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| Question 001 |
| Is it possible to mold aluminum alloys by
using thixomolding machine? |
| Answer |
| It is impractical to use thixomolding machine for molding aluminum
alloys. The physical properties of aluminum alloys seem to have little problem
to apply the technology. But a special attention should be paid for selecting
the material of barrel and screw because molten aluminum can react with
steel and other metallic materials which barrel and screw are made of. But
now Thixomat is trying to construct barrel and screw with which one can
mold aluminum. It might be possible to thixomold aluminum alloy in near
future. |
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| Question 002 |
| What is die lubricants? Why is it necessary
to use die lubricants? |
| Answer |
| Most of lubricants for thixomolding is water base lubricants which
include all or some of mineral oil, wax, silicone, etc.. The lubricants
are usually diluted by adding water and sprayed on to the cavity surface
before each shot. If molten metal is injected into the cavity without die
lubricant on the surface of cavity, the metal tends to react with die and
the molded parts stick to the cavity. Die lubricant prevents the parts from
sticking and decreases mold release resistance. It also promotes fluidity
of magnesium in the cavity. |
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| Question 003 |
| How to measure the solid fraction of thixomolded
parts? |
| Answer |
| The microstructure of the molded parts are observed by a conventional
metalographic method on a cross-section of the part. Round shaped particles,
which were solid phase at the injected temperature, with their diameter
of 50-100 µm are observed in the microstructure. Solid fraction is
measured as the ratio of the cross-sectional area of those particles to
the total area. A computer-aided tools for graphic analysis are often used
for the calculation. |
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| Question 004 |
| How many thixomolding machine work now? |
| Answer |
| JSW has supplied more than 200 machines to the world market since
1994 and most of them are being used for commercial mass-production. Thixomolding
machines are used mainly in electronics industry in Asia and automotive
industry in US. |
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| Question 005 |
| It is said that magnesium is easy to burn.
Is the magnesium chip used for thixomolding dangerous? |
| Answer |
| Not at all. Magnesium chip used for thixomolding is so difficult
to ignite that you don't have to worry about burning accident much. But
fine particles of magnesium, which are produced at in the finishing process
after molding, are easy to catch fire by a spark of static electricity or
other fire sources. You should use invariably wet-typed (not dry-typed)
dust collector for the finishing in order to prevent the dust fire which
can be explosive. Also there is a possibility of catching fire when chip
is wet and hydrogen gas is generated. Please handle the chip with care. |
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| Question 006 |
| Is it possible to use a tool for plastic injection
molding in order to do a trial of thixomolding? |
| Answer |
| Yes, it is. A mold for plastic can be used for trial thixomolding
after some conversions, such as changing gate design and adding heaters.
However, mold for plastic injection molding is not suitable for mass-production
of magnesium thixomolding, because material and design of the mold suitable
for thixomolding is different from one for plastic injection molding. JSW
is happy to support your trial. Please contact us. |
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| Question 007 |
| Is it possible to mold plastics by thixomolding
machine? |
| Answer |
| Do not mold plastics by thixomolding machine. Because the process
parameters of magnesium thixomolding are completely different from those
of plastic molding, thixomolding machine and conventional plastic machine
are designed differently. Therefore to mold plastics with thixomolding machine
will not give you a good result. |
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| Question 008 |
| How is thixomolding different from traditional
MIM (metal injection molding) process? |
| Answer |
| In MIM process, raw materials are compound of metal powder and binder
which contain thermoplastic resin, wax, etc.. Therefore the injected parts
need to be debunked and sintered after injection molded. These after molding
processes result in a considerable shrinkage in part size, which can bring
about low dimensional accuracy. Thixomolding is free from this problem because
it does not have those processes. Another merit of thixomolding compared
to MIM is that it can mold much larger product than MIM. |
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| Question 009 |
| Is there anybody who can mass-produce magnesium
part by thixomolding as a subcontractor? |
| Answer |
| Yes, there are many. For example, MG Precision, which is a subsidiary
company of JSW, owns many thixomolding machines with various die clamping
forces and has supplied many magnesium parts since its foundation in 1996.
Also, JSW can introduce other thixomolders in the world to you. Please contact
us if you want magnesium parts. |
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| Question 010 |
| If a thixomolder needs machining and/or paint
system, what kind of systems should he or she set up? |
| Answer |
| The most suitable equipment and technique depend on the particular
part that each molder is going to produce. JSW can recommend and, if necessary,
supply machining, surface treatment, and paint systems that include process
know-how accumulated in JSW and MG Precision. JSW also supports customers
in every facet of magnesium business, including material(magnesium chip),
mold design/fabrication, machining and painting/printing. |
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