Effect of Pressure on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of AM60B Alloy Used for Motorcycle Wheels Formed by Double Control Forming

A set of novel forming die combining the advantages of dies casting and forging was designed, by which double control forming idea was firstly proposed. The motorcycle wheel made of AM60B alloy was used as the typical component to demonstrate advantages of the double control forming. The effect of pressure on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the parts formed by double control forming was investigated. The results showed that high mechanical properties and complex shape were achieved in the parts formed by double control forming. Compared to die casting, the mechanical properties of the formed part significantly increased and the microstructure changed from the coarse dendrites to fine equiaxed grains. The shrinkage voids and microcracks in the formed parts were obviously reduced or even completely eliminated with the increase of pressure. When a pressure of 4000 kN was applied, the optimal mechanical properties such as ultimate tensile strength of 265.6 MPa and elongation of 21% were achieved and the microstructure was characterized by fine and uniform equiaxed grains due to the large undercooling degree caused by the high pressure.