7xxx series

Usually in this type of alloy the customers need a micro-structure gained from hot rolling and not from casting. as cast micro-structure is really quite ugly in most cases. this is why upcast in aluminum would be very difficult for many products. also the desire of aluminum alloys has to segregate during casting makes it very difficult to do. this would also be the problem in the 7xxx series on the concast rod. Not that the problem of segregation in 7xxx couldn't be handled in this case. it would just be difficult to do. i might try it once i get done trying a few other new alloys that we are working on right now.

I was under the impression that the very hard 7xxx series of aluminum alloys were mainly used in the aerospace and automotive industries and rarely used if ever in the wire and cable industry. Please advise.

Kindest regards,
Peter J. Stewart-Hay
Principal
Stewart-Hay Associates
www.Stewart-Hay.com

yes that is true but people are always pushing the envelope on what can be cast using a properzi type caster. Really I am not sure what it would be used for, possibly rivets. there are other aluminum products that are concast rod that are drawn down and then formed into rivets. I guess the wire form is just an intermediate stage of the process.

Hi,

They should try a Horizontal Continuous wire / rod caster. We believe that if the metallurgy to get the metal into a tundish is OK, we should be able to cast either wire or rod.

Manfred Haissig
M.H.Consulting
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Seems to me that casting the material may be considerably easier than drawing it to some eventual size. From what I have read the alloy is used in castings. That does not mean it can be cast as rod, but then just because it can be cast into a rod form that does not mean that it can be cold drawn to a much smaller size say 1mm or much less.

Maybe it is worthwhile to test. Unfortunately there is no caster available that would cast Al wire or rods on a trial basis.

We could build one, but who would want to invest in one?

Sincerely,

Manfred Haissig
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