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journa l homepage: www.e lsev ier .com/ locate / jmatprotec

pplication of semisolid joining—Part 4 glass/metal,lastic/metal, or wood/metal joining

. Sugiyamaa,∗, M. Kiuchib, J. Yanagimotoa

Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, JapanProfessor emeritus at The University of Tokyo, Japan

r t i c l e i n f o

eywords:

emisolid joining

lass/metal joining

lastic/metal joining

ood/metal joining

a b s t r a c t

A new process of joining nonmetals and metals such as glass and metal, plastic and metal,

and wood and metal is proposed; the process shows excellent formability and joining ability

of semisolid metals, and differs from the process of joining using adhesive or mechanical

joining with screws or nails. In the process, a semisolid metal is inserted into the channel

of the material to be joined such as glass, plastic, or wood and is rapidly solidified under

pressure. The applications of the process to the fabrication of different components such as

knobs, shafts, buttons, hinges, frames, and electronic substrate are considered. The appli-

cation range of the process is wide, i.e., from the electronic industry to arts. The advantages

of this new joining process are (1) ease of joining, (2) good joining strength, and (3) ease of

oduc

carrying out mass pr

. Introduction

he concept of eliminating the use of useless materials andsing only necessary materials in a suitable place is impor-ant, considering the future depletion of resources. Thus, theevelopment of a joining technique for different materials istrongly required.

The morphology of joined materials varies. The join-ng of metal to metal, ceramic to metal, and glass to

etal is well known, which is made possible by variousrocesses such as the use of mechanical joints, diffusiononding, and adhesive bonding. Goods manufactured using

oined glass: metal have been used since ancient times:or example, kitchen wares like frying pans, pots, ket-les, and washbowls, bathroom fixtures such as those usedn bathtubs, and everyday accessories such as brooches,endants, and rings. In general, products made of joined

lass: metals are made by cloisonne and enamel processeshich are mainly utilized for joining solid metal with liquid

lass.

∗ Corresponding author.E-mail addresses: sugi@iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp (S. Sugiyama), mkiuchi@tri

924-0136/$ – see front matter © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.oi:10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2007.11.217

tion.

© 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Semisolid joining is quite different from the above cloi-sonne and enamel processes or other processes types ofjoining. Briefly, it consists of pushing a solid material intoa semisolid metal or pushing a semisolid metal into a solidmaterial. Thus, various solid materials such as glass, stone,wood, or plastic can be used to join the metal in such a process.

Semisolid metals have some useful properties for joiningthem to each other, such as (1) moderate softness, (2) excel-lent workability, (3) good flowability, (4) flexible geometricaladaptability, and (5) high chemical and metallurgical joiningabilities.

In this paper, we show different combinations of semisolidjoining, and discuss some of its expected applications.

2. Previous semisolid joining studies

ton.ocn.ne.jp (M. Kiuchi), yan@iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp (J. Yanagimoto).

2.1. Semisolid metal properties

Metal in semisolid state has excellent characteristics, in termsof formability and joining ability, which cannot be found in

624 j o u r n a l o f m a t e r i a l s p r o c e s s i n g t e c h n o l o g y 2 0 1 ( 2 0 0 8 ) 623–628

, sol

Fig. 1 – Relationships among temperature

metal in completely solid state or molten state. Here, the tem-perature and microstructure of semisolid metal are observedand discussed. The relationships among the temperature,solid fraction, and microstructure of A2011 aluminum alloyare shown in Fig. 1. From the figure, the semisolid tempera-ture range of the A2011 alloy is 540–644 ◦C. The solid fractionchanges from about 60% at 630 ◦C to about 80% at 610 ◦C.However, it is clear from the microstructure and temperaturethat the solid phase becomes globular and the liquid phase

becomes distributed around the solid phase. In such semisolidstate, the solid phase is easily transformed by the action of theliquid phase, and becomes as soft as clay or butter. Semisolidjoining process utilizes only this property.

Table 1 – Previous semisolid joining

Joined form Base blank material

Case 1 Aluminum alloy (A2011);stainless steel (SUS304, S

Case 2 Aluminum alloy (A2011)

Case 3 Aluminum alloy

id fraction, and microstructure of A2011.

