Influence of Thermal Treatment and Design Parameters on the Fatigue Life of Automotive Control Arm Fabricated from A357 Semi-solid Alloy

Abstract

Suspension control arm is considered one of the most significant automotive components as a mechanical part that is responsible of linking the wheels of the vehicle to the chassis. The materials and design of such components are the matter of research that mainly focus on the enhancement of its performance considering safety and cost factors. Fatigue failure is considered a common problem that faces these parts due to variable dynamic loadings. Currently, the research trend is to manufacture this part from aluminum A357 semi-solid alloys, produced by Rheocasting using SEED technology, due to its significant characteristic and performance. This work aims at investigating an innovative thermal treatment and design parameters to enhance the fatigue life of the automotive control arm. The results revealed that the interrupted thermal aging as well as the modified trussed design show superior quality and performance concerning the fatigue life.