Semisolid metal forming by novel sloping plate process

Semisolid metal forming by a novel sloping plate process was studied. A sloping plate with wavelike surface was used to prepare semisolid alloy. Semisolid billets and slurries with good microstructures and excellent property were prepared by cooling or preheating the sloping plate. During preparing semisolid alloy by the proposed process, the co-action of burst nucleation and dendrite fragmentation causes fine spherical microstructure formation, and casting temperature, cooling strength and sloping angle are the main factors influencing the alloy microstructure. Under the current experimental conditions, in order to prepare good quality semisolid billets, proper casting temperature ranges of 660-690 ℃ for AlMg3 alloy and 660-680 ℃ for AlSi6Mg2 alloy are suggested. A small car hub wheel of AlSi6Mg2 alloy was thixoformed, and its pattern and inner microstructure are fine. The reasonable technological conditions for preparing AlSi6Mg2 slurry are also proposed: the sloping plate preheating temperature is 300 ℃, and the casting temperature is 680 ℃.