Quality Assessment of Aluminum Alloys for Automotive Rims

Abstract This paper presents experimental research conducted at a factory specializing in the development of aluminum alloys and the semi-continuous production of bars intended for rim manufacturing. The semi-finished products are made of 6082 aluminum alloy and undergo forging processes to obtain rims. The charge load consists of various types of aluminum waste and primary aluminum in different proportions, depending on the quality of the waste in the experimental recipes. The elaboration of the aluminum alloy takes place in melting furnaces with a capacity of 80 tons, equipped with two chambers. The casting is performed using a semi-continuous casting installation, and the cast semi-finished products undergo further heat treatment. The casting process involves the addition of alloying elements, in the form of wire, which serve to refine the structure. Experimental data were processed, and correlations between the qualitative characteristics of the alloy and the elements in the chemical composition, as well as grain size, were analyzed. From the obtained correlation analysis, it is observed that the alloying elements refine the grain size, while the grain size and quality of the resulting product are of interest for industrial practice.