The diploma work includes a comparison of two different die inserts for die casting tools produced with different technologies and the impact of these on the defects in the pump housing, which is made with this tool. The pump housing is casted from AlSi9Cu3 aluminum casting alloy, which is one of the most commonly used alloys in the die casting process. The inserts are made with various manufacturing technologies, the first using the classic drilling process and the second with 3D metal printing technology. It differs in the position and shape of the cooling channels, which are part of the cooling-heating system with which the temperature in the die-casting tool is properly regulated. Good tool tempering is key to making quality castings and maximizing tool life. Shrinkage porosity is one of the most common defects in the die casting process. It usually occurs at the hottest parts of the casting and solidify last, so good tempering is crucial in these places to ensure maximum heat dissipation and prevent shrinkage porosity.
The aim of the diploma work was to determine how different types of inserts affect the thermal field of the die casting tool and the shrinkage porosity of the pump housing, which is casted with this tool. The thermal field of the die was analyzed with a thermal imaging camera and the castings with an X-ray analysis device. Metallographic analysis of the cross-sections of the casting was performed with a light microscope and an automatic stereo microscope with a polarizer. Based on the results of the analyzes made, we concluded, that the pump housing is casted with lower shrinkage porosity when inserts are made by 3D metal printing technology.
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