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AM 1 0th JUBILEE INTERNATIONAL SC IENTIFIC CONFERENCE

High pressure die casting: improvement of tools life by thermal sprayed coatings

M. Rosso, M. Actis Grande, E. Romano

Materials Science and Chemical Engineering Department, Polytechnic of Torino

C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy

1. INTRODUCTION

Tools for high pressure die casting are subjected to very severe stress state due to
mechanical and fluid dynamic effects, as well as to thermal fatigue. Bulk as well as surface of
tools are interested by the stresses, however it is quite evident that the optimal performances
are to a great extent determined by the state of the surface, being these zones the most
stressed. In other words there is matter for the surface engineering, the aim of this a key
technology, being to permit to lengthen the lifetime of the products, simultaneously reducing
costs and saving natural resources /1/.
Thermal spray techniques /2-4/ have became an important part of surface engineering and
of net-shape forming processes. They are an effective way to ensure surface protection against
destructive effects of wear, corrosion and oxidizing phenomena and are able to produce a
large assortment of protective coatings, because almost every material can be used for coating
and there is a wide substrate range. It is also possible to change the coating materials or/and
the process parameters, so that one can achieve a multi-layer or a graded coating. These
technologies can be applied in majority of industrial sectors in order to improve properties of
new parts or for reconditioning worn out parts.
The advantages of a chosen bulk-surface system can be related to reduced production
costs, failure of the part without damaging the whole machine or even risking human lives,
possibility of local repair of damaged machine parts, minimal variation of the original design,
energy and resource saving as well as environmental protection. In this contest the perspective
of the coating industry is a very good one.
Ideally, it would be comfortable to have a material able to resist to all types of wear, but
the work condition intricacy combined with economic reason have lead to the development of
a big number of powder materials that are used in thermal spraying technologies [5]. The
main metal powders used in thermal spraying technology are usually classified according to
the chemical composition, which can establish the properties of the new layer.
Among the numerous thermal spray coating technologies, the high velocity oxy-fuel
deposition (HVOF) process in the last decade has lead to coatings with significant improved
microstructures for better protection against wear and corrosion. HVOF coatings of cermets
and metallic materials provide protection against erosion and corrosion and therefore are good
alternatives to the use of high-cost materials.
The authors are involved in wide programme researches related to coatings for different
components [6-8], in particular very good results have been obtained applying HVOF
506 M. Rosso, M. Actis Grande, E. Romano

deposited coatings to components for water treatments subjected to erosion and corrosion
phenomena [9].
In this work the studies related to the application of plasma, as well as HVOF, sprayed
coatings to dies for aluminium high pressure die casting are presented and discussed.

2. EXPERIMENTAL PART

Small block samples, their dimensions being about 120x30x15 mm, were prepared from an
old die manufactured with AISI H11 tool steel (Figure 1, showing the matrix and the samples
which has been coated) and then were thermal spray coated with different materials, ZrO2,
WC-Co and WC-Co plus silicon resin.
The ZrO2 coatings were applied using plasma gun, while for the others two ones the
HVOF process was adopted, 5 samples each type were produced and coated. The high
temperature and fatigue behaviour of coated samples was studied by means of a suitable
apparatus manufactured in the laboratories of the Politecnico in the Alessandria branch. The
samples were subjected to heat thermal cycling by means of alternative immersions in a bath
constituted by molten 5075 aluminium alloy and successively in a quenching bath constituted
by water added with the fluid used for cleaning and lubricating the tools during the high
pressure die casting cycles. The total cycle was 36 seconds long, being the immersion time of
5 seconds in the molten Al, as well as in the quenching bath, 26 seconds being the time
required for the samples displacements. Two samples were contemporaneously tested in a
symmetrical way. The sequence of samples movements was: immersion in the molten Al or in
the quenching bath, standing up in the baths, rising from the baths, rotation to invert the
position of the samples, second immersion and rising up and rotation to start a new cycle.
After thermal testing the samples were analysed by microhardness tests, as well as optical
and scanning electron microscopy to study the damage caused by thermal fatigue and the
cause of failure when it was.
Following these experiments two dies were coated in the same way, the first one was new,
while the second one was previously damaged by thermal fatigue and was repaired, then were
mounted in the press for die casting and are still working.

