Pore defect control in die casting by compression loading

Abstract

Although die casting enables high productivity, pore defects in the die castings are unavoidable. These pore defects influence the mechanical properties or air leakage efficiency of the products. To reduce the number of pore defects, we performed compression tests on the front housings of car air conditioners made by ADC12 aluminum alloy die casting at room temperature. Because of plastic deformation, the porosity rate of the die castings decreases as the compression strain of the specimen increases, particularly in the middle of the specimens where the porosity rate is high. However, the efficiency of the reduction in the porosity rate and damage of the products differs depending on the compression load. Consequently, it is necessary to investigate the conditions of the compression load to enable this method to be applied in practice. © 2006 The Japan Institute of Metals.