Tensile and fatigue behaviour of thin-walled cast A383.0 components

Fatigue failure affects the majority of materials in various applications and is particularly detrimental to aluminium alloys which do not present a well-defined endurance capacity. With the growing use of aluminium castings in automotive industry and several other fields, it is important to compare the fatigue strength of components produced by different moulding processes. In this study, thin-walled components of aluminium A383.0 alloy were moulded using four industrial casting processes: die casting, vacuum die casting, squeeze casting, and permanent mould casting (gravity casting). Bending fatigue strength and tensile properties of the cast components were then compared according to their surface roughness and microstructural characteristics.

► Thin-walled A383.0 components were cast using four different moulding processes.
► Tensile properties and bending fatigue resistance of machined specimens were studied.
► Microstructures, defects, surface roughness, and fractured surface were evaluated.
► Comparisons were made between studied properties and casting processes.