Material and Mechanical Analysis of Large-Scale Castings

The increasing demand for lightweight materials to enhance efficiency and sustainability is driving the optimized use of Aluminium alloys with superior mechanical properties. The use of recycled aluminium is also gaining rapid interest in industries. The revolutionizing technologies like Mega casting offer advantages such as cost reduction and improved efficiency by enabling the production of multiple components in a single casting operation. To ensure best performance, it is important to assess potential variations in mechanical and microstructural properties within the casting. The study conducted on mega casting testing model produced under High Pressure Die Casting (HPDC) technique, incorporating various material additions. Utilized tensile testing along with Digital image correlation (DIC), to evaluate strain filed variation caused by visible porosity defects and hidden oxide inclusions. Results indicated that the central portion of the third plate of component exhibited significant deviation in mechanical performance, primarily due to the oxides entrapment during melt preparation and filling. Simulations revealed turbulent melt flow during injection, which likely contributed to air entrapment. The presence of hidden defects such as oxides and bifilms is confirmed by fracture surface analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) technique. These findings were further supported by statistical analysis and Weibull distribution plots. The addition of vanadium to the secondary material was found to enhance mechanical properties. While visible porosity defects had minimal impact, hidden defects like bifilms played a significant role in the deterioration of mechanical performance in the third plate. The study underscores the importance of optimizing design and processing parameters to ensure consistent mechanical properties across different regions of the casting.