Study about the raw material influence on products tixoconformed by pneumatic press.

Abstract

A material's mechanic and metallurgical properties depend on various factors linked to the manufacturing process used. Likewise, the final product characteristics are not mutable and the quality improvement gains interest for the competitiveness that occurs among the means of production, making the comprehension about its transformations in the processes a decisive factor. The knowledge on the method employed and the result is essential and, for this reason, this work's purpose is to study the conformation process of the AA2024 alloy in the semi-solid state, using a pneumatic press. The material was conformed by tixoconformation in a press developed along with a matrix-puncture system. The raw material was initially characterized regarding its resistance properties to traction and hardness and, subsequently, a tixoability study was performed. Tixoconformed samples were produced and the products obtained were mechanically characterized. The results were statistically analyzed and compared with the commercial rolled and treated material, showing 25% decrease in the mechanic hardness property and 45% decrease in the yield limit values on the tixoconformed material, in comparison with the commercial, rolled and treated material. The use of pneumatic press has proven to be adequate to the manufacturing process, even with low force values employes.