Best-in-class cast components: 2001.Earning top recognition from the first-ever Casting Contest, these components clearly illustrate the benefits the casting process offers to the design and engineering community. In an effort to further promote the creative possibilities that metal castings offer to the design engineer, the editors of modern casting and Engineered Casting Solutions--with the support of the AFS A distributed file system for large, widely dispersed Unix and Windows networks from Transarc Corporation, now part of IBM. It is noted for its ease of administration and expandability and stems from Carnegie-Mellon's Andrew File System. AFS - Andrew File System Marketing Div.-launched the first-ever Casting Contest in 2001. This effort was put in motion to provide an exciting new contest medium to publicize the casting process in the engineering and purchasing community. (Note: In addition to a full-length feature article in Engineered Casting Solutions' "Casting Source Directory & Reference Issue," a media campaign was launched among the trade press earlier this month. Plus, many of these castings will become a permanent showcase at AFS/CMI Headquarters, as well as used in industry trade show exhibits). In this inaugural contest, 41 components of a wide variety of metals and processes were submitted to AFS. A panel of independent judges evaluated each submission on ingenuity in design, casting quality, functional benefits and overall contribution to expanding the market for metal castings. Customer benefits found through these designs (many are conversions to castings from other manufacturing methods) include lead-time gains, part consolidation and 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 inventory reduction, elimination of machining and other secondary processing and dimensional tolerance improvements--all leading to major cost savings. A total of 14 components were recognized this year, including the highest honor, "The Casting of the Year." These foundries are to be congratulated along with their customers. Only through patience, total system knowledge, and upfront and open communication between foundries and their customers design and purchasing teams are such possibilities turned into reality. Foundry: Northern Precision Casiting Co., Lake Geneva, Wisconsin For the lake in Wisconsin, see . Lake Geneva is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,148 at the 2000 census. A resort city located on Geneva Lake, it is southwest of Milwaukee, and popular with tourists from metropolitan Chicago and Milwaukee. Component: Oven heads. Application: Gable top carton filling/sealing equipment for juice packaging system manufactured by Evergreen Packaging Equipment, Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids, city (1990 pop. 108,751), seat of Linn co., E central Iowa, on the Cedar River; inc. as a city 1856. The second largest city in Iowa, it is named for the surging rapids in the river. , Iowa. Casting Process: Investment. Metal: 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. . Dimensions: 4.5 x 3.33 x 3 in. Converted from: Sheet metal fabrications. Features/Benefits: * previous inconsistency problems were solved via casting after the foundry devised a unique tool design to prevent fillets in the corners to meet the right-angle design and a sophisticated gating system to fill the narrow walls (0.0625 in.) and tolerances ([plus or minus]0.003); * 125 RMS surface finish; * "Due to the large reductions in welding, machining and polishing, the conversion to investment casting investment casting Precision casting for forming metal shapes with minutely precise details. Casting bronze or precious metals typically involves several steps, including forming a mold around the sculptured form; detaching the mold (in two or more sections); coating its has resulted in a 60% savings on oven heads," said Jim Bulechek, Evergreen's manager of purchasing. Foundry: 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. Component: Foot base. Application: Leg extension adjustment mechanisms on specialty hospital beds. Casting Process: Permanent mold. Metal: Ni-Al-Bronze. Dimensions: 5.25 x 5 x 2.5. Weight: 1.73 lb. Converted from: Welded assembly. Features/Benefits: * consolidated seven individual components to a one-piece casting; * eliminated fixturing and machining problems by eliminating the 17 welds required previously; * reduced secondary processing to only three reamed holes and two drilled holes; * reduced total component weight by 33%; * reduced customer's inhouse plant processing time by 80% (welding, weld-distortion straightening, machining, etc.) Foundry: Taylor-Pohiman, Inc., Orchard Park Orchard Park may refer to the following locations in: Erie County, New York:
