In automotive and aeronautical fields, the current tendency is to use light metals and their alloys to produce different components: the most frequently employed Al alloys belong to the AlSi7Mg, AlSi7Cu3Mg and AlSi7Cu3Mg systems. These aspects are directly correlated to mass reduction and to fuel economy and they constitute a central aspect for many industrial applications. Although the widespread production of light alloys considers traditionally developed processes and commonly employed alloys, there is a general tendency to provide and develop innovative production procedures and new alloy compositions able to guarantee excellent performances, in a more cost-effective and/or timely manner. It is based on the data available in the literature integrated with some results currently obtained during the research carried out by the authors. In this chapter, a general overview of the present scenario concerning the production and use of light alloys will be presented. As regards manufacturing procedures, the efficient management of the productivity is very important, minimizing the cost and maintaining the high quality of the product. Progresses in materials development represent a valid support for enhancing the life of an engineering component and its reliability. As concerns materials, the general tendency is to better control the alloys’ compositions and the presence of defects due to impurities, inclusions and faults. After material selection, the manufacturing processes to be used based on the targeted application also become very important. Selection of the materials with the expected application-dependent characteristics constitutes a very important aspect in any industrial application. Ferrous and non-ferrous metals and their alloys, ceramics, composites, plastics and various other materials with unique properties are employed today in manufacturing, either separately or in combination. There are two important families of aluminium alloys: (i) wrought alloys, firstly cast as ingots and/or billets and then mechanically hot- and/or cold-worked into the preferred shape, and (ii) cast alloys, directly cast into their final form through different traditional or innovative processes.Ĭurrently, a great variety of materials are available with their own features, values, applications and obviously their restrictions. Al-based alloys have a high strength/weight ratio, good formability, excellent combination of castability and mechanical properties which together with an excellent corrosion resistance make them very appropriate for a large variety of applications. Due to their very attractive properties, the most commonly employed light materials for producing high-stressed components are aluminium, magnesium and their alloys. For example, some of the problems related to fuel consumption and weight reduction could be partially solved by using such alloys as an alternative to traditional iron-based alloy components. In the automotive and aeronautical industries, the current tendency is to use light metals and their alloys for production of various components. Selection of materials with the expected, application-dependent characteristics constitutes a very important point in any industrial application.
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