Abstract: A high-strength steel alloy and automotive components produced therefrom, as well as a method for forming a steel alloy, are provided. The high-strength steel alloy includes iron, about 0.24 to about 0.80 weight percent carbon, about 0.40 to about 2.10 weight percent manganese, about 0.20 to about 1.60 weight percent silicon, about 0.05 to about 0.14 weight percent sulfur; about 0.10 to about 12.0 weight percent chromium, about 0.10 to about 2.50 weight percent nickel, and about 0.02 to about 0.07 weight percent aluminum. The steel alloy may also include boron, molybdenum, titanium, niobium, and/or nitrogen. The method includes air quenching a steel alloy component after mold shakeout until the component reaches a temperature in the range of 420 to 530 degrees Celsius.

Abstract: A method for simultaneous ultrasonic welding/brazing of a first metallic alloy workpiece over a second metallic alloy workpiece includes creating depressions in a joining surface of a first metallic alloy workpiece, and applying a coating material to at least one of the joining surface of the first metallic alloy workpiece or a joining surface of a second metallic alloy workpiece. Next, contaminates are removed from the joining surfaces of the first metallic alloy workpiece and the second metallic alloy workpiece, and the workpieces are joined using ultrasonic vibration to create a welded and brazed joint.

Abstract: A mold assembly for manufacturing a metal alloy casting includes a cope and drag mold, a plurality of sand cores and a pressure core. The cope mold includes an upper portion of a mold cavity. The drag mold includes a gating system, a lower portion of the mold cavity, and an upper portion of a plurality of riser cavities. The gating system is in communication with the riser cavities to provide pressurized liquid metal alloy to the riser cavities. The pressure core has a plurality of protrusions that are disposed in each of the upper portion of the plurality of riser cavities.

Abstract: A cylinder liner for an engine block includes a first engine block bonding surface, and a second engine block bonding surface that provides a lower heat transfer coefficient between the cylinder liner and an adjacent engine block material than the first engine block bonding surface. The second engine block bonding surface extends a substantial portion of the axial length of the cylinder liner.

Abstract: A method for relieving residual stress in cast-in-place liners of high pressure die cast (HPDC) engine blocks to prevent cracking in the liners during the machining process. The method includes locally heating up the liners and the surrounding engine block material through rapid induction heating and then cooling down the liners and surrounding engine block material with still ambient air to a predetermined temperature after the residual stress has been reduced to a desired threshold.

Abstract: A method for additive manufacturing of an article using pressurizing gas in an enclosure including introducing additive manufacturing equipment into the enclosure before sealing and removing air from the sealed enclosure to obtain a predetermined oxygen threshold. Next, the sealed enclosure is pressurized to obtain a predetermined pressure threshold using an inert gas. When the predetermined pressure threshold is obtained, the article is constructed using additive manufacturing.

Abstract: An aluminum alloy that can be cast into structural components wherein at least some of the raw materials used to produce the alloy are sourced from secondary production sources. In addition to aluminum as the primary constituent, such an alloy includes 5 to 14% silicon, 0 to 1.5% copper, 0.2 to 0.55% magnesium, 0.2 to 1.2% iron, 0.1 to 0.6% manganese, 0 to 0.5% nickel, 0 to 0.8% zinc, 0 to 0.2% of other trace elements selected from the group consisting essentially of titanium, zirconium, vanadium, molybdenum and cobalt. In a preferred form, most of the aluminum is from a secondary production source. Methods of analyzing a secondary production aluminum alloy to determine its constituent makeup is also disclosed, as is a method of adjusting the constituent makeup of such an alloy in situations where the alloy is out of tolerance when measured against its primary source counterpart.

Abstract: A method and system for processing an engine block that includes a cylinder liner. The engine block having a first material with different coefficient of thermal expansion than a second material forming the cylinder liner. The method includes providing an insulating barrier to the cylinder liner, and quenching the engine block. The insulating barrier provides a lower cooling rate to the second material forming the cylinder liner than a cooling rate for the first material forming the engine block during the quenching.

Abstract: A bearing shell for an automotive propulsion system is provided, along with a crankshaft assembly and an engine having a bearing shell. The bearing shell comprises an inner layer having an inner layer thickness. The inner layer defines a bearing surface on an inner side. The bearing surface of the inner layer is configured to support and contact an oil film. The bearing shell also has an outer layer disposed around the inner layer and radially outward of the inner layer. The outer layer has an outer layer thickness that is greater than the inner layer thickness, the outer layer thickness being at least one millimeter. The outer layer is formed of an outer layer material comprising an aluminum alloy and/or a metal matrix composite material. The inner layer is formed of an inner layer material, wherein the outer layer material is stronger than the inner layer material.

Abstract: A cast cylinder block for an internal combustion engine includes a first and a second cylinder bore and a shared bore wall. The first cylinder bore includes a first bore wall and the second cylinder bore includes a second bore wall. The shared cylinder bore wall includes a first portion and a second portion. A portion of the first bore wall combines with a portion of the second bore wall to form the shared cylinder bore wall. The first portion of the shared bore wall is an as-cast portion. The second portion of the shared bore wall is a metal matrix composite.

