Analysis Of 90 Degree Impact Testing Failures And Countermeasure Research On Low-pressure Cast Aluminum Wheel With RESONATOR

Since the birth of the first car in late 19^th century,car industry has been thriving over the past hundred years.Cars have evolved from 18km/h tricycles to super cars capable of reach 100km/h in 3 seconds.And the industry has changed dramatically in both technology and quality.With the industrial development,comes an inevitable question of“noise reduction”,which acts as an important standards against which the car manufacturing levels is gauged.Therefore,the subject of“noise reduction”has grasped most of the well-known manufacturers’attention to research.Tyre noise,as one of the noise sources,has been attached substantial importance by all car manufacturers.It is against the above background that aluminum wheels with Resonators,capable of reducing tyre noise specifically,are created.Although aluminum wheels,as important loaded car parts,have seen various styling and design changes,they remain the focus of all aluminum parts manufacturers and are strictly tested for safety features.Applicable and well-known tests include fatigue test,radial test,13°impact test,biaxial test.In recent years,90 degree impact test has been introduced to ensure the safety of vehicle frontal impact and bad road passing.It has become the aluminum wheel manufacturers’research project to ensure that aluminum wheels with Resonators could pass 90 impact test.The paper explores the causes for test failures through section analysis,microstructure analysis,chemical composition analysis and mechanical performance analysis,in an effort to pin point the weakness and to further provide guidance as to the subsequent designing and tooling process.The paper takes advantages of the analytical capacity of ABAQUS structure analysis software,and proposes a rim designing solution that exceeds customers’requirements and that has been approved and implemented,where the paper concludes the structural design generates stress concentration and weakness in part styling.The paper utilises Procast,a professional casting simulation analysis software to analyse low-pressure cast aluminum wheels in simulation towards blank design adjustment against uneven cooling and feeding,and towards the introduction of air cooling system in Resonators structures where shrinkage concentrates.After the implementation of proposed countermeasures mentioned above,tests are conducted on subsequent wheels to validate the effectiveness.Resultant outcomes show that improved wheels are aligned with anticipations with enhanced design structure,better microstructure and improved part performance,and therefore pass 90 impact tests with success.Such project research,through innovative concept for tooling design of low-pressure aluminum wheels casting,has provided reliable technological support and abundant expertise reserve for the application of structure analysis software to the design of aluminum wheels with Resonators,for the standardization of part design specifications with cast simulation analysis software and has proved a better instrument for various rim tooling and processing.