOW SHOT PROFILE (VELOCITY VS POSITION) 4. SLOW SHOT TOTAL TIME 5. ELAPSED TIME TO RUNNER FULL POSITION 6. FAST SHOT PROFILE (VELOCITY VS POSITION) 7~ FAST SHOT TOTAL TIME 8. INTENSIFICATION PRESSURE 9. INTENSIFICATION PRESSURE RESPONSE TIME 10. BISCUIT LENGTH (ACTUAL MEASUREMENT) 11. OVERALL MACHINE CYCLE TIME 12. DIE OPEN TO DIE CLOSURE TIME 13. LOCKUP PRESSURE 14. LADLING TIME

SLOW SHOT SPEED SYSTEM (1 ST. EVENT) SLOW SHOT PHASE INITIATES THE MOVEMENT OF THE LIQUID ALLOY METAL BY THE PLUNGER. SLOW SHOT CYCLE IS COMPLETED WHEN PLUNGER HAS COVERED POUR HOLE & SHOT SLEEVE IS FILLED. SLOW SHOT SPEED IS "CRITICAL" - PROPER SLOW SHOT INSURES MINIMUM AIR ENTRAPMENT IN LIQUID METAL. FAST SHOT SPEED SYSTEM (2ND. EVENT) FAST SHOT PHASE COMPLETELY FILLS DIE CAVITY RAPIDLY TO INSURE LIQUID METAL DOES NOT SOLIDIFY BEFORE FILLING DIE CAVITY. INTENSIFICATION SPEED SYSTEM (3RD. EVENT) PLUNGER TIP CONTINUOUSLY APPLIES INCREASED PRESSURE TO MINIMIZE POROSITY - STUDIES SHOW ONLY MARGINAL RETURNS.

DIE CASTING DEFECTS

POROSITY (GAS): ENTRAPPED SPHERICAL INTERNAL VOIDS / PORES CONTAINING GAS (HYDROGEN). GAS POROSITY IS CAUSED BY THE ENTRAPMENT OF AIR FROM TURBULENCE DURING CAVITY FILL, THE SOLUTION OF HYDROGEN GAS IN THE MOLTEN ALLOY (ABSORPTION FROM HIGH HUMIDITY, MOISTURE IN LUBRICANTS, LACK OF DEGASSING OF MOLTEN ALLOY, MOISTURE ON ALLOY INGOTS, ETC.). GAS POROSITY MAY BE ELIMINATED BY PRE-HEATING (DRYING) INGOTS, DEGASSING THE MOLTEN ALLOY, CONTROL OF LUBRICANT APPLICATION / DRYING, USE OF COVER GAS, VENTING DIE CAVITY, GATING CHANGES, OR IMPLEMENTING VACUUM SYSTEMS TO REMOVE AIR FROM DIE CAVITY PRIOR TO FILL. POROSITY (SHRINKAGE): IRREGULAR SHAPED INTERNAL VOIDS / PORES WHICH DO NOT CONTAIN GAS AND FORM IN HEAVY SECTIONS DURING SOLDIFICATION. SHRINKAGE IS CAUSED BY THERMAL CONTRACTION AND INADEQUATE FEEDING OF MOLTEN METAL DURING SOLIDIFICATION. SHRINKAGE POROSITY MAY BE ELIMINATED BY REDESIGN TO ELIMINATE THICK WALL / BOSS SECTIONS, ETC., PROVIDING BETTER FEEDING OF MOLTEN METAL (VIA GATES, RIBS ), PROVIDING GREATER ALLOY FLUIDITY (HIGHER ALLOY TEMPERATURE), INCREASING INJECTION / INTENSIFICATION PRESSURE AND ADJUSTING CASTING PARAMETERS.

DIE CASTING DEFECTS

COLD SHUTS: COLD SHUTS ARE "CRACK - LIKE " NON - FUSED OR LAPPED AREAS THAT APPEAR ON THE SURFACE OF A CASTING. COLD SHUTS ARE THE RESULT OF TWO STREAMS OF LIQUID MOLTEN METAL MEETING AND FAILING TO UNITE OR METALLURGICALLY BOND. COLD SHUTS MAY BE CAUSED BY COLD DIES, LOW POURING TEMPERATURE (SUPER HEAT), SLOW SHOT SPEED, INADEQUATE FEEDING/GATING, LOW CASTING INJECTION PRESSURE, ETC. COLD SHUTS MAY BE ELIMINATED BY INCREASING INJECTION PRESSURE, INCREASING THE POURING TEMPERATURE, INCREASING DIE TEMPERATURES, PROVIDING BETTER DIE DESIGN (LARGER GATES, ADDITION OF RIBS FOR FEEDING, ETC.) MISRUNS / NON-FILL: A IRREGULARITY OF THE CASTING SURFACE CAUSED BY INCOMPLETE FILLING OF THE MOLD CAVITY DUE TO LOW POURING TEMPERATURE, GAS BACK PRESSURE FROM INADEQUATE VENTING OF DIE CAVITY, INADEQUATE GATING, COLD DIE CAVITY, ETC.

