The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 21, 2017
Filed:
Apr. 15, 2014
GM Global Technology Operations Llc, Detroit, MI (US);
Qigui Wang, Rochester Hills, MI (US);
Wenying Yang, Rochester Hills, MI (US);
James W. Knight, Davison, MI (US);
GM Global Technology Operations, LLC, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A quantitative metallographic method to measure skin layer thickness in high pressure die cast aluminum components. Because the faster-cooling skin layer region exhibits a higher volume fraction of eutectic phases than that of a slower-cooling inner region, measurements showing such higher eutectic phases can be used to quantify such layer thickness. An image at various thicknesses of a location of interest in a cast component sample is first obtained using an image analyzer, from which eutectic volume fractions within each of the received images may be determined. Comparisons of the determined volume fractions can be made against a known or predicted quantity for a particular alloy composition, and then correlated to the skin layer thickness via differences between the received or measured quantities and those of the known standard.