Materials Science and Engineering A 379 (2004) 366–371

Use of Taguchi method to develop a robust design for the

magnesium alloy die casting process
Der Ho Wu a,∗ , Mao Sheng Chang b,1
a Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology,
1 Hseuh Fu Road, Neipu Hsiang, Pingtung 912, Taiwan, ROC
b Casting Technology Section, Metal Processing R&D Department, Metal Industries Research

& Development Center, Kaohsiung 800, Taiwan, ROC

Received 22 December 2003; received in revised form 1 March 2004

Abstract

This study applies the Taguchi method to optimize the process parameters for the die casting of thin-walled magnesium alloy parts in
computer, communications, and consumer electronics (3C) industries. The objectives of the Taguchi method for robust parameter design are
to establish the optimal combination of design parameters and to reduce the variation in quality from a minimum number of experiments.
This study investigates the effects of various die casting control parameters, including the die temperature, injection velocity, and cooling
time upon the surface warping of magnesium alloy die cast components. The present results concerning the die casting of magnesium alloy
personal data assistant (PDA) cover surfaces confirm the effectiveness of this robust design methodology.
© 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Taguchi method; Robust design; Magnesium alloy; Warping

1. Introduction cation of magnesium alloys increases, it becomes necessary

The high strength and low weight characteristics of
magnesium alloys render them particularly suitable for the
high-precision die casting fabrication of thin-walled compo-
nents with large surface areas. Generally speaking, once the
die casting process of such alloys is complete, the cast com-
ponent requires no further mechanical treatment. Therefore,
magnesium alloys are increasingly being employed in the
fabrication of a wide variety of components, including per-
sonal computer (PC) parts, telecommunication equipment,
and general consumer products with complicated forms in
computer, communications, and consumer electronics (3C)
industries [1–3]. Compared to other casting alloys, when
applied in the pressure die casting of thin-walled compo-
nents, magnesium alloys offer the twin advantages of lower
weight and enhanced mechanical strength [4]. As the appli-
∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +886-8-7703202-7018;
fax: +886-8-7740142.
E-mail addresses: derhowu@mail.npust.edu.tw (D.H. Wu),
jeep@mail.mirdc.org.tw (M.S. Chang).
1 Tel.: +886-7-3513121-2562; fax: +886-7-3550961.
to develop corresponding fabrication processes capable of
delivering a high product quality. However, the relative in-
fluences of the various die casting process parameters upon
the quality of the finished products are not clearly under-
stood at present. Recent studies [5–7] have indicated that
the mechanical properties of the die cast product are related
principally to the die temperature, the metal velocity at the
gate, and the applied casting pressure. The die temperature,
the filling of the die by the molten metal, the geometrical
complexity of the parts, and the cooling rate associated with
the die casting process all combine to form a complex set
of potential defects within the finished component. It has
been shown that an inhomogeneous metal layer is formed
on the surface of the die casting when the high temperature
Mg-alloy flows rapidly into contact with the die mold, and
that this layer generates a surface warping defect. There-
fore, specifying the appropriate set of process parameters
which guarantees a high-quality die cast product is a key
concern for engineers and researchers alike.
The Taguchi method [8,9] is one of a variety of so-called
robust design techniques. This method has a good repeata-
bility and reproducibility and enables the optimal design

