2004 Casting Competition: engineered solutions through Metalcasting: designed and manufactured for industries as diverse as automotive, computers, military, home heating and agriculture, this year's winners illustrate true casting capabilities.Eleven cast component designs earned industry-wide recognition at the 2004 Metalcasting Congress in Rosemont, Ill., on June 15. The fourth annual American Foundry Society Casting Competition (cosponsored by Engineered Casting Solutions magazine) attracted more than 40 components from every metal type and casting process, and were entered by casting producers and OEMs. Four independent judges evaluated each entry on its own merit, with particular emphasis on: benefits delivered to the customer; showcasing the unique capabilities of the casting process; and overall contribution to growth and expansion of the casting market. Key among the benefits OEMs found through these award-winning designs were: gains in speed to market; part consolidations and inventory reductions; reductions and/or elimination of machining, welding and assembly time; design flexibility; weight reductions; dimensional tolerance improvements; and total system cost reduction. Following is a look at each of the award-winning components--Casting of the Year, Best in Class and Honorable Mention--as well as information detailing the castings and the benefits they provided their customers. 2004 Castings of the Year Hollow Rear Lower Control Arm for BMW BMW in full Bayerische Motoren Werke AG German automaker. Founded as an aircraft engine manufacturer in 1916, the company assumed the name Bayerische Motoren Werke and became known for its high-speed motorcycles in the 1920s. Alcoa Automotive Castings Inc. Farmington Hills, Michigan Farmington Hills is the most populous city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit and is known for it's affluence, excellent schools, great housing stock, luxury homes and a center of business in Oakland County and Metro Detroit. , and Farsund, Norway Metal: A356 aluminum with T6 heat treatment. Process: VRC/PRC permanent mold casting. Weight: 8.15 lbs. (as-cast). Dimensions: 14 x 18 x 5 in. Application: Provides a stiff, efficient load transfer path between the vehicle wheels and body sub-structure. Converted From: Solid aluminum design. Benefits of the Casting Design: * Yields a 40% mass reduction when compared to a fabricated steel control arm and up to a 30% reduction compared to a solid aluminum one. * Improves vehicle ride and handling by reducing un-sprung mass. * Provides exceptionally high stiffness, yielding an efficient transfer of loads from the vehicle wheels to the subframe A subframe is a structural component of a vehicle, such as an automobile or an aircraft, that uses a discrete, separate structure within a larger body-on-frame or unit body to carry certain components, such as the engine, drivetrain, or suspension. . * Improves vehicle aerodynamics aerodynamics, study of gases in motion. As the principal application of aerodynamics is the design of aircraft, air is the gas with which the science is most concerned. as the bottom of the casting is contoured and parallel to the floor. * Improves corrosion resistance as the casting has no pockets to hold salt, dirt or water. * Demonstrates high ductility for part integrity in a collision. * Achieves nominal wall thickness of 4 mm. This year's Casting of the Year is a testament to an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) The rebranding of equipment and selling it. The term initially referred to the company that made the products (the "original" manufacturer), but eventually became widely used to refer to the organization that buys the products and and metalcaster working together to improve product design and functionality. Like many automobile OEMs, BMW had utilized solid cast aluminum control arms on its vehicles the last few years to reduce vehicle weight and improve performance. These control arms are safety critical--they essentially hold the rear wheels on the vehicle--and thus must be strong enough to efficiently transfer both everyday and occasional abuse loads from the wheels to the body sub-structure. Furthermore, BMW's customer base demands the highest levels of ride and handling performance from their automobiles and SUVs, making part stiffness a critical design feature. In continual efforts to improve ride and performance, BMW set out to design a new suspension system Noun 1. suspension system - a mechanical system of springs or shock absorbers connecting the wheels and axles to the chassis of a wheeled vehicle suspension for its new X5 SUV. Integral to the suspension was the hollow rear lower control arm design. This was the point at which BMW and Alcoa Automotive Castings teamed up. "European automotive OEMs are very collaborative during the design development process," said Rick Borns, director-technology & program management, Alcoa. "Suppliers often work with the OEMs through development contracts that include development of the product concept, loads and packaging before the final production contract is secured." The initial design of this hollow rear control arm was driven by BMW's desire to combine the good stiffness/strength characteristics of a hollow welded stamped steel assembly with the strong, lightweight properties and inherent part consolidation of aluminum casting. BMW chassis engineers and Alcoa's product engineers teamed to create a "virtual product design," with computer-aided engineering See CAE. Computer-aided engineering Any use of computer software to solve engineering problems. With the improvement of graphics displays, engineering workstations, and graphics standards, computer-aided engineering (CAE) has come to mean the computer (CAE (1) (Computer-Aided Engineering) Software that analyzes designs which have been created in the computer or that have been created elsewhere and entered into the computer. ) tools both driving and assessing the design for structural and manufacturing performance. Alcoa virtually developed the part design for structural performance using advanced topology and size optimization codes, and then calculated details about the component's strength and stiffness using standard automotive industry The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, and sale of motor vehicles. In 2006, more than 69 million motor vehicles, including cars and commercial vehicles were produced worldwide. finite element See FEA. codes. To ensure manufacturability of the component at the metalcasting facility, Alcoa simultaneously performed casting process modeling. All structural and manufacturing issues were addressed "virtually", or on the computer, before designs were deemed complete. Once the initial design was complete, sand cast prototypes were generated and tested on rest machines and vehicles. After prototype testing, only minor design alterations were performed on the control arm to account for packaging changes, attesting to the success of the virtual CAE driven design of the cast control arm. Currently in production for BMW's 5-and 7-Series sedans, 5-Series Touring Wagon, Rolls Royce Rolls Royce the millionaire’s vehicle. [Trademarks: Brewer Dictionary, 928] See : Luxury and the X5 SUV (it first was used in the X5 before being adapted to the 5- and 7-Series and the Rolls Royce the last two years), the hollow rear lower control arm is cast via Alcoa's Vacuum Riserless Casting/Pressure Riserless Casting (VRC/PRC) permanent mold process. This casting process was initially developed by Alcoa in the 1950s and uses a combination of vacuum and low-pressure to control the fill of the permanent metal mold. Through the metal tooling and the controlled mold fill and solidification rate of the casting, the process allows Alcoa to achieve mechanical properties similar to squeeze casting but at a cost close to traditional permanent mold. In the case of the control arm, Alcoa utilizes a coldbox sand core in combination with the metal mold to achieve the part's hollow structure. The finished design of the control arm takes advantage of two keys to successful casting design--optimizing geometry and designing for the casting process. In terms of geometry, the hollow shape provides the best possible section for part stiffness and efficient transfer of loads during part usage. In terms of designing for the process, local areas of the casting were able to be "tuned" for strength and/or stillness by locally altering part thickness. This can be done because the unique casting process and its controlled mold filling and solidification ensures uniformity of mechanical properties through-out the casting. These tweaks in design will then have consistent results and predictability in performance. "We asked, 'What is the most optimal way to distribute the mass and the stress, taking the loads on the part, the packaging and the attachment points," said Moustapha Mbaye, technical manager for Alcoa. "We started with a clean sheet to ensure an optimized design." Special design features on the control arm casting begin with the "ears" that serve as the attachment points. Due to the thin walls and the directional solidification Directional solidification is a series of measures applied to control the feeding of castings. As most metals and alloys solidify, changing from the liquid state to the solid state they will undergo an appreciable volume contraction. designed into the process, the casting solidities quickly during production to exceed mechanical properties of 290 Mpa ultimate tensile strength tensile strength Ratio of the maximum load a material can support without fracture when being stretched to the original area of a cross section of the material. When stresses less than the tensile strength are removed, a material completely or partially