Effect of the Spinning Deformation Processing on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of A356 Wheels

The influences of spinning deformation and heat treatment on microstructure and tensile properties of A356 alloy at different cooling rates were investigated in this study by optical and scanning electron microscopes. The results indicated that spinning deformation enhanced the tensile properties of the alloy due to the reduction of Si size and porosity percentage, especially in the samples with coarse microstructure. Heat treatment increased the strength while decreased the ductility of the alloy because of the precipitation of brittle Mg2Si in Al matrix. It is suggested that the spinning deformation processing is an effective technique to produce A356 alloy wheels with high mechanical properties.