0921-5093/$ – see front matter © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.msea.2004.03.006
 D.H. Wu, M.S. Chang / Materials Science and Engineering A 379 (2004) 366–371
parameters (e.g. the controllable factors) to be established
from a minimum number of experiments. It has been shown
that a robust measurement system will; (1) minimize vari-
ability as the input signal changes, (2) provide consistent
measurements for the same input, (3) continue to give ac-
curate readings as the input values change, (4) adjust the
sensitivity of the design, and (5) be robust when subjected
to noise.
The main objective of the present study is to apply
the Taguchi method to establish the optimal set of con-
trol parameters for the pressure die casting of thin-walled
magnesium alloy (AZ91D) parts. The Taguchi method for
parameter design is employed to determine the optimal
combination of design parameters, including the die tem-
perature, the injection velocity, and the cooling time, such
that the warping of the cast components is minimized.
Specifically, the effectiveness of the Taguchi method is
demonstrated by considering the fabrication of personal
data assistant (PDA) cover components.
2. Taguchi method
The Taguchi method which is one of the best robust design
methods. The basic principle of this method is to develop an
understanding of the individual and combined effects of var-
ious design parameters from a minimum number of experi-
ments. The objectives of the Taguchi method for parameter
design are to establish the optimal combination of design
parameters and to reduce variations in the product quality.
The Taguchi method employs a generic signal-to-noise
(S/N) ratio to quantify the present variation. Depending on
the particular type of characteristics involved, different S/N
ratios may be applicable, including “lower is better” (LB),
“nominal is best” (NB), and “higher is better” (HB).
The S/N ratio for the LB characteristics related to the
present study is given by
n parameters simultaneously. The principal characteristics of
1
2
S/N = −10 log y (1)
n cover considered in the present study include a reduction in
i=1
where n is the number of simulation repetitions under the
same design parameter conditions, y represents the results
of measuring, and subscript i indicates the number of simu-
lation design parameters in the orthogonal array (OA) table.
The analysis of mean (ANOM) statistical approach is
used to obtain the optimal combination of design parame-
ters. Eq. (1) is applied to construct the S/N response table
and response graph, which then enable the robust design for
the current problem to be derived.
L
1
A
MAi = (S/N)Ai
nA
i=1
where MAi is the mean S/N ratio of factor A in level i, nA
the number of appearances of factor A in the OA table, and
(S/N)Ai is the S/N ratio of factor A in level i.
367
In the Taguchi method, a design parameter is considered
to be significant if its influence is large compared to the
experimental error as estimated by the analysis of variance
(ANOVA) statistical method. If this is the case, the design
parameter is a fundamental factor in determining the optimal
solution to the design problem.
r
n



SStotal = η2ij − nrη2m (3)
i=1 j=1
L
nr

SSfactor = (ηk − ηm )2 (4)
L
k=1
DOF = L − 1 (5)
SSfactor
Vfactor = (6)
DOF
Vfactor
Ffactor = (7)
Verror
where SStotal is the total sum of squares, SSfactor the factorial
sum of squares, n the number of experiments, r the number
of specimens taken, DOF the number of degrees of freedom,
Vfactor the variance of the factor, Ffactor the F ratio of the
factor, ηm the mean S/N ratio of the factor in level m, and η
is the mean of the factor.
3. Robust design of magnesium alloy die
casting process
The major principle of the robust design methodology is
to optimize the product quality and the process designs such
that they become insensitive to various causes of variation
without actually eliminating these causes. Robust design in-
volves two key tools, namely a S/N ratio to assess the qual-
ity, and an OA table to facilitate the study of many design
robustness for the magnesium alloy die cast PDA surface
the warping of the die cast product and a reduced sensitivity
to external noise.
3.1. Robust design procedures
In the thin-walled die casting process considered in the
present study, the warping of the PDA cover surface is treated
as the characteristic value, and the design intent is to reduce
this value such that the warping is minimized. Therefore,
the current problem is defined as a static, smaller-the-better
problem, and the principal objective of the design problem
(2) is to maximize the S/N ratio. Previous studies have identi-
fied the die cast process parameters which contribute to die
casting defects. These factors are presented in the form of
a cause-effect diagram in Fig. 1. As illustrated in Table 1,
this study specifies eight principal design parameters, each
368 D.H. Wu, M.S. Chang / Materials Science and Engineering A 379 (2004) 366–371

Fig. 1. Cause-effect diagram of die casting defects.

with two levels. Furthermore, an L16 (215 ) orthogonal array

table is chosen, and the high interaction column ignored.
The robust design procedure adopted in this study is illus-
trated in Fig. 2. This study deliberately neglects the factors
of runner and gating system design, cooling tube design,
and mold locking ability. Furthermore, since the present die
casting machine is equipped with a real-time control func-
tion, injection pressure is not considered to be a controllable Fig. 2. Taguchi robust method procedure.
parameter.

3.2. Experimental procedure

This study investigates the optimal manufacturing process

conditions for the thin-walled die casting process by con-
sidering the PDA cover casting and movable die presented
in Figs. 3 and 4, respectively. The PDA covers were fabri-
cated using a FRECH-DAW315s-Hot Chamber die casting
machine under a constant 14 MPa working pressure and a
variety of process conditions assigned in a Taguchi OA table.
The die cast specimens measured 98 mm × 70 mm × 0.8 mm
(L × W × H) with a wall thickness of 0.8 mm. The material
used throughout the present investigation was commercially
available AZ91D (Mg, Al-9%, Zn-1%) magnesium alloy.
The particular die casting defect of interest in the present
study is the warping along the edges of the PDA cover.
Fig. 3. Photograph of PDA casting with gating system.

