Investigation on Improved Tapping Life in Automotive Die Cast Aluminum-Silicon Alloy Applications

Abstract

In the automotive industry, Al-Si alloy is widely used for manufacturing of various engine parts. Machinability of die-cast Al-12Si alloy is challenging due to severe abrasion and adhesion wear of the tools. Form tapping is a common method for generating internal threads in engine blocks. It is usually a finishing process on a production line. An unexpected tap failure may lead to significant scrap and high rework costs. The objective of this research was to investigate the wear mechanisms of high-speed steel form taps when machining Al-12Si alloy. This research involved replicating the same process conditions as the industry partner to determine a feasible solution without changing the tap geometry or process parameters. A critical region of wear on the crest was identified where the aluminum adhesion was acute. Intense abrasion wear occurred on the crest and flanks due to hard silicon precipitates. In this study, two methods were proposed for measuring linear and volumetric wear on the chamfered threads. The second and third chamfered threads experienced the most significant wear on the tap. To improve wear-resistance of the form tap, PVD surface coatings were deposited on it. The preliminary tests of 12 surface coatings showed coating-delamination mostly on the critical region. A progressive wear study of the TiAlN coating showed an improvement in tap performance over the ZrN coating currently used. By the 4320th hole, the volumetric wear of the TiAlN coated tap was reduced by nearly 200% and 50% when compared against the uncoated and ZrN coated taps, respectively.