Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

Automotive industries are going through a major shift in using lightweight materials in vehicle design considerations to improve fuel/power economy. Magnesium (Mg) with low density, approximately two-thirds as dense as aluminum, high specific strength, and good fatigue properties, has received significant attention in the recent years. However, due to limited formability of Mg at room temperature, its application to automotive structural components has been limited. Casting and forging have been considered for manufacturing of fatigue-critical parts such as steering and suspension components. Casting enables manufacturing of complex shape at relatively low cost but can result in defects and poor mechanical properties. On the other hand, forging provides excellent mechanical properties but is limited to simple shapes, or requires multiple stage forging with flash trimming in between stages. To leverage the cost-effectiveness of casting and superior material properties of forged parts, a novel hybrid cast followed by forging of Mg alloys is proposed in this research. In this unique method the part is first cast to an optimum intermediate shape with engineered material distribution and then forged into its final shape at near re-crystallization temperature. The overall objective of this research is to develop a scientific understanding of the impact of the initial material distribution and properties of cast on the microstructure and texture evolution during the forging process and its final properties. This research will develop the scientific knowledge and enabling technologies that will be used to manufacture Mg complex-shaped structural parts for automotive applications.