Abstract: A casting tool for a direct squeeze casting process that includes a cast mold tool with a contoured internal passage for better die thermal management. This enables the use of a grey cast iron mold material. A durable mold surface may also be formed through a nodular cast iron reaction with a Magnesium addition in either sand core or sand core coating.

Abstract: A system for casting an aluminum alloy includes a first chamber for containing a first melt at a first temperature, a second chamber for containing second melt at a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature, a mixing chamber in communication with the first chamber and the second chamber for simultaneously receiving and mixing the first melt from the first chamber with the second melt from the second chamber, and a mold chamber in communication with the mixing chamber and for receiving the mixed melt.

Abstract: A multiple step method increases net tensile strengths of high pressure die cast (HPDC) aluminum components through an alloy- and process-dependent thermal treatment. The highest temperature feasible for solution treatment of an HPDC casting is determined by computational thermodynamics, kinetics and the gas laws based on the alloy composition and gas pressure in the finally solidified parts. Determining the maximum solution temperature involves mapping pressure in the bubbles of solidified material to avoid the formation of blisters by surface adjacent bubbles in the casting. To reduce residual tensile stress, the HPDC parts are air cooled after the solution treatment. Finally, a specific, multiple temperature aging cycle is utilized to improve the aging response of air cooled HPDC parts and increase net tensile strength.

Abstract: A cast cylinder block for an internal combustion engine includes a first and a second cylinder bore and a shared bore wall. The first cylinder bore includes a first bore wall and the second cylinder bore includes a second bore wall. The shared cylinder bore wall includes a first portion and a second portion. A portion of the first bore wall combines with a portion of the second bore wall to form the shared cylinder bore wall. The first portion of the shared bore wall is an as-cast portion. The second portion of the shared bore wall is a metal matrix composite.

Abstract: A sand casting apparatus, a method of forming a sand casting apparatus, and an automotive component are provided. The sand casting apparatus includes a sand casting base comprising a sand mold and/or a sand core comprising a base sand mixture, where the base sand mixture includes a sand material and a binder material. The sand casting apparatus further comprises an outer layer disposed on the sand casting base. The outer layer comprises silicon, magnesium, calcium, zirconium, manganese, carbon, aluminum, and iron. The automotive component has portions defining an aperture therein. The automotive component is formed of cast iron and has a nodular graphite structure from interior matrix to surface, where the nodular graphite structure on the surface is formed by a sand core having an outer layer that has reacted with the cast iron automotive component to form the nodular graphite structured surface.

Abstract: A cylinder liner for an engine block includes a first engine block bonding surface, and a second engine block bonding surface that provides a lower heat transfer coefficient between the cylinder liner and an adjacent engine block material than the first engine block bonding surface. The second engine block bonding surface extends a substantial portion of the axial length of the cylinder liner.

Abstract: A method of making an aluminum alloy containing zirconium includes heating a first composition including aluminum to a first temperature. The first temperature is greater than or equal to a liquidus temperature of the first composition. The method further includes adding a second composition including a copper-zirconium compound to the first composition. The method further includes decomposing at least a portion of the copper-zirconium compound into copper and zirconium. The method further includes forming a third composition by dissolving at least some of the copper from the decomposing in the aluminum of the first composition. The method further includes cooling the third composition to a second temperature to form a first solid material. The second temperature is less than or equal to a solidus temperature of the third composition. The method further includes heat treating the first solid material to form the aluminum alloy containing zirconium.

Abstract: A method of making an aluminum alloy containing zirconium includes heating a first composition comprising aluminum to a first temperature of greater than or equal to about 580° C. to less than or equal to about 800° C. The method further includes adding a second composition including a copper-zirconium compound to the first composition to form a third composition. The copper-zirconium compound of the second composition has a molar composition of greater than or equal to about 41% zirconium to less than or equal to about 67% zirconium and a balance of copper. The method also includes solidifying the third composition at a cooling rate of greater than or equal to about 0.1° C./second to less than or equal to about 100° C./second to a second temperature less than or equal to a solidus temperature and decomposing the copper-zirconium compound at a third temperature of less than or equal to about 715° C.

Abstract: A degassing and grain refinement system for a cast aluminum-based component and a method of achieving both hydrogen gas presence reduction and grain size reduction in a cast aluminum-based component. Ultrasonic vibrations are imparted to both the liquid metal travel path from its source to the mold to achieve the reduction in hydrogen gas in the molten metal, as well as to one or more locations within the mold to achieve relatively small and equiaxed grains in the component upon solidification.

Abstract: A method of in situ formation of an aluminum carbon nanotube composite material and an induction motor component produced with such composite. The method includes forming an aluminum-based matrix by mixing a catalyst precursor with an aluminum powder such that a colloidal compound is formed that is subsequently sintered to leave a catalytically-active material formed on the surface of the aluminum powder. A carbon-containing gas is introduced to the composite catalyst that includes aluminum and the catalytic metal so that carbon nanotube reinforcements are grown on the aluminum-based matrix with the assistance of the catalytically-active metal. Additional mechanical processing steps may also include pressurizing, sintering and cold-rolling the aluminum carbon nanotube composite material.