How to Inspect Porosity of Aluminum Squeeze Castings

Have you ever wondered why some aluminum castings fail prematurely?

Imagine discovering a critical component is flawed after it’s already been integrated into a sophisticated assembly.

The culprit often? Porosity within the casting.

Guaranteeing the integrity of aluminum squeeze castings is of great importance to provide high-quality products.

At CEX, we attach great importance to quality and conduct careful inspection, including thorough internal porosity testing.

This article shows the detailed inspection process and our pore rate testing results, which demonstrate our capability to produce nearly pore-free, high-quality aluminum squeeze castings.

To inspect porosity in squeeze castings effectively, combine visual inspection, X-ray radiography, ultrasonic testing, and computed tomography (CT) scanning methods. Start with a detailed visual examination to identify surface defects. For deeper insights, use x-ray radiography to detect internal voids by penetrating the metal. Ultrasonic Testing (UT) can be employed to assess the integrity of the casting by detecting flaws through sound waves, providing a reliable method for identifying porosities that are not visible on the surface. Additionally, CT scanning offers a comprehensive 3D view for precise internal structure analysis, critical for applications demanding high accuracy.

Let’s delve deeper into the procedure and application of each inspection method and CEX’s Advantages in maintaining quality standards.

Internal Porosity Inspection Process

Visual Inspection

Procedure: our skilled inspectors will visually check the surface of the castings for any visible signs of porosity, such as pores, bubbles or irregularities.

Application: visual inspection is the first step to assess the surface quality and may detect larger or more obvious porosity defects.

CEX Advantage: our skilled inspectors meticulously examine each component, ensuring that surface imperfections are identified and addressed promptly.

Visual Inspection

X-ray Radiography

Procedure: we will perform X-ray radiography on the parts, where X-rays will penetrate the material and generate images to reveal internal structures and any porosity.

Application: X-ray radiography is highly effective in detecting internal voids, gas porosity and shrinkage defects which may not be visible on the surface.

CEX Advantage: we adopt advanced X-ray equipment and image processing technology to analyze the internal structures accurately, thus ensuring that porosity is thoroughly evaluated.

X-ray Radiography

Ultrasonic Testing (UT)

Procedure: ultrasonic waves will be transmitted through the part, and any reflections or echoes will be analyzed to identify internal defects, including porosity.

Application: UT is particularly suitable for detecting subsurface defects, such as gas pores and shrinkage cavities, in aluminum squeeze castings.

CEX Advantage: we have advanced ultrasonic testing equipment and skilled technicians to perform thorough inspections, which ensures the reliability and integrity of our products.

Ultrasonic Testing

Computed Tomography (CT) Scanning

Procedure: CT scanning captures multiple X-ray images from different angles to create a detailed 3D image of the internal structure, which allows for precise analysis of porosity.

Application: CT scanning provides comprehensive insights into the internal features and defects of aluminum squeeze castings, including complex geometries and hidden porosity.

CEX Advantage: by using CT technology, we conduct in-depth inspections to make sure that every component is free from internal defects and meets the highest quality standards.

Computed Tomography

How CEX Achieve Nearly Porosity-Free in castings

Specialized Equipment

Patented Squeeze Casting Machines: our patented squeeze casting machines are equipped with advanced technology to minimize porosity during casting.

These machines can control pressure and temperature accurately, which can help to fill the mould cavity completely and avoid gas entrapment.

Vacuum-Assisted Casting Systems: our vacuum-assisted casting systems are very important to make porosity-free components.

They can evacuate air and gases from the mould cavity before and during casting.

By creating a vacuum environment, we can reduce the risk of gas porosity formation.

So the components have better mechanical properties and surface finish.

Advanced Mould Design and Cooling Systems: we offer in-house mould design and producing services, mould simulation also provided.

We developed innovative mould design, such as conformal cooling channels, to ensure uniform cooling and avoid hot spots.

These advanced cooling systems can optimize the solidification process, reduce shrinkage porosity, and improve component quality.

Process Optimization

Alloy Composition and Degassing: we choose patented materials such as A365 and AiSi9Mg with low gas solubility and use degassing techniques to remove dissolved gases from the molten metal.

It can reduce gas content in the alloy, and avoid gas porosity formation.

Optimized Pouring and Filling Techniques: we have advanced pouring and filling techniques to control metal flow, which can help to realize smooth and even metal flow into the mould cavity and avoid turbulence during casting.

By controlling pouring temperature, flow rate, and gating design, we can avoid air and gas entrainment in the molten metal.

Thermal Management and Solidification Control: we have sophisticated thermal management strategies to control solidification rates and avoid shrinkage porosity.

By optimizing cooling rates and using directional solidification techniques, we can make uniform solidification and avoid internal defects.

CEX’s Pore Rate Testing Results

Pore Rate Testing: CEX conducts pore rate testing on our aluminum squeeze castings according to GB/T 13298-2015 testing method, to quantify internal porosity levels accurately.

Test Results: our pore rate test yielded exceptional results, with a pore rate of only 0.1% and a calculated pore area of 0.000922mm².

Implication: these test results prove that CEX can produce nearly pore-free aluminum squeeze castings, which reflects our commitment to supplying high-quality and defect-free products to our customers.

Pore Rate Testing Results

Conclusion

Internal porosity inspection is a crucial step of CEX’s quality assurance process for aluminum squeeze castings.

Through visual inspection, X-ray radiography, ultrasonic testing and computed tomography, we make sure that every component meets stringent quality standards.

Our pore rate testing results further validate CEX’s ability to produce high-quality, nearly pore-free aluminum squeeze castings.

Partner with CEX to get reliable, high-performance products that will exceed your expectations.

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