Laboratory Testing to Characterize the Use of PVD Coatings and Alternate Die Materials for Reducing Soldering and Erosion for Aluminum Die Casting Applications

Soldering (sticking) to and erosion of steel die materials are common problems in commercial aluminum die casting operations. One approach for minimizing both of these issues is to place physical vapor deposition (PVD) coatings onto the surfaces of the die components. An alternate approach is the use of higher thermal conductivity die materials, such as tungsten-based alloys. While PVD coatings are becoming relatively widely used, there is little rigorous data to identify the best coating conditions to maximize life of the coatings. There is also little information on the life of alternate nonferrous die materials. This paper reports on a laboratory study that examined the effect of PVD coating conditions and alternate die materials on die component life. The test involves rotating pins fabricated from different die materials and PVD coated H13 tool steel in a crucible of molten aluminum alloy held at a temperature of 680±10 °C. The pins were periodically removed from the melt (typically every 1–2 h) to observe their condition. The effect of two aluminum alloy composition were evaluated, A380 and a binary Al–11