Abstract: An aluminium based alloy has a weight percentage composition of from 5 to 15% silicon, 0 to 0.25% magnesium, 0 to 0.25% titanium, 0.2 to 0.65% manganese, 0.1 to 0.6% iron, 1 to 4% copper, 0 to 3% zinc, less than 0.01% in total of silicon modifiers (with less than 0.007% strontium), less than 0.05% tin, less than 0.2% in total of other transition or rare earth metals (with less than 0.05% chromium), less than 0.5% in total other elements, and a balance of aluminium. The limits for iron and manganese are constrained such that the amount of iron present in the alloy is 0.4 to 1.6 times the manganese content and the alloy has a sludge factor (SF), calculated as SF=(1×wt % Fe)+(2×wt % Mn), of from 0.8 to 1.6. A casting made from the alloy has enhanced fracture resistance relative to casting of the same product made of a conventional HPDC alloy when compared in the as cast or same heat treated state.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for cutting a material using a plasma are jet provides improved uniformity along the length of cut, despite variations in cutting speed. This is achieved by pulsing the arc current and dynamically varying the pulsing. By this means the momentum of the plasma arc jet can be maintained substantially constant whilst the amount of energy delivered by the plasma arc jet is controllably varied. The pulsing can be dynamically varied in dependence on one or more of the cutting speed, the angle of ejection of a stream of molten material from the cut, the size of the droplets of the ejected material, the intensity of spectral pattern of light emitted from the plasma arc jet and material interface, and the arc voltage. The pulses can be varied by varying one or more of the pulsing frequency, the pulse duty, upper value of the pulse current, and depth of the pulses.