New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Component: Hammer casting/cover. Application: Cover for infrared medical microscope. Casting Process: V-process sand. Metal: Aluminum (A356 T51). Dimensions: 22 x 14 x 16 in. Weight: 14 lb. Converted from: Fabrication fabrication (fab´rikā´sh  n),n the construction or making of a restoration. . Features/Benefits: * consolidated four fabricated parts into one casting; * increased strength and dimensional stability dimensional stability, n See stability, dimensional. , thus increasing accuracy of the precision instrument. Foundry: GM Powertrain GM Powertrain Europe is a company created by General Motors to develop engines and transmission for the GM group. It was known as Fiat-GM Powertrain until the termination of the GM and Fiat merger talks, and earlier as Opel Powertrain. , Saginaw, Michigan Component: Cylinder block. Application: GM's new Vortec 4200 (4.2 l) light truck engine, which also features a lost foam cylinder head. Casting Process: Lost foam. Metal: A356 Aluminum, T-6 heat treatment. Dimensions: 28 x 12 x 17 in. Weight: 93 lb. Features/Benefits: Numerous cast-in-place features, including: * integrated 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 system ventilation system Public health An air system designed to maintain negative pressure and exhaust air properly, to minimize the spread of TB and other respiratory pathogens in a health care facility oil/air separator (eliminating an additional bolt-on); * oil galleries (significantly reducing machining effort and cost); * intricate water jacket design, which eliminated oil cooler costs and potential for leaks, allowing maximum cooling efficiency; * intricate convoluted oil drain-backs that provide structural stiffness for low noise and vibration as well as providing large, functional oil drain returns to the oil sump; * coolant coolant (kōō´l  nt),n passages (traditionally require drilling or external plumbing) are also cast directly into the block, resulting in less machining and fewer opportunities for error. Foundry: Hitchiner Manufacturing Co., Nonferrous Div., O'Fallon, Missouri Components: Variety of near-net-shape cast metal matrix composite Metal matrix composite A material in which a continuous metallic phase (the matrix) is combined with another phase (the reinforcement) that constitutes a few percent to around 50% of the material's total volume. (CMMC CMMC Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals CMMC Chase Manhattan Mortgage Corporation CMMC Corps Materiel Management Center CMMC CONUS MILNET Monitoring Center CMMC COMSEC Materiel Management Center ) investment castings. Application: High-speed precision manufacturing equipment and navigational mirrors. Casting Process: Investment casting (countergravity). Metal: CMMCs reinforced with silicon carbide. Features/Benefits: * with CMMC alloy weights comparable to aluminum with the stiffness of iron and low coefficient of thermal expansion coefficient of thermal expansion, n See expansion, thermal coefficient. , each component contributed significant to total system performance improvement. Foundry: Citation Foam casting Co., columbiana, Alabama Component: Center spring bracket. Application: Center spring mounting with integral torsion/torque stabilizer stabilizer: see airplane. bracket for Class 8 truck. Casting Process: Lost foam. Metal: Austempered ductile iron (120-80-10). Dimensions: 659 x 550 x 330 mm. Weight: 103 lb. Features/Benefits: * this cast-to-size component included a 20-hole side frame rail, mounting pattern, two bottom-frame rail-mounting holes and two cast rubber load cushions; * 20% weight reduction; * 30% cost savings. Foundry: Irish Foundry & Manufacturing, Inc., seattle, Washington Component: Heat Sink. Application: X-ray transmittal in the medical/telecommunications industry. Casting Process: Lost foam. Metal: 363 Aluminum. Dimensions: 15 x 2 x 2 in. Weight: 3 lb. Features/Benefits: * 0,1-in. ribs; * numerous as-cast holes; * cast part number on side; * center rib cast at 30 offset; * offered advantages over fabrication (method initially targeted for this new product) in cost, uniformity/consistency of manufacturing, dimensional stability and airflow. Foundry: Piad Precision casting Corp., Greensburg, Pennsylvania Component: 6.0 K Amp Rectifier