Aluminium semi-solid castings focusing on fatigue properties and defects

The first goal is to provide the conditions for a weight savings of up to 50% compared with ductile cast components with equal or lower cost. The second goal is to replace the current aluminum solutions with a cost reduction up to 30% through optimization. To achieve these goals, the project is divided into four main parts:

  • Development of existing materials and processes with respect to process stability and semisolid alloys feeding behaviour to achieve pore free
  • Produce materials data as construction material for the design of the fatigue loaded components and welded joints in the mix materials
  • Production of demonstrators for verification of fatigue performance
  • Development of a platform for cost-efficient industrialization.

The test will consist of materials characterization with respect to internal quality, microstructure and purity, fatigue testing, combined with extensive supplementary surveys. Earlier feasibility studies made on chassis components shows that da technical degree of maturity in both processes and also material requires more work and verifications in order to create a secure and cost effective end product.