returns to its , 220 Mpa yield strength and 8% elongation. The open holes designed into the casting serve to locate the sand core during production, allow gas generated from the core by molten metal to escape and facilitate shakeout of the sand core during cleaning. One of the holes is designed with a "donut" to locally strengthen and stiffen stiff·en tr. & intr.v. stiff·ened, stiff·en·ing, stiff·ens To make or become stiff or stiffer. stiff the component. Alcoa produces 360,000 of the hollow rear lower control arms per year for BMW across all vehicle platforms with 100% on-time delivery. Before shipping, every control arm is inspected visually with X-ray images and fluorescent penetrant pen·e·trant adj. Penetrating; piercing: a penetrant wind from the north. n. Something that penetrates or is capable of penetrating. to ensure quality. Judges' Comments on the Cast Component: "Innovative casting process derives high properties in structural aluminum ... geometry able to remain relatively simple due to the high integrity of the cast aluminum ... great use of process with a major impact on casting market ... automotive suspension applications are a major growth segment for cast aluminum ... success applicable to multiple automobile platforms." 2004 Best-in-Class Air House Inlet for an Off-Road Military Vehicle Denison Industries Inc., Denison, Texas Denison is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States. The population was 22,773 at the 2000 census, but had increased to an estimated population of 23,957 in July 2006. Metal: A356 aluminum with T6 heat treatment. Casting Process: Sand casting Casting is the process of production of objects by pouring molten material into a cavity called a mold which is the negative, or mirror image of the object, and allowing it to cool and solidify. . Weight: 247 lbs. Dimensions: 70 x 52 x 34 in. Application: Part of the engine cooling system Noun 1. engine cooling system - equipment in a motor vehicle that cools the engine cooling system equipment - an instrumentality needed for an undertaking or to perform a service for large, off-road military vehicles Military vehicles include all land combat and transportation vehicles, excluding rail-based, which are designed for or are in significant use by military forces. See also list of armoured fighting vehicles. . * Sand cast aluminum facilitated close adherence to the cost and weight restrictions on the component. * Due to the size of the casting (nearly 6 ft. in height), combined with the wall thickness, the metalcaster maintained tight process controls to ensure directional solidification for accurate mechanical properties. Rear Chute Pivot for Concrete Mixer Trucks The Dotson Co. Inc., Mankato, Minnesota “Mankato” redirects here. For other uses, see Mankato (disambiguation). Mankato is a city in Blue Earth County¹, Minnesota with a population of 32,427 as of the 2000 census². Metal: Ductile iron Ductile iron, also called ductile cast iron or nodular cast iron, is a type of cast iron invented in 1943 by Keith Millis[1]. While most varieties of cast iron are brittle, ductile iron is much more ductile, as the name implies. . Casting Process: Sand casting. Weight: 40 lbs. Dimensions: 19 x 14 x 6 in. Application: Pivot assembly for the rear chute on concrete mixer trucks. Converted From: Steel weldment weld·ment n. A unit composed of an assemblage of pieces welded together. Noun 1. weldment - an assembly of parts welded together assembly - a group of machine parts that fit together to form a self-contained unit . * The casting equaled the weight of the previous component (a nine-piece steel weldment plus the shaft) and reduced the cost by $72 per part (a $250,000 annual savings). * A rapid prototype was designed and tested. Following the analysis, the design was changed from an I-beam to a C-channel to eliminate stress. The casting is now a single component with the shaft remaining as an assembled piece. * Ribs also were added for additional strength in hot spots hot spots acute moist dermatitis. , and weight reduction holes were placed in noncritical design areas. Ecotec 2.2L Automotive Engine Automotive engine The component of the motor vehicle that converts the chemical energy in fuel into mechanical energy for power. The automotive engine also drives the generator and various accessories, such as the air-conditioning compressor and power-steering Cylinder Block General Motors Powertrain, Massena, New York There are two places named Massena in St. Lawrence County in the U.S. state of New York:
