Design and Optimization of Joining shaped casting of Al 7xxx structural alloy component using Self Piercing Rivets

自2012年以来，该研究团队和赞助商一直在进行持续的研发活动，以开发、测试和实施新型和改进的铝合金，用于制造采用高真空高压压铸(HVHPDC)工艺的汽车结构铸件。与Silafont、Mercaloy、Aual和Castasil等传统Al-Si-Mg合金系列相比，采用高压高压PDC工艺并通过优化热处理工艺进一步改善性能和性能，成功地开发了一种新的Al 7xxx合金系列(Al-Zn-Mg)，以生产具有更高机械性能和工艺性能的异型铸件。此外，合金的开发显著提高了模具的使用寿命，从而降低了昂贵的生产维护成本。这些合金已经在北美和欧洲进行了工业生产试验，用于制造汽车结构铸件，如侧碰撞门梁、冲击塔和顶帽。该研发计划的总体目标是开发新的铝合金系列，以显著减轻汽车结构部件的重量，为OEM和客户带来经济优势，并通过减少运营中的燃料使用来减少温室气体(GHG)等环境效益。目前的项目旨在通过开发铆接的优化连接技术来进一步研发工作，使这些结构铸件能够以最低的成本和能源使用集成到汽车上层建筑中。在航空航天和汽车工业中，铆接是连接结构部件的常用方法，提供了一条可行的加工路线，故障风险最小。用新开发的合金铆接汽车结构零件的初步探索性研究鼓励并缓解了这种铸造技术成功商业化的风险，具有经济和环境效益。还将对接头和铸件的剥落和应力腐蚀行为进行评估和量化。

Since the year 2012, there has been a continual R&D activity by this research team and sponsor to develop, test and implement new and improved aluminium alloys for manufacturing structural automotive cast components using the high vacuum high pressure die casting (HVHPDC) process. A new family of Al 7xxx alloys (Al-Zn-Mg) has been successfully developed to yield shaped castings with improved mechanical properties and process performance using the HVHPDC process along with further improvements to properties and performance through optimized heat treatment processes, compared to the conventional Al-Si-Mg family, such as Silafont, Mercaloy, Aural and Castasil. Additionally, the alloys were developed to significantly improve the life of the die tool, thus reducing the expensive maintenance cost of production. The alloys has been validated by industrial production trials in North America and Europe for manufacturing structural automotive castings such as the side impact door beam, shocktower and tophat. The overarching aim of this R&D program is to develop new families of Al alloys that would lead to significant lightweighting of automotive structural components to bring economic advantages to the OEM and customers in addition to environmental benefits such as reduction in green house gases (GHG) from reduced fuel use in operation. The current project aims to further the R&D efforts by developing optimized joining technology in riveting, to enable integration of these structural castings into an automobile superstructure with minimum cost and energy use. Riveting is popular method of joining structural components in both aerospace and automotive industries and offers a viable processing route with the least risk of failure. Preliminary exploratory studies of riveting the structural automotive components cast with the newly developed alloys have been encouraging and alleviated the risk in successful commercialization of this casting technology with the economical and environmental benefits. Exfoliation and Stress Corrosion behaviour of the joints and castings will also be evaluated and quantified.