Alcoa Inc.

Automotive Casting Technology, Inc.

Shipston Aluminum Technologies (michigan), Inc.

Linamar Structures USA (michigan), Inc.

Moustapha Mbaye

Jen C Lin

Xinyan Yan

Russell S Long

Jan Ove Löland

Thomas N Meyer

Michael J Kinosz

Cagatay Yanar

Wenping Zhang

Jamal Righi

Michael V Glazoff

Terje Johnsen

Martijn Vos

F Donald Kuhns, Jr

Svein Jorgensen

Knut Pettesen

Michael K Brandt

Geir Grasmo

Pål S Jacobsen

The present invention provides a casting having increased crashworthiness including an an aluminum alloy of about 6.0 wt % to about 8.0 wt % Si; about 0.12 wt % to about 0.25 wt % Mg; less than or equal to about 0.35 wt % Cu; less than or equal to about 4.0 wt % Zn; less than or equal to about 0.6 wt % Mn; and less than or equal to about 0.15 wt % Fe, wherein the cast body is treated to a T5 or T6 temper and has a tensile strength ranging from 100 MPa to 180 MPa and has a critical fracture strain greater than 10%. The present invention further provides a method of forming a casting having increased crashworthiness.

Lightweight, crash-sensitive automotive component

The present invention provides a casting having increased crashworthiness including an aluminum alloy of about 6.0 wt % to about 8.0 wt % Si; about 0.12 wt % to about 0.25 wt % Mg; less than or equal to about 0.35 wt % Cu; less than or equal to about 4.0 wt % Zn; less than or equal to about 0.6 wt % Mn; and less than or equal to about 0.15 wt % Fe, wherein the cast body is treated to a T5 or T6 temper and has a tensile strength ranging from 100 MPa to 180 MPa and has a critical fracture strain greater than 10%. The present invention further provides a method of forming a casting having increased crashworthiness.

Method of creating a cast automotive product having an improved critical fracture strain

High crashworthiness Al-Si-Mg alloy and methods for producing automotive casting

An aluminum alloy for shaped castings, the alloy having the following composition ranges in weight percent: about 6.0&#x2013;8.5% silicon, less than 0.4% magnesium, less than 0.1% cerium, less than 0.2% iron, copper in a range from about 0.1% to about 0.5% and/or zinc in a range from about 1% to about 4%, the alloy being particularly suited for T5 heat treatment.

Aluminum alloy for producing high performance shaped castings

A bottom heated holder furnace ( ) for containing a supply of molten metal includes a storage vessel ( ) having sidewalls ( ) and a bottom wall ( ) defining a molten metal receiving chamber ( ). A furnace insulating layer ( ) lines the molten metal receiving chamber ( ). A thermally conductive heat exchanger block ( ) is located at the bottom of the molten metal receiving chamber ( ) for heating the supply of molten metal. The heat exchanger block ( ) includes a bottom face ( ), side faces ( ), and a top face ( ). The heat exchanger block ( ) includes a plurality of electrical heaters ( ) extending therein and projecting outward from at least one of the faces of the heat exchanger block ( ), and further extending through the furnace insulating layer ( ) and one of the sidewalls ( ) of the storage vessel ( ) for connection to a source of electrical power. A sealing layer ( ) covers the bottom face ( ) and side faces ( ) of the heat exchanger block ( ) such that the heat exchanger block ( ) is substantially separated from contact with the furnace insulating layer ( ). A gas pressurization valve ( ) is in fluid communication with the molten metal receiving chamber ( ) and the interior of the heat exchanger block ( ) for pressurizing the interior of the holder furnace ( ).

Pressurized molten metal holder furnace

Growing community of inventors

Ada, MI, United States of America

Moustapha Mbaye