Figure 1. The matrix and the samples which were been coated
High pressure die casting: improvement of tools life by thermal sprayed coatings 507

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The heat thermal cycling test has allowed the simulation of two high pressure die casting
process conditions: the immersion of the samples in the molten aluminium bath simulates the
injection of the molten aluminium alloy in the die, the rapid cooling after the immersion in the
quenching bath simulates the lubrication of the die surfaces. It was not possible to reproduce the
friction condition, which is due to the rapid injection of the molten alloy in the cavity of the die.
The samples coated with ZrO2, as well as with WC-Co plus silicon resin covered more
than 45,000 cycles without any damage and their surface was still in very good conditions,
without any cracks appearance or increased roughness. The test was stopped because the
duration was estimated sufficient if the compared with the industrial aspects and
requirements. The samples coated with WC-Co without any silicon resin addition and without
any suitable substrate shown shorter duration. In fact at 19,000 cycles cracks appeared and a
wide part of the layer broken and detached, as it could be observed in the figure 2.
The coatings and their interfaces with the substrate were observed with optical and scanning
electron microscope (SEM). These observations shown a very good adhesion between the
coatings and the substrate.
In the sample coated with WC-Co without any silicon resin addition the fracture grew up
inside the coating but not at the interface with the substrate. In fact SEM analysis shown a
crack inside the coating and the presence of the lubricating, which probably penetrated by
capillarity and allowed the propagation of this crack until the final rupture.
Regarding the ZrO2 and WC-Co plus silicon resin coatings, after 45000 cycles they still had
the initials characteristics, so the microscope analysis did not show any separation or fracture
of the samples. These samples shown a good surface finishing, even if there was a little
increase of the surface porosity.

Figure 2. The separation of the coating on the sample, which was coated with WC-Co without
silicon resin
508 M. Rosso, M. Actis Grande, E. Romano

Usually a steel die without coating starts its degradation after 15000 cycles. During thermal
cycling test a little increase of the porosity was observed after 45000 cycles. So it could be
expected a three times higher duration of the coated dies in respect of the traditional dies.
Heat thermal cycling tests on coated specimens enable to reproduce the real operative
conditions of the die, regarding the temperature, the chemical attack from the molten
aluminium, the presence of lubricating, the time of the contact between the molten aluminium
alloy and the thermal shock.
Anyway these results have to take in account of a coefficient, which is due to the effect of
“mechanical washing” from the high velocity of the injected alloy. This aspect was not
reproduced during the tests, but it is very important for the duration of the dies. In fact the
friction between the molten alloy incoming and the matrix has a big influence on this duration,
which depends on the incoming and filling velocity of the molten alloy. So this effect involves
not only the casting runner, but above all the inside figure.
Die casting components are usually of two different types, thick or thin walls castings. In the
first case the filling of the cavity occurs at low velocities and it is not cause of premature wear
problems. In the case of thin walls castings (box gear for example) it is very easy to observe the
signs of premature wear and the formation of cracks near the casting runner, because of the
friction of the molten alloy incoming. In the zone which are far from the casting runner, the
filling occurs at moderate velocities and the surface finishing is still good after numerous cycles.
In conclusion only one coating can be considered sufficient on the surface of dies, where
the effect of the filling velocity is not so important. Instead it would be better to coat two or
three times the surfaces of the dies, which are employed in the production of thin walls
castings, because their degradation will be higher.

4. CONCLUSIONS

Die casting is a production process which involves an elevate number of variables, that are
difficult to control. During the last years there has been an increase of the control of the
different aspects regarding the equipment, the process and the dies. So there was the
introduction of sensors in the press in order to control different parameters, of the thermal
regulation and of systems to control the temperature of the die.
Although the increase of the variables which can be monitored, it is not possible to avoid the
degradations which are caused by the thermal shock and by the friction of the molten alloy on
the die.
The introduction of coatings, able to act as a barrier and, in this way, able to reduce the
chemical attack of the molten aluminium towards the steel die, can be an interesting solution
in order to reduce the thermal gap, which originates during every process cycle.
These coatings cannot eliminate completely this problem, but they are able to delay the
negative effects and so to enable the production of a much higher number of acceptable
pieces.
Regarding this work the samples coated with ZrO2, as well as with WC-Co plus silicon
resin covered more than 45,000 cycles without any damage and their surface was still in very
good conditions, without any cracks appearance or increased roughness. The test was stopped
because the duration was estimated sufficient if the compared with the industrial aspects and
High pressure die casting: improvement of tools life by thermal sprayed coatings 509

requirements. The samples coated with WC-Co without any silicon resin addition and without
any suitable substrate shown shorter duration. In fact at 19,000 cycles cracks appeared and a
wide part of the layer broken and detached.
These values of duration have to be shortened because of the impossibility to simulate the
factor of velocity during the tests, as it was explained in the discussion of the results. This
diminution will be the most elevate for thin walls components.
In conclusion the greater duration of a coated die in respect of a traditional die can be
considered as a starting point for the future development of the die casting technology.

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