There are many common defects in the production of aluminum forgings, which include shrinkage holes, air bubbles, inclusion, and cracks. These issues can be caused by a lack of oxygen in the aluminum for molding, non-metallic impurities and gas, improper handling of its production process, such as not controlling temperature and pressure or design defects in the molds used.
To illustrate the issue, we can take a particular professional aluminum forging production company as an example. This company produces aluminum forgings used in automotive parts and jet engine components with occasional quality issues. The company conducted an in-depth investigation and found that the key issue was due to unstable production process.
To address these problems, the company implemented various measures. For shrinkage hole issue, the company uses a chemical composition analyzer to strictly control the aluminum alloy material’s ingredients. During compression, they check the material temperature at 190°C to avoid shrinkage holes. For air bubble issue, the company strictly controls the pressure and time during filling and uses a preheater to warm and adhere the surface to prevent air bubbles. Before compression, they ensure thorough removal of surface dirt and grease. To reduce the inclusion of impurities, the company introduced an automatic sampling machine and checked each batch at multiple points. To solve the problem of cracks, the company optimized mold design to employ better fitting molds for their products. The most effective solution to crack problems is to have a comprehensive production process rather than merely scaling up control measures.
In conclusion, quality issues with aluminum forgings are a significant production challenge. By strengthening process stability, perfecting the manufacturing process by solving all defects, aluminum forgings can see significant improvements in physical, chemical, and mechanical properties.
