general questions on composite castings
general questions on composite castings
(OP)
We use gear blanks that currently are sand cast aluminum bronze. This material is getting quite expensive. I'd like to use a composite casting. I was thinking the rim would be aluminum bronze and the hub would be steel. It looks like centrifugal casting can be used to produce these. Is the bond between the 2 materials a metallic bond or a mechanical bond? Also, it would be great if the hub could be aluminum but I haven't heard of this. Can you make a composite with aluminum bronze and aluminum?





RE: general questions on composite castings
Obviously Al and Cu have mutual solubility (hence the material that is aluminum bronze), so you could use centrifugal casting to produce a part with an outer layer of Al bronze and an inner layer of Al. You will need to optimize the process to achieve the highest possible bond strength, but beware that this still may not meet your needs.
Regards,
Cory
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.
RE: general questions on composite castings
This is a regular practice locally.Last week for one of my gears I replaced the outer ring retaining the inner CI hub with the same shaft bore.
RE: general questions on composite castings
The aluminum hub/aluminum bronze rim intrigues me because of the low weight. I've not see such a combination though. Has anyone seen these two materials used together for a gear blank?