Abstract: A method of manufacturing a vehicle part formed at least in part of a blended material is provided. The blended material is formed by mixing an improved aluminum alloy and a recycled aluminum alloy. The recycled aluminum alloy can be obtained from road wheels. The blended alloy preferable meets the Aural series alloy specifications. The blended material can be cast under high pressure and a vacuum to form a part designed for use in a chassis or structural body of a vehicle, for example a front subframe, a front shock tower, a rear rail, a front kick-down rail, a front body hinge pillar, a tunnel, a front body hinge pillar, or a rear shock mount.

Abstract: An improved aluminum alloy for combining with a recycled aluminum alloy to form a blended material is provided. The improved aluminum alloy includes silicon, copper, iron, magnesium, zinc, manganese; nickel, chromium and tin in a total amount up to 0.15 wt. %; the other elements in a total amount up to 0.1 wt. %, up to 0.06 wt. % titanium, and 0.03 to 0.04 wt. % strontium. The recycled aluminum alloy can be obtained from road wheels. The blended material preferable meets the Aural series alloy specifications. The blended material can be cast under high pressure and a vacuum to form a vehicle part designed for use in a chassis or structural body of a vehicle, for example a front subframe, a front shock tower, a rear rail, a front kick-down rail, a front body hinge pillar, a tunnel, a front body hinge pillar, or a rear shock mount.

Abstract: An aluminum alloy for die casting parts used in automotive structural applications is provided. According to example embodiments, the alloy includes 0.6 to 2.0 wt. % manganese, 0.5 to 4.0 wt. % magnesium, 0.0 to 1.0 wt. % iron, 0.0 to 3.0 wt. % zinc, 0.0 to 3.0 wt. % silicon, 0.0 to 1.0 wt. % zirconium, 0.0 to 0.5 wt. % titanium and/or boron, 0.0 to 0.05 wt. % strontium, and 85.5 to 98.8 wt. % aluminum, based on the total weight of the aluminum alloy. The alloy maintains good characteristics during the casting process, including fluidity, manageable hot cracking, and anti-soldering. The alloy casting does not require a heat treatment process after the casting step to achieve acceptable mechanical properties. The aluminum alloy casting has a yield strength of at least 90 MPa, an ultimate tensile strength of at least 180 MPa, and an elongation equal to or greater than 10% without heat treatment.

Abstract: An improved aluminum alloy for casting into a component, such as a vehicle component, is provided. The improved aluminum alloy includes at least 80 wt. % aluminum; 6.0 to 8.0 wt. % silicon; 1.0 to 2.0 wt. % zinc; 0.10 to 0.6 wt. % magnesium; 0.1 to 0.60 wt. % copper; 0.20. to 0.60 wt. % manganese; up to 0.25 wt. % iron; 0.015 wt. % to 0.03 wt. % strontium; and up to 0.15 wt. % titanium, based on the total weight of the improved aluminum alloy. This improved aluminum alloy can be formed by combining recycled aluminum or recycled aluminum alloy with at least one additional element. The cast component formed of the improved aluminum alloy has a yield strength of 120 MPa to 130 MPa and an elongation of 8% to 16%, depending on flow length, when the cast component is in the as-cast (F temper) condition.

Abstract: An improved aluminum alloy for casting into a component, such as a vehicle component, is provided. The aluminum alloy preferably includes at least 80 weight percent (wt. %) aluminum; 9.5 to 11.5 wt. % silicon; 1.5 max wt. % zinc; 0.1 wt. % to 0.6 wt. % magnesium; 0.10 wt. % to 0.60 wt. % copper; 0.2. to 0.6 wt. % manganese; 0.2 wt. % to 0.6 wt. % iron; 0.01 wt. % to 0.07 wt. % strontium; and up to 0.15 wt. % titanium, based on the total weight of the aluminum alloy. This improved aluminum alloy can be formed by combining recycled aluminum or a recycle aluminum alloy with at least one additional element.

