Cast aluminum with embeded 6061-T6 aluminum rods

We are working on a new aluminum fixture. It is basically an aluminum spine with many 6061-T6 pins sticking out. Currently we drill the holes inside the spine and hammer the 5/32" 6061-T6 pins inside. Is there anyway to cast aluminum with many 6061-T6 pins embedded (they will stick out after the casting)?

Thanks........... Ken

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Reply to
Ink Maker
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It may be possible to cast the 6061-T6 pins in the aluminum (depends on size and configuration) but they will of course no longer be T6 and the entire assembly would need to be heat treated.

The question I would have is why not cast the pins as part of the spine casting (i.e. pins and spine all one casting)?

Also what if the pins were made in stainless steel and the aluminum cast around them.

I would need to know more about the object you are casting but to take full advantage of the casting process you should consider a way to eliminate the extra operation of making the pins.

Mark

Reply to
Mark Fields

T6 is a heat treatment and aging process. If you cast them in, the part in, and near the casting will no longer be T6!

Steve R.

Reply to
Steve R.

absolutely no practical way possible of doing what you ask.

...which was 'can I cast aluminium with aluminium chaplets'.

absolutely not. aluminium has such a heat transfer that molten aluminium coming into contact with aluminium pins would soon have them molten and fluid.

Stealth Pilot

Reply to
Stealth Pilot

One thing to keep in mind is that you can cast 6061. It's not usually listed as a casting alloy but, among the wrought alloys, it's least likely to crack upon cooling. Lots of castings are made with 6061.

So it would be possible to cast the whole thing as one piece. Then you'd have to figure out how to machine the protruding "pins." Of course, to get the hardness back, you'd have to heat treat the whole deal.

That doesn't sound like a practical way to go, but it might lead to some other solution.

-- Ed Huntress

Reply to
Ed Huntress

First let me say that I have no experience in aluminum casting. But I took a look at your web site and found the anodizing racks. I suspect you are now making the racks using a machined spline, not a cast one. It looks as if the casting the pins would be difficult because they are fairly long compared to the diameter and it would be hard to get the aluminum to flow to the end away from the spline. Injection molding might work. But it also might be possible to use aluminum pins and cast the spline. The pins would melt where they go thru the spline and would not be in the T6 condition where they got really hot. You might be able to compensate for this by having the pins ( after casting ) be thicker near the spline.

But I would really think about using stainless pins and casting the aluminum around them. You could probably go with slightly thinner stainless as it is stiffer than aluminum.

Again I have no experience.

Dan

Reply to
dcaster

I disagree. Daily we cast aluminum against aluminum, without two parts knitting together, sucessfully. Also we know how to cast aluminum inserts into aluminum. The problem has to consider the relative mass of the aluminum pins vs. the amount, shape and pouring temperature of the aluminum that is cast around the aluminum pins.

However, I would allow it is a difficult situation but not necessarily impossible.

Mark

Reply to
Mark Fields

I agree. After casting, the 6061 would require a solution anneal before it could be re-hardened. Heating the casting to 950 degrees F will provide the solution anneal. Then it's just a matter of soaking the castings for the prescribed period of time at the proper temperature to achieve the desired T condition. Aging can not be accomplished without going through the solution anneal process.

As Ed alluded, 6061 can be cast, too, although it doesn't cast as well as other alloys. Years ago I machined a large number of cast 6061 pieces, parts for a defense contract.

Harold

Reply to
Harold and Susan Vordos

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