Numerical Simulation and Experimental Study on Compound Casting of Layered Aluminum Matrix Composite Brake Drum

Abstract

The requirements of high-strength, wear-resistance and lightweight of brake drums have been continually increasing in recent years and any specific aluminum alloy or particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composites may not satisfy all the demands. Combining dissimilar materials to play their respective advantages is a solution to this problem. In this study, a compound casting method was used to combine solid SiCp/A357 composite and a liquid 7050 aluminum alloy to prepare an aluminum matrix composite with a layered structure. The ProCAST numerical simulation software was used to predict the heat transfer in compound casting process and guide the preheating temperature of the wear-resistant ring in the experiment. An Optical Microscope (OM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were used to observe microstructures around the solid–liquid bonding interface, the element distribution and phase component of which were analyzed by Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and mechanical properties were evaluated by microhardness and shear tests. The results showed that the interface of the layered aluminum matrix composite prepared by this method achieved complete metallurgical bonding and a transition zone formed on the solid surface. After T6 heat treatment, the average shear strength of the interface increased from 19.8 MPa to 33.8 MPa.

Simultaneously Improving Microstructures and Wear Properties of Ni60 Coating by Heat Treatment

“…To sum up, under the same wear conditions, the wear properties in the untreated coating are poor. The proper heat-treatment temperature promotes reinforced phase production and the redistributed phases not only reduce the stress concentration, but also enhance the bonding with the matrix interface [27,28]. During the wear processing, the coating after 600 • C heat treatment's wear mechanism is plastic deformation.…”

Optimizing the Gating System for Rapid Investment Casting of Shape Memory Alloys: Computational Numerical Analysis for Defect Minimization in a Simple-Cubic Cell Structure

“…These research efforts have played a significant role in advancing knowledge in this area and improving casting processes. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning the utilization of the ProCAST ® finite element software by researchers, such as the authors [46][47][48][49][50][51], to conduct these studies.…”