DIE CASTING DEFECTS

CRACKS / HOT TEARS: A CRACK IS A FLAT INTERNAL FREE SURFACE (FRACTURE) OR OPENING. CRACKS MAY BE CAUSED BY INTERNAL STRESS DEVELOPED AFTER SOLIDIFICATION (HOT CRACK) OR BY STRESSES DUE TO SHRINKAGE - RESTRAINT (HOT TEARS) AS THE METAL CONTRACTS AND THE HOT STRENGTH IS EXCEEDED DURING SOLIDIFICATION. HOT TEARS MAY BE ELIMINATED BY MINIMIZING RESTRAINT VIA ADDING RIBS TO DISTRIBUTE STRESSES, PROVIDING GENEROUS RADII (LOWER STRESS CONCENTRATION Kt), DECREASING HOLDING TIME TO EJECT CASTING FROM DIE, CHANGE DIE CASTING PARAMETERS, SUCH AS, DIE TEMPERATURE, DIRECTION OF METAL FLOW AND MOST IMPORTANTLY CHANGING DIE CASTING DESIGN. DESIGN CHANGES RELATED TO MULTIPLE / COMPLEX RIB JUNCTIONS AND THICK BOSS / THIN RIB - WALL TRANSITIONS ARE VERY EFFECTIVE IN ELIMINATING RESTRAINT CRACKING.

DIE CASTING DEFECTS

INCLUSIONS ("DIRT") / DROSS: INCLUSIONS ARE PARTICLES OF FOREIGN MATERIAL (DROSS, SLAG, MOLD MATERIAL, REFRACTORIES) TERMED "EXOGENOUS" OR INHERENT INCLUSIONS TERMED "INDIGENOUS" (OXIDES, SILICATES, SULFIDES, ETC.) IN A METALLIC MATRIX. INCLUSIONS MAY BE INHERENT IN THE CAST ALLOY INGOT, OR PRESENT DUE TO INADEQUATE ALLOY REFINING PROCESSES, INTRODUCED DURING RECYCLING, OR DURING THE CASTING PROCESS (INADEQUATE DROSSING, DEGASSING, ETC.).

CHRYSLER MATERIALS ENGINEERING REOUIREMENTS FOR PROCESS CONTROL OF DIE CAST STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS SPECIFICATION/ENGINEERING DRAWING REOUIREMENTS: THE APPROPRIATE CHRYSLER MATERIAL (MS) & PROCESSING (PS) SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE SPECIFIC MAGNESIUM, ALUMINUM, OR OTHER DIE CASTING ALLOYS MUST BE DESIGNATED ON THE ENGINEERING DRAWING. A LISTING OF SOME FOLLOWS:

MAGNESIUM SPECIFICATIONS: MS-9231 (HIGH DUCTILITY MAGNESIUM DIE CASTING ALLOYS) MS-2413 (MAGNESIUM DIE CASTING ALLOYS) MS-10675 (MAGNESIUM ALLOY INGOT FOR DIE CASTING) ALUMINUM SPECIFICATIONS: MS-2410 (ALUMINUM DIE CASTING ALLOYS) MS-3495 (ALUMINUM ALLOY INGOT FOR DIE CASTING) PROCESS SPECIFICATIONS: PS-I0ll (RADIOGRAPIC INSPECTION OF CASTINGS) PS-8335 (PENTAGON-CRITICAL VERIFICATION SYMBOL) PS-5190 (DIE CASTING PROCESS CONTROL) THE ENGINEERING DRAWING WILL DESIGNATE THE CRITICALLY STRESSED ZONES OF THE COMPONENT AS DESIGNATED BY PS-8335 AND DETERMINED BY FEA, ENDURANCE TESTS, STATIC & DYNAMIC (SLED, DROP TOWER, ETC.) LOAD TESTS.

STANDARD CASTING / REFERENCE RADIOGRAPHIC FILMS: AFTER OPTIMIZATION OF DIE CASTING PROCESS PARAMETERS, CHRYSLER MATERIALS ENGINEERING WILL X-RAY A MINIMUM OF TWELVE (12) CASTINGS TO ESTABLISH A "STANDARD CASTING". THE "STANDARD CASTING" WILL BE SELECTED AND AGREED TO BY CHRYSLER PRODUCT / PLATFORM ENG., MAT'LS ENG., QUALITY ASSURANCE, PURCHASING & THE DIE CASTING / 1ST TIER SUPPLIER. THE "STANDARD CASTING" AND RELATED RADIOGRAPHIC FILM STANDARDS WITH DESIGNATED CRITICAL ZONES, WILL BE USED FOR X-RAY / FLUOROSCOPIC INSPECTION OF PRODUCTION CASTINGS BY THE DIE CASTING SUPPLIER. THE QUANTITY AND FREQUENCY OF CASTINGS INSPECTED FOR PRODUCTION CONTROL WILL BE ESTABLISHED BY CHRYSLER ENG & QUALITY ASSURANCE, BASED ON CRITICALITY AND SAFETY RELATED REQUIREMENTS. PRE-PRODUCTION VALIDATION: A DESIGNATED QUANTITY OF INITIAL PRODUCTION CASTINGS (USUALLY 100-300 PCS) DEPENDING ON COMPONENT CRITICALITY & SAFETY RELATED REQUIREMENTS WILL BE X-RAYED AND COMPARED TO THE "STANDARD CASTING" / FILM STANDARDS AGREED UPON.