Evaluation of the Effects of Rotary Degassing Process Variables on the Quality of A357 Aluminum Alloy Castings

The effects of rotary degassing process variables on the melt and casting quality have been investigated using reduced pressure test results and quality index calculations from tensile data. The results showed that the effectiveness of the rotary degassing process of Al alloys is highly dependent on the combination of rotational speed and the gas flow rate, and that the wrong combination of these factors may result in no improvement or even degradation in quality of castings. For the first time, it has been found that the effectiveness of the pouring and filling system to produce high-quality castings can be characterized numerically. This new method of quantifying the casting system is introduced as a new quality improvement tool for materials and process engineers. (C) The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International 2016