Hybrid joining of cast aluminum and sheet steel through compound sand casting and induction heating to enable thin-walled lightweight structures

Combining different joining processes to form a hybrid process offers new manufacturing possibilities. Adding induction heating to compound sand casting with additively manufactured lost sand moulds to preheat a metallic solid insert increases the degree of the metallic bond between sheet metal and casting metal. In this study, the manufacturability of thin-walled sheet steel/cast aluminum structures with reduced cast wall thickness in sand casting is characterized for the first time. Enabling lower wall thicknesses of sheet metal/cast metal structures in sand casting shifts the current limits and offers more significant lightweight construction potential. Shear tensile, compression shear, and pullout tests characterize the mechanical properties of the joints. Light microscopic imaging of metallographic samples quantifies the compound zone intermetallic (IMC) thickness. The shear tensile test specimens fail at wall thicknesses below 10 mm in the cast material, so metallurgical bond strength characterization does not occur. Therefore, the compression shear test is used to evaluate the metallurgical bond. Sound metallic bonding with smaller cast wall thicknesses of 8, 6 and 4 mm is achieved. Pullout specimens with 3 mm cast wall thickness further investigate the force-transmitting mechanisms of metallic bond, force-fit and form-locking. It is shown that metallic bonding is the predominant mechanism for force transmission when the compound sand casting process is enhanced by induction heating.