2024 R&D Strategic Plan

Research Objectives: Develop and qualify additive manufacturing design guidelines, processes, and materials for fabrication of rapid tooling, and rapid tooling with conformal cooling lines. Using additive manufacturing as the production process for the tooling. Die components such as cores and inserts, also referred to as tooling, will be identified from production dies and targeted to be replaced with additive manufacturing methods.

Key Accomplishments: Several conformally cooled inserts were built have had production runs at Mercury Marine, and Ryobi Die Casting. These are being evaluated for productivity improvements and quality improvements in the die cast process.

Research Objectives:  The proposed research will model the fluid flow and thermal history of diecasting dies with conformal cooling channels. The objective is to design dies with proper thermal management for high quality diecasting products.  Also, extending die life is an objective of the proposed research work. 

Key Accomplishments: This project has just been released and work is just starting.

Research Objectives: This project will investigate a few failures experienced by early adopters from among a variety of candidates in an effort to: 1) Determine the damage/initiation sites and mechanisms, 2) recommend possible design and material improvements, and 3) help other die casters apply the lessons learned.

Key Accomplishments: Several Additive Manufactured components that have exhibited failures were collected and are currently starting to undergo evaluation of the failure areas.  

Research Objectives:  Develop and qualify additive manufacturing use for porosity reduction in thick areas of the die cast die.  Die components such as cores and inserts, also referred to as tooling, will be identified from production dies and targeted to be replaced with additive manufacturing methods.

Key Accomplishments: Project has recently been released.  

Research Objectives:  Develop specification guidelines, using Additive Manufacturing for fabrication of die casting inserts.  

Key Accomplishments:  Dr. Midson has produced a publication for all additive processes and the application to the production of die cast tooling.  

Research Objectives: The goal of this project is to use this optimized process to produce AA390 solid material in industrially relevant wall thickness with uniform ultrafine microstructure and excellent mechanical property combination of high strength >500 MPa and good ductility >15%. The project will deliver an optimized ultrafine version of A390 alloys meeting these requirements for light weighting materials for transport sector.

Key Accomplishments: This project has reviewed and optimized the use of refractory materials by reducing the amount of reaction between the aluminum and refractory materials.    This reduction has led to a refractory material that will have less reaction to molten aluminum and provide longer life.   

Research Objectives: The goal of this project is to utilize a Gas Induced Semi Solid process in several different casting types and determine the application and process improvements that can be achieved using this technology.    This will be used on transmission cases and valve bodies using an A380 type die cast material.  It will also be used on transmission parts made from a B390 aluminum alloy.  

Key Accomplishments:  The GISS Unit has been trialed in making B390 transmission parts.   Initial results from photomicrographs have shown a reduced porosity level as compared to a base line casting without the GISS.    The first trial is underway, and more results will be determined at a later date. 

Research Objectives: The proposed project will use the thermal fatigue tester in the Case Metals Processing Lab to measure 7 steel samples.    Three specimens are different grades of die steels and the other four test duplex coatings on premium grade H13 steel.   

Key Accomplishments: The test equipment at CWRU has had several upgrades from its original condition. These include the test procedure for crack detection from a manual optical device for measuring crack length and quantity of cracks to a Keyence Microscope with better resolution and lighting for more accurate crack detection and measuring of crack length.    The testing is still on going for the fatigue specimens.  

Research Objectives: The objectives of this project are to laser mark a series of die cast parts using the initial parameters developed in the Landry et al 2018 paper.   Initial parameters to be used are; fill rate of 80%, cell size of 500 µm to 900 µm, cell depth of 0.55 mm to 0.60 mm.   These parts will be subjected to shot blasting using a steel media and then using a DM262X camera, this will be used for data matrix code (DMC) verification.     The goal of the project is to develop a process for reading a laser etched bar code that is then subjected to a shot blast process on a standard die casting.  
Key Accomplishments: Casting testing has yet to be completed by Cascade Die Cast.    

Research Objectives: The objectives of this project are to identify and develop permanent die coatings that can be applied to commercial die cast tooling that are truly non-wetted by molten aluminum and to improve the die coatings, so they can survive as long as the life of the die inserts.

Key Accomplishments: A Die cast die was built with two sets of cavities.    The cavities were coated with a PVD coating and the die was ran at The Ohio State University on a 250 ton die cast machine.    The initial run on one cavity was a 40-shot run with zero die release agent applied to the cavity surface.    Additional runs are being planned with the 2nd set of cavities.   

Research Objectives: The goal of this project is to use PVD coatings on Zinc die cast dies and evaluate the effectiveness in terms of spray reduction and cycle time improvement.   

Key Accomplishments: Cavities were produced for a Zinc die and were coated with a PVD coating.   The initial production run did show some solder formation away from the gate area of the casting. Although the solder formation was slightly less than normal production on uncoated tools, there was not a significant change from current production cavities and a PVD coated die, in spray amounts or solder formation.  Additional trials on the coated tools are being planned. 

Research Objectives:  The objectives of this projects are to develop a virtual die casting machine and incorporate flow simulation to allow interactions with process and display 3D images of parts based on process variations.  Also, to develop a virtual aluminum melting furnaces that operates with the same process parameters as an actual melting furnace.   The virtual furnace will allow users to visualize and optimize the melting process inside the furnace.  This virtual reality furnace will also be used for training furnace operators on the operation of a melting furnace.  

Key Accomplishments: Purdue has developed an interactive 3D model of a die casting machine, operator panels and a working virtual model showing the sequencing of the process parameters for a realistic operation of a virtual die cast cell.   A virtual melting/breakdown furnace has also been developed.   There are training aids in both simulations to teach operators about the die cast and melting operations and to have them experience both cells in a virtual reality simulation.  

Research Objectives: The goal of this project is physically model using water analog studies and compare that modeling to several software modeling packages i.e. Magma, and then compare both modeling techniques to actual die castings.    The objective is to improve the porosity modeling systems in high pressure die casting.

Key Accomplishments:  The water analog tooling studies have been completed and compared to the computer modeling simulations.   An actual die cast die with the same configuration is now being readied for a die cast run in a 250 ton die cast machine.    The actual porosity levels and locations in the die casting will then be compared to both the water analog trials and the simulations for correlation of all three systems.     

Research Objectives: The goal of this project is to use the initial CastView project and develop an updated version of CastView using Matlab.    This will update the cast view software to a current platform and improve the speed and abilities of the CastView software. 

Key Accomplishments: The CastView code written in Matlab is still being trialed.    The project has moved from University of Alabama Birmingham to the University of Alabama.   Once the CastView code is completed it will be made available on the NADCA website.

• Die steel type:  H13 and Maraging steel
• Die Fabrication Process:  Forged and 3D printed 
• Water quality:  Regular, soft, and anti-rust water