Table 1
Design parameters and levels
Factors Description Level 1 Level 2

A Outlet temperature of 250–255 265–270

temperature
controller (◦ C)
B When break the Immediately After cooling
runner after ejection
C Cooling method of Natural cooling Water cooling
casting
D Die temperature (◦ C) 190–195 205–210
E Cooling time (s) 4 6
F Delay time of 0.5 1.5
ejection (s)
G Die temperature ±5 ±15
distribution (◦ C)
H Plunger speed (m/s) 1.5 2
Fig. 4. Photograph of movable die for PDA casting.
 D.H. Wu, M.S. Chang / Materials Science and Engineering A 379 (2004) 366–371 369

Table 2
S/N ratio of PDA warping defects
Experiment Factor (from Table 1) Measurement points (mm) (shown in Fig. 5) Average S/N
number
A B C D E F G H y1 y2 y3 y4 y5 y6

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0.08 0.11 0.11 0.22 0.27 0.17 0.160 15.081

2 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 0.22 0.17 0.16 0.16 0.17 0.17 0.175 15.068
3 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 0.18 0.14 0.16 0.24 0.22 0.35 0.215 12.842
4 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 1 0.16 0.2 0.16 0.32 0.17 0.19 0.200 13.593
5 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 0.19 0.2 0.2 0.21 0.2 0.37 0.228 12.442
6 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 0.11 0.11 0.11 0.14 0.2 0.16 0.138 16.888
7 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 0.17 0.24 0.27 0.22 0.4 0.24 0.257 11.432
8 1 2 1 2 2 1 1 2 0.17 0.2 0.27 0.2 0.19 0.23 0.210 13.435
9 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 0.18 0.21 0.2 0.31 0.28 0.2 0.230 12.548
10 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 0.24 0.22 0.18 0.22 0.2 0.2 0.210 13.512
11 2 1 2 1 2 2 1 1 0.27 0.27 0.29 0.4 0.29 0.21 0.288 10.605
12 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 0.39 0.19 0.18 0.22 0.24 0.16 0.230 12.229
13 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 0.19 0.2 0.12 0.42 0.5 0.38 0.302 9.429
14 2 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 0.18 0.19 0.18 0.3 0.29 0.24 0.230 12.523
15 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 0.19 0.28 0.3 0.32 0.28 0.32 0.282 10.879
16 2 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 0.26 0.28 0.26 0.25 0.33 0.29 0.278 11.061

4. Results and discussions

Using the design parameter combinations in the specified

OA table, 16 different magnesium alloy die casting experi-
ments were performed. To ensure the accuracy of the results,
six specimens were fabricated for each of the parameter
combinations. The results were then substituted into Eq. (1)
to obtain the corresponding S/N ratios, as shown in Table 2.

4.1. Analysis of mean

Using the data presented in Table 2, the corresponding

Fig. 5. Photograph of PDA surface flatness measurement.
Therefore, the linear distances from the designated horizon-
tal surface to the top of the PDA flat surface were measured.
There are six positions located as shown in Fig. 5 were in-
vestigated and indicated as y1–y6. The PDA covers were die
cast in accordance with each combination of design param-
eters listed in the OA table, and the warping of each exper-
iment was recorded. The results were presented in Table 2.
Once the data had been measured, the characteristics of each
parameter combination were transformed into correspond-
ing S/N ratios in accordance with the Taguchi method.
S/N response table and S/N response graph were derived, as
shown in Table 3 and Fig. 6, respectively. According to the
principles of the Taguchi method, the present study defines
high product quality as a maximum S/N ratio. Therefore,
Fig. 6 reveals the optimal design parameter combination and
the corresponding value of each factor (Table 1), i.e. A1 :
outlet temperature of temperature controller between 250
and 255 ◦ C, B1 : break the runner immediately, C1 : cool the
casting naturally in air, D1 : die temperature between 190 and
195 ◦ C, E2 : cooling time 6 s, F1 : ejection delay time 0.5 s,
G1 : die temperature distribution ±5 ◦ C, and H1 : plunger
speed 1.5 m/s.
4.2. Analysis of variance
ANOVA analysis was performed using Eqs. (3)–(7).
Table 4 summarizes the present ANOVA results. The high

Fig. 6. Factor response graph.

