The Analysis of Deformability, Structure and Properties of AZ61 Cast Magnesium Alloy in a New Hammer Forging Process for Aircraft Mounts

Abstract

This article presents the analysis of the deformability, structure and properties of the AZ61 cast magnesium alloy on the example of a new forging process of aircraft mount forgings. It was assumed that their production process would be based on drop forging on a die hammer. Two geometries of preforms, differing in forging degree, were used as the billet for the forging process. It was assumed that using a cast, unformed preform positively affects the deformability of hard-deformable magnesium alloys and flow kinematics during their forging and reduces the number of operations necessary to obtain the correct product. Numerical analysis of the proposed new technology was carried out using DEFORM 3D v.11, a commercial program dedicated to analyzing metal forming processes. The simulations were performed in the conditions of spatial strain, considering the full thermomechanical analysis. The obtained results of numerical tests confirmed the possibility of forming the forgings of aviation mounts from the AZ61 cast magnesium alloy with the proposed technology. They also allowed us to obtain information about the kinematics of the material flow during forming and process parameters, such as strain intensity distribution, temperatures, Cockcroft–Latham criterion and forming energy. The proposed forging process on a die hammer was verified in industrial conditions. The manufactured forgings of aircraft mounts made of AZ61 magnesium alloy were subjected to qualitative tests in terms of their structure, conductivity and mechanical properties.

The New Technology of Die Forging of Automotive Connecting Rods from EN AB-71100 Aluminium Alloy Cast Preforms

“…The numerical analyses conducted in the framework of the study confirmed the advantages of exploiting computer simulations when designing novel technologies [ 17 ]. They enable multifaceted analyses to be conducted at the process design stage.…”

“…After forging on each of the machines (crank press, screw press), the forgings were trimmed of flash and etched in five baths with the following parameters [ 17 ]: I bath—warm water, 50–70 °C; II bath—cold water; III bath—nitric acid aqueous solution HNO3 (approx. 20–35%); IV bath—cold water; V bath—sodium hydroxide aqueous solution NaOH (approx.…”

“…The process is carried out in several stages with a large allowance for flash. Approximately 50% of the mass of the forging constitutes a technological waste [ 16 , 17 ]. The process uses a special die impression design compared to processing other, more ductile aluminum alloys.…”

Advances in Fatigue Performance of Metal Materials with Additive Manufacturing Based on Crystal Plasticity: A Comprehensive Review

“…Metal additive manufacturing is often used in the aerospace industry, medical equipment, weaponry, rail transit, and many other applications [ 1 , 2 ]. In the aerospace industry, the main load-bearing components, such as aircraft fuselage, frames, wing, landing gear, and key engine components, are manufactured by forging [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. Forge pieces possess excellent comprehensive mechanical properties, but it is difficult to manufacture complex-shaped parts.…”

Hot Deformation and Microstructure Evolution of Metallic Materials

“…This is one of the elements used for determining the ability of forging technology to obtain a semi-finished product from the AZ91 alloy with good strength properties. An analysis of the formability, structure, and properties of the AZ61 cast magnesium alloy using the example of a new forging process of aircraft mount forgings was presented by Dziubińska, Surdacki, and Majerski [ 20 ]. It was assumed that their production process would be based on drop forging on a die hammer.…”