2.2. Semisolid joining studies

In previous studies [1-4], we reported some results of semisolidjoining. Table 1 shows the previous semisolid joining.

In case 1, the joining between aluminum alloy, cast iron, orstainless steel of a base blank and particles, balls, short fibersof metallic or nonmetallic materials, such as ceramic, glass,tile, or stone, was explained. The base blank is in semisolidstate, and the particles and short fibers are inserted into

the base blank under pressure. The products are expectedto be applied as a surface hardening material, an abrasion-resistant material, a heat-resistant material, or a decorativematerial.

(semisolid state) Joined material (solid state)

cast iron (FC, FCD);US316)

Short cut steel fibber; steel ball;ceramics particle; stainless steelwire; craft glass bar, plate, bead,frit; tile; stone

Aluminum alloy wire, fin, sheet;copper alloy wire; stainless steelwire, fin

Aluminum alloy bar, tube, plate

t e c h n o l o g y 2 0 1 ( 2 0 0 8 ) 623–628 625

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A ceramic coating material is applied to the osculatingplane with the metal, when the joining material is heat-sensitive. Fig. 5 shows a sample in which wood is coated

j o u r n a l o f m a t e r i a l s p r o c e s s i n g

In case 2, the joining between aluminum alloy of a baselank and wire pins or sheet fins of aluminum alloy, copperlloy, or stainless steel was presented. The base blank is inemisolid state, and wire pins or sheet fins are inserted intohe base blank. The products are expected to be applied mainlys a heat exchange device.

In case 3, bosses or flanges made of aluminum alloy wereoined to a base blank of aluminum alloy. In this case, the baselank is in solid state and the boss or flange is in semisolidtate and is joined to the base blank under pressure. The join-ng process used allows surface-to-surface joining rather thanine-to-line joining achieved by conventional welding. There-ore, it prevents corrosion at the interface of the componentss well as confers better shape than welding.

. Outline of process

2011 aluminum alloy was used as a main joining material.he other joining materials used were as follows: glass, plas-

ic, or wood. The glass used was borosilicate glass, the plasticsed was phenolic resin, and the wood used was ebony wood,hich were all cylindrical specimens of 20–25 mm in diame-

er and about 15 mm in height. The joining temperature rangeas 620–635 ◦C; at these temperatures, the solid fraction of2011 varied from 74 to 50%. The punch pressure was 20 MPaaximum. All the experiments were carried out under normal

nvironmental conditions. Table 2 shows the experimentalonditions.

Fig. 2 shows an outline of the semisolid joining oflass/metal, plastic/metal, or wood/metal. The experimentalrocedure is as follows:

1) Fill the flow channels made of a joining material, such asglass, plastic, or wood, with semisolid metal.

2) Set the joining material for the punch.3) Pour molten metal or semisolid metal into the mould, and

wait until the metal reaches an adequate semisolid state.4) Insert the punch with the joining material to the mould

under pressure.5) Quickly cool while maintaining pressure.

Fig. 3 shows the punch, cylindrical glass for joining andetal mould. The cylindrical glass is temporarily installed in

he punch.Fig. 4 shows the appearance and shape of the glass, wood,

nd plastic joining materials. For each joining material, theow channel is filled with a semisolid metal. Each channel is

Table 2 – General chart of experimental conditions

MaterialCombination Borosilicate glass/A2011

Phenolic resin/A2011Ebony wood/A2011

Size of nonmetal(mm)

Diameter: 20–25Height: about 15

Joining temperature (◦C) 625–635Solid fraction (%) 70–50Joining pressure (MPa) 20

Fig. 2 – Schematic illustration of semisolid joining.

through a hole of 5 mm diameter, and the upper part of thechannel is a spot of 10 mm diameter and 3 mm depth. Natu-rally, the channel size, form, or number differ depending onthe intended purpose.

Fig. 3 – Punch, cylindrical glass for joining and metalmould.

626 j o u r n a l o f m a t e r i a l s p r o c e s s i n g t e c h n o l o g y 2 0 1 ( 2 0 0 8 ) 623–628

ass, wood, and plastic joining materials.