Metal: 319 aluminum alloy with T5 heat treatment. Casting Process: Lost foam. Weight: 56 lbs. Dimensions: 19.6 x 17.7 x 8.8 in. Application: Cylinder block for GM's Ecotec 2.2L engine. * The engine cylinder block is being used to replace several GM blocks and has significantly increased power and torque compared to previous engines. It greatly improved fuel economy, reduced emissions, added more horsepower and reduced noise and vibration. * The cast component was designed with numerous cast-in features including: two main oil passages; five oil feed holes running from the main oil passage to each crankshaft bearing; and four additional oil feed holes running from the main oil passage to both the balance shaft In piston engine engineering, a balance shaft is an eccentric weighted shaft which offsets vibrations in engine designs that are not inherently balanced (for example, most four-cylinder engines). They were first invented by British engineer Frederick Lanchester in 1904. and bearing surfaces. The balance shaft covers, crankcase crank·case n. The metal case enclosing the crankshaft and associated parts in a reciprocating engine. crankcase Noun the metal case that encloses the crankshaft in an internal-combustion engine ventilation passages and oil return passages also are cast-in features that reduced machining time. * The aluminum component is estimated to weigh 15 lbs. less than a comparable iron design. Computer Network Storage Unit Housing Intermet Corp., Palmyra Palmyra, ancient city, Syria Palmyra (pălmī`rə), ancient city of central Syria. A small modern village known as Tudmur is on the site. Plant, Palmyra, Missouri Palmyra is a city located in Marion County, Missouri. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 3,467. It is the county seat of Marion CountyGR6. Geography Palmyra is located at 39°47'51" North, 91°31'29" West (39.797396, -91. Metal: AZ910 magnesium alloy. Casting Process: Diecasting. Weight: 2.26 lbs. Dimensions: 19.5 x 17.5 x 5.5 in. Application: Multiple drive computer storage. Converted From: Fabricated sheet metal. * Used as a housing for a multiple-drive computer storage unit, the casting was converted from an eight-piece sheet metal fabrication fabrication (fab´rikā´sh  n),n the construction or making of a restoration. . The casting is 25% lighter, reduced assembly time by 50% and reduced tooling costs significantly. * The casting includes integrally cast location channels for quick and accurate assembly and modification. It also provides numerous as-cast attachment features for assembly and attachment of other externally mounted hardware. * The open rib structure enhances stiffness while providing precise airflow for cooling. Extreme tolerances calling for flatness, perpendicularity and parallelism are met with the cast component. Adapter for Power Pallet Trucks Piad Precision Casting Corp. Greensburg, Pennsylvania Greensburg is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, USA and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The city is named after Nathaniel Greene, a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. Metal: Yellow brass. Casting Process: Permanent mold. Weight: 12 lbs. Dimensions: 6.5 x 7.5 in. Application: Affixes the control head to a power pallet truck. * The cast component replaced a 13-piece aluminum fabrication. It is produced in brass to ensure that the component maintains its strength and perform under the harsh conditions of the material handling industry. Despite using a more expensive base material, the conversion to casting still produced a 25% cost reduction. * The casting increased the throughput and simplified procurement significantly, and the aesthetics of the component also were greatly improved. * The cast component was delivered to the customer five days after the order was initially placed. 2004 Honorable Mentions Permanent Magnet Brushless Motor Elmira Pattern & Foundry Co. Inc Elmira Heights, New York Elmira Heights is a village in Chemung County, New York, United States. The population was 4,170 at the 2000 census. The Village of Elmira Heights is primarily within the Town of Elmira, but part of the village is in the Town of Horseheads. Metal: A356 aluminum with T77 heat treatment. Casting Process: Sand casting. Weight: 73 lbs. Dimensions: 25.5 x 3.5 in. Application: Electric bus drive (DC) and well drilling Well drilling is the process of drilling a hole in the ground for the extraction of a natural resource such as ground water, natural gas, or petroleum. Drilling for the exploration of the nature of the material underground (for instance in search of metallic ore) is best described (AC). * The permanent magnet motor is designed to deliver greater horsepower from a lightweight, compact component. * This 750-hp. motor was put into production following the success of a 1,000-hp. motor. This smaller version was produced as a smaller, more cost-competitive version. * A stainless steel stainless steel: see steel. stainless steel Any of a family of alloy steels usually containing 10–30% chromium. The presence of chromium, together with low carbon content, gives remarkable resistance to corrosion and heat. cooling coil was cast within the component to keep the motor cooler and thereby run more efficient. The