Die Cast Aluminium Automotive Components: Mapping of the Quality

Diecasting of Aluminium alloys is a foundry process continuously increasing its relevance in the automotive field. Consequently, the need of improved metallurgical quality and of mechanical reliability asks for innovative design tools. This is the background of the activities carried out inside the WP3 (Quality Mapping) of the IDEAL Project. Literature overviews and targeted experimental investigations (physical simulation of diecasing processes, microstructural and non-destructive testing on castings, evaluation of mechanical properties) have been focussed at developing new and improved quality criteria, to be implemented into the MAGMAsoft code for process simulation. These criteria have been checked on industrially relevant diecast components (structural components, gearboxes) for automotive. Correlation between the criteria and the experimental investigations carried out on these components have been achieved at different levels: a) correlation between defects and quality criteria, b) correlation between microstructure and quality criteria, c) correlation between mechanical behaviour and quality criteria. The results obtained fully support the idea that such new criteria are an innovative tool for mapping the quality of diecast component.