Casting defects in low-pressure die-cast aluminum alloy wheels

Defects in automotive aluminum alloy casting continue to challenge metallurgists and production engineers as greater emphasis is placed on product quality and production cost. A range of casting-related defects found in low-pressure die-cast aluminum wheels were examined metallographically in samples taken from several industrial wheel-casting facilities. The defects examined include macro- and micro- porosity, entrained oxide films, and exogenous oxide inclusions. Particular emphasis is placed on the impact of these defects with respect to the three main casting-related criteria by which automotive wheel quality are judged: wheel cosmetics, air-tightness, and wheel mechanical performance.