Thermal Fatigue Model of Aluminium Alloy Die Casting H-13 Dies under Thermo-Mechanical Cycle

Abstract

In industrial fields, thermal fatigue behavior has recently acquired an important role which is mainly related to the interaction between mechanical and thermal conditions. This paper proposes a thermal fatigue model of H13 tool steel under thermos-mechanical cycles. A test apparatus was used to assess the thermal fatigue resistance of materials to estimate surface crack area when specimens are subjected to thermal cycling. Thermal cycling up to 700°C was used, and crack patterns were examined after 1850, 3000, and 5000 cycles. Temperature distributions were measured at different locations in the test specimens. A model was developed to establish a relationship between mechanical cycling and thermal analysis. From the results, the thermal fatigue resistance was significantly improved over the control parameter after heating and cooling during thermomechanical cycles. The model was applied to determine the best performance and in-service life of die casting tools.