casting also features 496 heat sink A material that absorbs heat. Typically made of aluminum, heat sinks are widely used in amplifiers and other electronic devices that build up heat. Small heat sinks are the most economical method for cooling microprocessors and other chips. pins that were cast-in as a way to cut down on machining. Main Transmission Housing for Military Helicopters Military helicopters are helicopters used by military forces. They can be found in a variety of roles in diffferent militaries of which the tactical airlift mission is the most common. Fansteel/Wellman Dynamics, Creston, Iowa Creston is a city in Union County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,597 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Union CountyGR6. Southwestern Community College is located in Creston. Metal: Magnesium. Casting Process: Sand casting. Weight: 100 lbs. Dimensions: 42 x 16 x 30 in. Application: Serves as part of the transmission housing in military vehicles. Converted From: Magnesium fabrication. * The main transmission housing was consolidated into a cast component from a five-piece WE43 magnesium fabrication. The conversion produced a 30% cost reduction and lowered the scrap rate by 40%. * Used in military helicopters, the magnesium casting was favored over the fabrication largely because of the material properties. With the helicopter spending much of its time in a salt-rich environment above the ocean, the casting is less likely to corrode cor·rode v. cor·rod·ed, cor·rod·ing, cor·rodes v.tr. 1. To destroy a metal or alloy gradually, especially by oxidation or chemical action: acid corroding metal. . Swing Arm for an Unmanned Military Vehicle Aristo Cast Inc., Almont, Michigan Almont is a village in Lapeer County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,803 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Almont Township. Almont was first settled in 1827/1828 by James Deneen. Metal: A356 aluminum with T6 heat treatment. Casting Process: Investment casting/rapid prototype. Weight: 9 lbs. Dimensions: 27.5 x 5 x 9.5 in. Application: Attaches wheels to an unmanned military vehicle. * The component is used as an attachment point for the wheels on an unmanned observation vehicle for the military. The casting is designed to rotate 180 degrees so the vehicle can right itself if it were to tip over. * The metalcasting facility produced this 9-lb., 27.5 in. long aluminum component completely via rapid prototyping Building a part one layer at a time using a method of additive fabrication such as 3D printing. Such parts are used for concept modeling to determine if the product design meets the customer's expectations. and was able to achieve a tolerance of +/-0.03 in. in 27 in. The overall wall thickness is 0.1 in. with sections as thin as 0.08 in. * The component was produced from six individual wax patterns that were assembled together. It was produced from the inside out to achieve the necessary characteristics for the fins. * The first two components were delivered 16 calendar days after the date of the order, and six more were delivered within 23 days from the order. Dual Delivery Seed & Fertilizer Tool GEN Manufacturing Ltd., Coaldale, Alberta, Canada Metal: Knife body--ductile iron; Point--high-chrome iron. Casting Process: Sand casting. Weight: 18 lbs. Dimensions: 16 x 4 x 10 in. Application: Places seed/fertilizer into the ground with the use of an air seed drill. * For use in the agriculture industry, the cast components are used on air seeders with heavy-duty, deep tillage tanks. Castings were chosen over weldments because of the curvatures and angles involved and the need to provide precision and accuracy for seed and fertilizer placement. The casting cost is estimated to be 20% less than that of a comparable weldment. * The castings provide close adherance to design specifications, consistency in quality control and high-production capabilities that were not possible with a weldment. * The knife body is made from high-grade iron to prevent body wear or breakage. The point includes a heavy, carbide insert to assure consistent placement depth. The sharp carbide tip promotes lower draft and less soil disturbance. Home Heating/Water Heating Burner Irish Foundry & Manufacturing, Seattle, Washington Metal: A356 aluminum with T6 heat treatment. Casting Process: Lost foam. Weight: 3 lbs. Dimensions: 8 x 1.5 in. Application: For use in home-heating/water-heating systems. * Due to the integral ring design, removal of the air-set core that was supported by chaplets in the original sand casting design was extremely difficult. Conversion to the lost foam process eliminated the need for cores and chaplets. * Utilizing liquid flow patterns, the 211 gas burner holes, which have a diameter of 0.125 in. and a length of 0.34 in., were cast-in to eliminate machining. |
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