Fig. 6 – Sample joined with borosilicate glass and A2011.

Fig. 4 – Appearance and shapes of gl

with the ceramic coating material. In case of joining glass andmetal, the glass need not be coated with the ceramic coatingmaterial.

4. Some applications of the semisolidjoining process

Fig. 6 shows an example of joining glass and metal. Borosili-cate glass is used for the glass. It is resistant to thermal shockand has a low thermal expansion coefficient. The metal usedis A2011 aluminum alloy. It perfectly filled the channel in theglass, and no voids are observed. The conditions for joiningsuch materials are good.

Fig. 7 shows an example of joining plastic and metal. Inthis case, phenolic resin is used for the plastic. Among plasticmaterials, phenolic resin has excellent mechanical property

and is noncombustible and comparatively cheap. By usingthe new joining process, which does not require adhesive orscrews, a good joining of plastic and metal was achieved.

Fig. 5 – Sample of ceramic coating for joining.

Fig. 7 – Sample joined with phenolic and A2011.

Fig. 8 shows an example of joining between wood andmetal. In this case, ebony wood was used for the wood. It iscategorized as hard wood, making it a difficult material to pro-cess. Ebony wood is used in furniture, musical instruments,inlay marquetry, and sports goods such as heads of the golf

clubs. Examples of three joining patterns are shown in the fig-ure. In each pattern, the metal was used to fill the channel,and good joining was achieved.

j o u r n a l o f m a t e r i a l s p r o c e s s i n g t e c h n o l o g y 2 0 1 ( 2 0 0 8 ) 623–628 627

Fig. 8 – Sample joined with ebony wood and A2011.

Table 3 – Expected products of metal and nonmetal joining by semisolid joining

Clad type Frame type Column type

Shape

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Application goods or field Decorated knob; decorated haft; elecsubstrate; stud

. Expected application

arious applications are considered in this new joining pro-ess, ranging from the arts to the electronic industry. Thepplication is classified into the clad type, frame type, andolumn type. Expected products are shown in Table 3.

. Conclusion

he joining of metal and nonmetal materials has been carriedut until now using adhesive, nails, and screws. The authorsroposed a new joining process that is not based on the aboveethod. A semisolid metal is inserted into the flow channel of

he joining material and is rapidly solidified under pressure.emisolid joining has the following advantages over joining

y adhesive or mechanical joining:

1) The joining strength is high; the joining strength can befreely determined by adjusting the form and the number

c Button; frame; ornament Column; hinge

of flow channels generated in the joining material. It ismechanical joining of anchor style, which does not requirescrews or nails.

(2) The productivity is high compared with mechanical join-ing using screws or nails; it can easily be automated.

(3) The durability is good. The secular change is smaller thanthat in the case of joining using adhesive. The degree ofdegradation at high temperature is also minimal.

(4) The aesthetic property is good. Comparison with the join-ing using screws and nails, it is possible to conceal the partthat may deface the beauty of the products by designingthe flow channels generated in the joining material.

e f e r e n c e s

Kiuchi, M., Yanagimoto, J., Sugiyama, S., 1998. Mushy-statejoining, a new process for joining materials together. In: Proc.5th Int. Conf. on Semi-Solid Processing of Alloys andComposites, Golden, Colorado, USA, pp. 123–130.

n g t

Semi-Solid Processing of Alloys and Composites, Tukuba,

628 j o u r n a l o f m a t e r i a l s p r o c e s s i

Kiuchi, M., Yanagimoto, J., Sugiyama, S., 2000. Application of

mushy/semi-solid joining. In: Proc. 6th Int. Conf. onSemi-Solid Processing of Alloys and Composites, Turin, Italy,pp. 235–240.

Kiuchi, M., Yanagimoto, J., Sugiyama, S., 2002. Application ofmushy/semi-solid joining-part 2. In: Proc. 7th Int. Conf. on

e c h n o l o g y 2 0 1 ( 2 0 0 8 ) 623–628

Japan, pp. 707–712.Kiuchi, M., Yanagimoto, J., Sugiyama, S., 2003. Application of

mushy/semi-solid joining-part 3. J. Mater. Process. Technol.140, 163–166.