Manufacturing of application-specific components from particlereinforced aluminium matrix composites using a combination of powder presses and thixoforging

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Mathias Liewald
• Subject Area: Primary Shaping and Reshaping Technology, Additive Manufacturing
• Term: from 2020 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 447676980

Aluminium materials can be improved or modified in terms of hardness, modulus of elasticity and strength by the reinforcement of particulate hard materials (e.g. silicon, oxides, and carbides). In addition, thermal stability, creep resistance and wear resistance can be increased. Potential applications for such particle-reinforced AMC are components with particularly application-specific properties such as internally ventilated brake discs and callipers as well as pistons and cylinder liners. Melt metallurgical and powder metallurgical processes as well as spray compacting are used for the production of particle-reinforced AMC. In the laboratory tests carried out in these areas to date, AMC with up to 35 vol.% of SiC particles have been produced, but so far satisfactory results in terms of component quality have been achieved only for such AMCs, which have a maximum gain fraction of 25 vol.%. However, high-quality components with a particle content of more than 25 vol.% are also required, as component properties such as the wear properties (brake applications) can be specifically adjusted as a result. The scientific objective of this research project is the development of a manufacturing process for the production of application-specific, particle-reinforced AMC components and the determination of the material properties that can be specifically adjusted here. To achieve this goal, powder pressing and thixoforging should be combined in such a way that it is possible to produce complex components with varying wall thicknesses from AMC green bodies with different particle contents (max. 50 vol.% SiC particles) and thus to produce components with specifically adjustable, application-specific properties with near-net-shape finish.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants