Making critical inclusions visible
Ceramic particles, which only melt at over 2000 °C, remain as solid inclusions in the material if they are not detected and removed at an early stage. These impurities in the molten aluminum can lead to cracks or structural failure in the later component. Previous testing methods are either expensive, time-consuming or require special expertise. The new “AloX” system closes this gap.
Ultrasonic technology for the melt
Fraunhofer IZFP has developed a compact, mobile ultrasonic measuring system that is immersed directly in the molten aluminum during production. Based on the principle of a parking sensor, it emits signals that are reflected back by a reflector - particles floating past cause interference that can be reliably detected. This allows the quality of the melt to be assessed in real time and corrected if necessary.
Technology for extreme conditions
The implementation required specially developed components: The corrosive, 600-800 °C hot melt places high demands on the material and measuring system. The first prototype has titanium waveguides, an integrated cooling system and specially programmed evaluation software with a patented algorithm. The mechanism for changing the measuring heads is also patented.
