Hot forging of emerging aluminum powder metallurgy alloys

在加拿大的汽车行业，存在着以经济的方式制造大量轻质复杂零件的坚定需求。铝粉冶金（PM）被认为是实现这一目标的一种新手段，目前在许多国家代表着一个迅速扩大的市场。不幸的是，加拿大实际上没有参与这项技术的商业应用。因此，随着机会主义国家继续资本化，加拿大只会进一步落后。为了帮助缓解这一不足，该提案战略性地将学术界与领先的粉末冶金零件制造商（GKN烧结金属）联合起来，在加拿大铝粉末冶金科学的前沿进行研究。总体而言，该团队将在安大略省圣托马斯进行工业研究，旨在为最近由Ecka Granules或达尔豪斯大学和GKN合作开发的一系列新兴铝PM合金设计热锻造工艺。其中包括高强度材料（Alumix 431D），高强度增强耐磨性（Ecka Alumix 231, Dal/GKN Al-12Si），以及高温下的持续强度（Dal/GKN Al-15Ni）。从压实和烧结的角度来看，所有这些都证明了工业可行性，并且在多孔，烧结状态下提供的机械性能优于目前使用的传统压烧结铝PM混合物。热锻可以实现充分的致密化和显著的性能改进，但保留了粉末冶金的关键优势-近净形状加工。这种创新的知识将随后应用于汽车油泵齿轮的工业锻造。虽然齿轮是战略目标，广泛的应用范围，最终设想为这项技术。因此，为了提高广泛适应的可能性，该团队还将设计一个完整的机械性能数据库，并对锻造产品固有的腐蚀行为进行全面评估。希望这样的发展将促进加拿大对铝PM的开发，并最终将加拿大定位为这个新兴行业的合法竞争者。

Within the Canadian automotive sector there exists an unwavering need to manufacture high volumes of light weight, complex parts in an economical manner. Aluminum Powder Metallurgy (PM) is acknowledged as a new means by which this can be realized and now represents a rapidly expanding market in many countries. Unfortunately, there is effectively no Canadian presence in the commercial application of this technology. Hence, as opportunistic nations continue to capitalize Canada merely falls further behind. To help alleviate this deficiency, this proposal strategically unites academics with a leading PM parts manufacturer (GKN Sinter Metals) to conduct research at the forefront of aluminum PM science in Canada. Collectively, the team will conduct industrial research in St. Thomas, Ontario with the intent to devise hot forging procedures for a series of emerging aluminum PM alloys recently developed commercially at Ecka Granules or collaboratively at Dalhousie University and GKN. Included are materials designed for exceptionally high strength (Alumix 431D), high strength with enhanced wear resistance (Ecka Alumix 231, Dal/GKN Al-12Si), and sustained strength at elevated temperatures (Dal/GKN Al-15Ni). All are of proven industrial viability from the perspectives of die compaction and sintering and offer mechanical properties in the porous, as-sintered state that surpass those of conventional press-and-sinter aluminum PM blends in current use. Hot forging would enable full densification and significant property improvements, yet retain the key advantage of PM - near-net-shape processing. This innovative knowledge would then be applied in the industrial forging of automotive oil pump gears. Although gears are strategically targeted, a broad scope of applications is ultimately envisioned for this technology. Thus, to enhance the likelihood of widespread adaptation the team will also devise a complete database of mechanical properties and a full assessment of the corrosion behaviour inherent in the forged products. It is hoped that such developments will foster Canadian exploitation of aluminum PM and ultimately position Canada as a legitimate contender in this burgeoning industry.