Tool production for die casting of aluminum

Proizvodnja alata za tlačno lijevanje aluminija skupocjen je i dugotrajan proizvodni proces, te je samim time i cijena proizvedenih alata visoka. Pred alatničarima je izazov da alate za tlačni lijev izrađuju točno, brzo i bez većih dorada. Svakom doradom se povećavaju troškovi izrade, a to smanjuje konkurentnost i ugrožava opstanak na zahtjevnom tržištu. Najviše vremena i potrošenih sredstava odlazi na proizvodnju matrica alata. Alati se proizvode konvencionalnim i nekonvencionalnim proizvodnim tehnologijama, te se često pristupa manje rizičnim, ali i skupljim, provjerenim metodama obrade . Komponente alata za tlačno lijevanje aluminija moraju imati povećanu tvrdoću da bi im se smanjilo trošenje uzrokovano visokim temperaturama lijevanja prilikom eksploatacije pa se zato toplinski obrađuju na zahtijevanu tvrdoću. U ovom radu opisane su proizvodne tehnologije koje se javljaju pri izradi alata za tlačno lijevanje aluminija na primjeru jedne alatnice, te koji su sve utjecajni parametri krajnje kvalitete i točnosti komponenata, a samim time i aluminijskog odljevka. Prikazan je tehnološki postupak izrade matrica, te su opisani dodaci materijala koji se ostavljaju za toplinsku i završnu obradu. Dodaci materijala na matricama, toplinske deformacije i završno obrađene matrice su analizirani na modelima dobivenima metodom 3D skeniranja. U završnom dijelu predloženo je poboljšanje procesa na temelju podataka dobivenih pri analizi skenova tri različite matrice. Production of tools for die casting of aluminium is an expensive and a long manufacturing process, which in effect carries the high price of the tool. Toolmakers are challenged to manufacture tools for die casting with great precision, in shorter manufacturing times and without greater required finishing. With every extra finishing the manufacturing cost rises, lowering competitiveness and the chance of survival in a challenging market. Most time and resources are used on manufacturing of tool dies. Tools are manufactured using conventional and unconventional manufacturing technologies, and usually the more familiar, but more expensive machining methods are used which carry less risk. Die cast tooling components are required to have increased hardness to reduce tool wear caused by exploitation in high temperature casting environment so therefore they go through heat treatment to gain required hardness. In this thesis manufacturing methods which are required to manufacture a tool are described by the example of one toolshop, and which are the influential parameters of end quality and precision of components, and thus that from an aluminium casting. The technological process of die making is explained, and the material allowances required for later heat treatment and finishing. Die material allowances, thermal deformations and finished dies were analysed on the models obtained by 3D scanning method. In the last part of the thesis process improvement is proposed based on the data obtained by analyzing scans of three different dies.