Finite Element Study of Laser Peening on Selective Laser Melted A357 Aluminum Alloy During Tension Test

Laser shock peening (LSP) is an advanced surface treatment technique that can extend fatigue life in metallic components by inducing near-surface compressive residual stresses. In this study, LSP was implemented to induce compressive residual stresses and modify material properties of selective laser melted (SLM) aluminum A357 specimens. An initial hypothesis on the effect of LSP during tension testing was formulated and tested using finite element simulation. The hypothesis was that, due to the LSP-induced tensile residual stress field in the middle of the specimen cross sections, yielding was expected to initiate in this region. True stress-strain curves of two as-built (AB) and two laser shock peened samples were obtained through transverse tensile tests. The single explicit analysis using time dependent damping (SEATD) technique was used to simulate LSP process utilizing Johnson-Cook (J-C) constitutive parameters. J-C parameters for the cast A357 alloy were used for preliminary study. This was followed by the simulation of the transverse tensile test. J-C parameters for SLM A357 alloy were then empirically estimated, and simulations were repeated accordingly. It was found that the specific LSP pattern induced tensile residual stresses along the edges as well as the middle of the test specimen’s cross-section. Axial residual stress and yield strength profiles along three different paths on specimen’s cross-section were compared and yield regions were investigated. This supported the initial hypothesis, but also provided for a more detailed understanding of actual tensile test failure in the specific SLM A357 specimens for the given LSP treatment. In addition, the same LSP treatment on SLM A357 alloy resulted in lower magnitude of compressive residual stress than for cast A357 aluminum alloy.

Influence of Surface Conditions on the Fatigue Behavior of A357 Aluminum Alloy

The influence of surface conditions on the fatigue behavior A357 aluminum alloy was studied in this paper. Four-point bending fatigue tests method were performed to obtain the fatigue strength of A357 cast aluminum alloy specimens with different surface conditions. A joint bearing rig was designed to minimize the experimental error caused by the misalignment associated with a four-point bend test. The results showed that the fatigue strength of specimens with as-cast surfaces was higher those with machined surface roughness of Ra=1.6μm and 3.2μm, while lower than that with Ra=0.4μm. Optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations, indicating that the fatigue cracks initiate from machined grooves for specimens with roughness of Ra=1.6μm and 3.2μm, while subsurface crack initiates from cast defects inside the specimen with roughness of Ra=0.4. For specimens with as-cast surface, the fatigue cracks initiate from the surface irregularities or cast defects near the surface.

Net-Shape Forming of a Roof Joint Node by Thixoforming of A357 Aluminum Alloy for a Low Speed Electric Vehicle

In the present study, process developments for net-shape forming of aluminum roof joint node have been described. These joint node parts were designed for low speed electric vehicles of which operating condition is more moderate than general compact cars. Thixoforming of Al-7%Si-0.5%Mg (A357) alloy has been applied to the net-shape forming of a complex roof joint node to support aluminum space frame structure of low speed electric vehicle. Optimum heating temperature for the A357 billet was between 580 and 585°C corresponding to the semi-solid temperatures showing 20-30% of liquid fraction. An injection speed of around 100mm/s and preheating of die at temperatures of 200~250°C were also necessary conditions to obtain reasonable thixoformed parts.