The Use of Semi-Solid Rheocasting (SSR) for Aluminum Automotive Castings 2003-01-0433
Semi-solid metal (SSM) casting has long been identified as a high-volume process for producing safety-critical and structural automotive castings, but cost and complexity issues have limited its widespread commercial acceptance. Rheocasting, an SSM process that creates semi-solid slurry directly from liquid metal, eliminates the cost disadvantages of the process. However, the majority of rheocasting processes are complex and difficult to operate in the foundry environment.
Recent work at MIT has led to the fundamental discovery that application of heat removal and convection as a molten alloy cools through the liquidus creates a non-dendritic, semi-solid slurry. A new process based on this understanding, S.S.R.™ (Semi-Solid Rheocasting), simplifies the rheocasting process by controlling heat removal and convection of an alloy during cooling using an external device. Solution heat treatable castings have been produced in a horizontal die casting machine with the S.S.R.™ process. This paper discusses S.S.R.™ in greater detail and future applications of the process for the automotive industry.
Citation: Yurko, J., Martinez, R., and Flemings, M., "The Use of Semi-Solid Rheocasting (SSR) for Aluminum Automotive Castings," SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-0433, 2003, https://doi.org/10.4271/2003-01-0433. Download Citation
Author(s):
James A. Yurko, Raul A. Martinez, Merton C. Flemings
Affiliated:
IdraPrince, Inc., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Pages: 7
Event:
SAE 2003 World Congress & Exhibition
ISSN:
0148-7191
e-ISSN:
2688-3627
Also in:
Advances in Lightweight Automotive Castings-SP-1734, Developments in Lightweight Aluminum Alloys for Automotive Applications: 2001-2005-PT-130, SAE 2003 Transactions Journal of Materials & Manufacturing-V112-5
Related Topics:
Casting
Machining processes
Production control
Aluminum
Alloys
Metals
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