Abstract: An aluminum alloy for casting into a component, such as a vehicle component, is provided. The aluminum alloy includes silicon, zinc, magnesium, copper, manganese, iron, and strontium. After the casting step, the cast aluminum alloy has a yield strength of at least 105 MPa, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of at least 180 MPa, and an elongation of 8% to 10%.

Abstract: An aluminum alloy for die casting parts used in automotive structural applications is provided. According to example embodiments, the alloy includes 0.6 to 2.0 wt. % manganese, 0.5 to 4.0 wt. % magnesium, 0.0 to 1.0 wt. % iron, 0.0 to 3.0 wt. % zinc, 0.0 to 3.0 wt. % silicon, 0.0 to 1.0 wt. % zirconium, 0.0 to 0.5 wt. % titanium and/or boron, 0.0 to 0.05 wt. % strontium, and 85.5 to 98.8 wt. % aluminum, based on the total weight of the aluminum alloy. The alloy maintains good characteristics during the casting process, including fluidity, manageable hot cracking, and anti-soldering. The alloy casting does not require a heat treatment process after the casting step to achieve acceptable mechanical properties. The aluminum alloy casting has a yield strength of at least 90 MPa, an ultimate tensile strength of at least 180 MPa, and an elongation equal to or greater than 10% without heat treatment.

Abstract: A vehicle part formed at least in part of a blended material is provided. The blended material is formed by mixing an improved aluminum alloy and a recycled aluminum alloy. The recycled aluminum alloy can be obtained from road wheels. The blended alloy preferable meets the Aural series alloy specifications. The blended material can be cast under high pressure and a vacuum to form a part designed for use in a chassis or structural body of a vehicle, for example a front subframe, a front shock tower, a rear rail, a front kick-down rail, a front body hinge pillar, a tunnel, a front body hinge pillar, or a rear shock mount.

Abstract: A localized annealing process and a part having localized areas with increased ductility produced by the process. The part is formed of hard material, tempered, and/or otherwise hardened such that it meets minimum hardness and ductility requirements. The part further includes localized areas that have increased ductility for workability, which could include various types of deformation. The localized annealing process includes providing a part with low levels of ductility and then annealing localized areas of the part for increased ductility that will need to be machined or attached to another formed part. The annealing process includes placing an electrode on either side of the localized area and generating electricity through the localized area. The material in the localized area is then heated from the electricity to form a more ductile physical structure.

Abstract: An aluminum alloy for casting into a component, such as a vehicle component, is provided. The aluminum alloy includes 2 to 5 wt. % silicon, which is a lower amount of silicon compared to other aluminum alloys used for casting. The aluminum alloy further includes 1.0 to 2.0 wt. % zinc, less than 0.5 wt. % iron, and not greater than 0.6 wt. % manganese, based on the total weight of the aluminum alloy. The aluminum alloy can further include 0.01 to 0.07 wt. % strontium, 0.05 to 0.6 wt. % magnesium, not greater than 0.2 wt. % titanium, and less than 0.02 wt. % copper, based on the total weight of the aluminum alloy. After the casting step, the cast aluminum alloy has a yield strength of at least 110 MPa, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 220 to 230 MPa, and an elongation of 10 to 20%.

Abstract: A high-pressure die casting apparatus including a shot sleeve extending through a first die half to a molding surface, and a plunger received in the shot sleeve is provided. The shot sleeve includes a side wall presenting a fluid passageway and a partial end wall disposed in a fixed position relative to the side wall. The partial end wall defines a wall opening adjacent the molding surface. Fluid is poured into the shot sleeve while the die apparatus is open, and the partial end wall prevents the fluid from flowing out of the shot sleeve. The plunger then presses the material into the mold cavity until only a portion of the material remains in the shot sleeve and blocks the wall opening. After the solidified material is ejected from the apparatus, the portion of material blocking the wall opening prevents lubricant from entering the shot sleeve.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a structural component having tailored material properties by applying an IR-absorbent coating to a substrate formed of a ferrous-based, aluminum-based, magnesium-based, or fiber reinforced composite material is provided. The coating is preferably formed of iron oxide (Fe3O4) decorated multiwall carbon nanotubes. Alternatively, the coating is wax-based or polymer-based and includes TriSilanollsooctylt POSS and additives. Different coating compositions may be applied to different zones of the substrate so that the emissivity coefficient varies along the substrate. The coated substrate is heated and formed between a pair of dies to achieve a complex shape or features. The IR-absorbent coating increases the infrared absorption rate during the heating step, which improves formability of the substrate.

