Damage Tolerance in Aluminium High Pressure Die-castings and Its Implications on Safety Critical Vehicle Components

Abstract

High pressure die casting (HPDC) is a widely used production technique for metal components that are required to have close dimensional tolerances and smooth surface finishes. More than 50% of the aluminium castings produced globally are manufactured by HPDC from secondary alloy and these comprise the majority of aluminium components present in each vehicle manufactured. In the current work, the production of high pressure die-castings with superior levels of fracture resistance and damage tolerance is considered. The ability to produce very high levels of damage tolerance may increase the potential applications for high pressure diecast parts. These new alloys allow applications to be realized that have previously not been possible.