370 D.H. Wu, M.S. Chang / Materials Science and Engineering A 379 (2004) 366–371

Table 3
Factors response table
Control factor A B C D E F G H

Level 1 (L1) 13.848 12.795 13.420 12.724 12.204 12.822 12.783 13.185
Level 2 (L2) 11.598 12.651 12.026 12.722 13.242 12.624 12.663 12.261
l L1–L2 l 2.2494 0.1434 1.3935 0.0022 1.0377 0.1979 0.1194 0.9235
Rank 1 6 2 8 3 5 7 4

Table 4
Analysis of variance (ANOVA)
Factors Description Level (S/N) DOF SS Variance Contribution σ (%) Confidence (F ratio)(%)

1 2

A Outlet temperature of 13.848 11.598 1 121.44 121.44 56.09 100

temperature controller
B When break the runner 12.795 12.651 1 0.49 0.49 0.23 100
C Cooling method of casting 13.420 12.026 1 46.60 46.60 21.53 100
D Die temperature 12.724 12.722 1 1.2−E4 1.2−E4 5.6−E5 Pooled
E Cooling time 12.204 13.242 1 25.85 25.85 11.94 100
F Delay time of ejection 12.822 12.624 1 0.94 0.94 0.43 100
G Die temperature distribution 12.783 12.663 1 0.34 0.34 0.16 100
H Plunger speed 13.185 12.261 1 20.47 20.47 9.45 100
Error 39 0.06 0.015 0.17 –
Total 47 216.50 216.15 100 –

contribution and variance of factors A, C, E, and H indicate
that outlet temperature of temperature controller, cooling
method of casting, cooling time and plunger speed are
significant. Meanwhile, the F ratio reveals that all factors
other than die temperature are of high confidence. Fi-
nally, the standard deviation of the system is 0.0385 mm.
The results of this study reveal that design factors when
break the runner (B), die temperature (D), delay time of
ejection (F), and die temperature distribution (G) have a
less significant influence upon the warping of the PDA
cover.
4.3. Confirmation of improvement and discussions
turbances. The present robust study reveals several useful
results, namely that outlet temperature of temperature con-
troller, cooling method of casting, cooling time and plunger
speed have a more significant influence upon product qual-
ity than when break the runner, die temperature, delay time
of ejection and die temperature distribution. Furthermore,
the outlet temperature of the temperature controller is the
most important factor influencing the warping of the cover
plate, while the die temperature has the least influence. In
other words, a high-quality die cast product can be pro-
duced by accurately controlling outlet temperature of tem-
perature controller, cooling method of casting, cooling time
and plunger speed.

To determine the optimal conditions, and to compare

the result with the expected performance, it is necessary
to perform a confirmation experiment. If the generated
design fails to meet the specified requirement, the pro-
cess must be reiterated using a new system until the
required criteria are satisfied. In the present study, the
confirmation experiment was performed by setting the
design parameter combination as: A1 B1 C1 D1 E2 F1 G1 H1
(Table 1). The results indicated that the new design’s
warping value was 0.121 mm, with a S/N value of 18.34
and a standard deviation of 0.0141 mm. These values
represent an improvement over the original results, and
hence this verification exercise enhances confidence in the
technique.
The design of the magnesium alloy thin-walled die cast-
ing is said to be robust if it yields a stable, small defect
performance and a reduced sensitivity to small external dis-
5. Conclusions
This study has applied the Taguchi method to establish an
optimal die casting manufacturing process for magnesium
alloy thin-walled PDA products. The conclusions of this
study may be summarized as follows:
(1) The Taguchi robust design method reveals that the outlet
temperature of the temperature controller and the use of
natural cooling play important roles in determining the
warping of the PDA cover surface. Specifically, the re-
sults indicate that a lower outlet temperature in the range
of 250–255 ◦ C and a natural cooling method should be
employed if the surface quality of the die cast product
is to be enhanced.
(2) The ANOVA results indicate that the die tempera-
ture, the ejection delay time, and the die temperature
 D.H. Wu, M.S. Chang / Materials Science and Engineering A 379 (2004) 366–371
distribution have a less significant effect on the surface
warping of the die cast product.
Although deliberately ignored in the present study, it is
recommended that the influence of die casting pressure and
external disturbances should be considered in detail in future
studies.
Acknowledgements
The current authors wish to express their gratitude to
all members of the Casting Technology Section and the
Metal Processing R&D Department of the Metal Indus-
tries Research & Development Center, Kaohsiung, Taiwan,
ROC.
371
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