Abstract: A high-pressure die casting apparatus including a shot sleeve extending through a first die half to a molding surface, and a plunger received in the shot sleeve is provided. The shot sleeve includes a side wall presenting a fluid passageway and a partial end wall disposed in a fixed position relative to the side wall. The partial end wall defines a wall opening adjacent the molding surface. Fluid is poured into the shot sleeve while the die apparatus is open, and the partial end wall prevents the fluid from flowing out of the shot sleeve. The plunger then presses the material into the mold cavity until only a portion of the material remains in the shot sleeve and blocks the wall opening. After the solidified material is ejected from the apparatus, the portion of material blocking the wall opening prevents lubricant from entering the shot sleeve.

Abstract: A high-pressure die casting apparatus including a shot sleeve extending through a first die half to a molding surface, and a plunger received in the shot sleeve is provided. The shot sleeve includes a side wall presenting a fluid passageway and a partial end wall disposed in a fixed position relative to the side wall. The partial end wall defines a wall opening adjacent the molding surface. Fluid is poured into the shot sleeve while the die apparatus is open, and the partial end wall prevents the fluid from flowing out of the shot sleeve. The plunger then presses the material into the mold cavity until only a portion of the material remains in the shot sleeve and blocks the wall opening. After the solidified material is ejected from the apparatus, the portion of material blocking the wall opening prevents lubricant from entering the shot sleeve.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a structural component having tailored material properties by applying an IR-absorbent coating to a substrate formed of a ferrous-based, aluminum-based, magnesium-based, or fiber reinforced composite material is provided. The coating is preferably formed of iron oxide (Fe304) decorated multiwall carbon nanotubes. Alternatively, the coating is wax-based or polymer-based and includes TriSilanollsooctylt POSS and additives. Different coating compositions may be applied to different zones of the substrate so that the emissivity coefficient varies along the substrate. The coated substrate is heated and formed between a pair of dies to achieve a complex shape or features. The IR-absorbent coating increases the infrared absorption rate during the heating step, which improves formability of the substrate.

Abstract: A high-pressure die casting apparatus including a shot sleeve extending through a first die half to a molding surface, and a plunger received in the shot sleeve is provided. The shot sleeve includes a side wall presenting a fluid passageway and a partial end wall disposed in a fixed position relative to the side wall. The partial end wall defines a wall opening adjacent the molding surface. Fluid is poured into the shot sleeve while the die apparatus is open, and the partial end wall prevents the fluid from flowing out of the shot sleeve. The plunger then presses the material into the mold cavity until only a portion of the material remains in the shot sleeve and blocks the wall opening. After the solidified material is ejected from the apparatus, the portion of material blocking the wall opening prevents lubricant from entering the shot sleeve.

Abstract: An aluminum alloy for casting into a component, such as an automotive vehicle component, is provided. The aluminum alloy includes a reduced amount of silicon (Si), specifically 0.1 weight percent (wt. %) to less than 7.0 wt. %, and preferably 4.0 wt. % or less, to achieve improved ductility and elongation. The aluminum alloy can also include additional alloying elements to achieve desired properties. For example, antimony, calcium, and/or bismuth can be included to counter any detrimental effect of the low silicon content on hot cracking behavior. Zinc can be added to increase strength; and cerium can be added to further increase ductility. The aluminum alloy is typically formed by modifying recycled wrought aluminum, such as a 5000 series or 6000 series aluminum alloy, or by modifying a recycled cast 300 series aluminum alloy.