Prediction of Damage Behavior of Casting Aluminum Components Considering Inhomogeneous Properties

The purpose of the work is to quantify and predict the influence of inhomogeneity of local properties on the overall behavior of the selected casting aluminum wheel and knuckle in different loading cases. Smooth and notched tensile specimens and torsion specimens are extracted from different positions in the wheel and knuckle and tested. The dependences of the flow stress, the fracture strain, and the S-N curve on position for specimen extraction are evaluated. Metallographic investigations are performed to reveal the relations between microstructure/microdefects and the mentioned properties. A damage model based on a triaxiality-dependent fracture strain is calibrated and used to simulate the specimens and component tests. The simulations of static wheel tests and knuckle fatigue tests are performed with position-dependent material parameters. The prediction of the component tests is compared with the experimental results.