rectifier, component of an electric circuit used to change alternating current to direct current. Rectifiers are made in various forms, all operating on the principle that current passes through them freely in one direction but only slightly or not at all in the . Application: High-amperage industrial electrical breakers. Casting Process: Permanent mold. Metal: Pure copper. Dimensions: 12 x 7.5 x 4.75 in. Weight: 34 lb. Converted from: Assembly from machined copper barstock requiring bolted-on aluminum extrusions. Prototypes failed to pass the required 6000 amp heat rise tests. Features/Benefits: * one-piece casting design incorporated heat-dissipating fins and eliminated resistive resistive /re·sis·tive/ (re-zis´tiv) pertaining to or characterized by resistance. and mechanical joints; * component stretched the size envelope for chill mold casting; * supplied to customer cast, machined and silver-plated. Foundry: Mercury Marine, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Fond du Lac is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The name is French for Bottom of the Lake (other translations have included Foot of the Lake [1] or Farthest End of the Lake [2] Component: Marine engine block. Application: 60-hp, two-stroke engine for outboard marine motor. Casting Process: Lost foam. Metal: 356 Aluminum. Dimensions: 13 x 9 x 8 in. Weight: 22 lb. Features/Benefits: * Lost foam casting allowed the consolidation of eight components into a single-piece casting. Savings in weight (2 lb) and cost ($25/block) were realized; * Component features an integrated head design (no need for separate head) and exhaust and cooling system, eliminating associated machining and fasteners. User: Filr Systems, Inc., North Billerica, Massachusetts North Billerica is a village (or section) of the Town of Billerica, Massachusetts, one of nine villages (sections) that make up the Town of Billerica. It is the home to Faulkner and Talbot mills and the North Billerica Train Depot. Foundries: Prototype Casting, Denver, Colorado (magnesium) Specialty Aluminum Inc., Revere, Massachusetts (aluminum) Component: Yoke (for infrared technology use). Application: Helicopter mounting camera. Casting Process: QuikCast. Metal: Magnesium (airborne application) / Aluminum (naval application). Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 8 in. Weight: 4.75 (magnesium); 6.13 lb (aluminum). Benefits/Features: * 2.6 lb weight savings; * thin-wall, light, low-resonance with little secondary operations required; * complex contouring. Foundry: Neenah Foundry Co., Neenab, Wisconsin Component: Air scoop. Application: Directs airflow for dust reduction on agricultural combine equipment. Casting Process: Green sand. Metal: Ductile iron (80-55-06). Dimensions: 210 x 60 x 620 mm. Weight: 25 lb. Converted from: 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 . Features/Benefits: * stronger and simpler design; * eliminated the need for capital resources and manpower required for expensive stamping and welding equipment; * offered 40% cost savings over weidment. Foundry: Nest Technologies, Inc., Studio City, California Component: Housing and midplate. Application: Power-monitoring recorder (electronics equipment). Casting Process: Precision sand/ceramic casting. Dimensions: 10 x 9 x 3 in. and 10 x 9 x 1 in. Metal: A359 aluminum. Features/Benefits: * eliminated the cost of tooling and minimized machining requirements; * cast-in grooves for O-rings, holes and pins. Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc. Foundry: Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc., Northviile, Michigan Component: Crossmember. Application: Used on the rearsuspension for the new Pontiac Aztek and Buick Rendezvous sport utility vehicles This page lists sports utility vehicles currently in production (as of April 2007), as well as past models. The list includes crossover SUVs, Mini SUVs, Compact SUVs and other similar vehicles. . Casting Process: Permanent mold. Metal: A356, T6 heat treatment. Dimensions: 50 x 20 x 11 in. Weight: 49 and 46 lb, respectively. Features/Benefits: * traditionally manufactured as stamped steel/welded assemblies, this new component design improved total product functionality by providing mounts for various other suspension/brake-related components that were not available in the previous design; * new casting design provided better tolerance controls, reduced weight, integrated features, improved ride and handling, and reduced NVH/noise. |
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