Thin Wall Ductile Iron Castings as Substitutes for Aluminium Alloy Castings

Abstract

Abstract The paper discusses the reasons behind current trends for substituting cast iron castings by aluminum alloys. In particular it is shown that it is possible to produce thin wall castings (control arms, cantilevers and rotors) made of ductile iron without the development of chills, cold laps or misruns, and with a strength to weight ratio of up 87 MPa cm3/g. In addition, austenitizing at 900 °C for 20 minutes and then austempering in a salt bath at 350 °C for 15 minutes promotes the development of a fully ausferritic matrix in thin wall castings with a the strength to weight ratio increase of up to 154 MPa cm3/g. Finally, it is shown that thin wall castings made of ductile or austemperded cast iron can be lighter and with superior mechanical properties then their substitutes made of aluminum alloy.