ITP Metal Casting: 2002 Metal Casting Industry of the Future ...

North American Die Casting Association, General Die Casters, Inc., Peninsula, OH Ryobi Die Casting (USA), Inc., Shelbyville, IN
Rosemount, IL General Motors, Detroit, MI Simtec, Inc., Grand Rapids, MI
Albany Chicago Co., Kenosha, WI JL French Corporation, Sheboygan, IN SPX Contech, Portage, MI
Chicago White Metal, Basenville, IL Kirby UES , Annapolis, MD
DCD Technologies, Cleveland, OH Lester Precision Die Casting Inc.,Solon, OH Walkington Engineering, Inc., Cottage Grove,
Exco Engineering, Ontario, Can Magma Foundry Technologies, Inc., Arlington WI
Flow Science Inc., Los Alamos, NM Hieghts, IL Wright Products Corp., Rice Lake, WI
Prince Machine, Holland, MI
Understanding the Relationship Between Pattern Filling and Part Quality in Die Casting, Ohio State University - The
objective of this project is to understand the phenomena involved in the filling of the die cavity and the relationships between
fill parameters and part quality. The effects of gate geometry at part entry, gate velocity, and slow-to-fast shot acceleration
on filling patterns in die casting, and ultimately part quality, will be explored. The results should produce a better
understanding of the die filling phenomena under a variety of gate entry geometries, selected common cavity geometries, and
gate velocities. The speed of fill in the die casting process and the fact that the die cavity is encased in a large envelope of
steel presents some severe challenges for observing and measuring die fill. The use of physical analog (water, ferrometal)
modeling with high-speed video photography will be the primary technique used to observe fill patterns. However, the
technique is limited and must be supplemented with additional measurements and trials. Researchers will attempt to use
real-time x-ray with high-speed video on a limited number of trials with zinc and an aluminum die. Additional measurement
trials will be explored. Casting trials will follow the laboratory and analog studies. The casting trials will allow researchers to
test the effects on quality of the design recommendations resulting from the lab studies. Numerical simulations will be
performed for both the production and the experimental cases. This work will enable improvements in productivity and
quality. Energy and emissions savings arise primarily due to scrap reduction including reductions due to faster startup, less
die tryout, and a better understanding of the relationship between fill and part quality. An outcome of the research will be a
computer program that will predict die casting quality level given a set of pre-defined gate geometry and processing variables.
This will greatly assist industry to improve productivity and reduce lead-time.
North American Die Casting Association, General Die Casters, Peninsula, OH Lester Precision Die Casting, Solon, OH
Rosemont, IL GM Bedford, Bedford, IN Walkington Engineering, Cottage Grove, WI
Investment Shell Cracking, Tri-State University- Investment casting is growing in North America and is seen as a means
for steel casting to penetrate high value added markets and high production markets such as automotive. The purpose of this
project is to investigate and reduce the occurrence of investment shell cracking defects in investment casting. Shell cracking
may occur during dewaxing or pouring. The dewaxing problem is one of superposition of stresses due to constraint of free
strain of the wax by the shell. The wax will have a higher thermal expansion coefficient than the refractory shell. Robustness
of the shell in dewaxing and thermal shock resistance during pouring may depend on strength and/or on plane strain critical
stress intensity of more exactly critical crack extension force. It is our concept that the appropriate bench scale control tests
coupled with manufacturing evaluations will reveal methods to control the process for lower scrap rates. The scope of work
includes developing bench scale tests for ceramic shells and wax (polymer) pattern materials, designing a standard test casting;
and applying those tests to production materials collected four to six times from participating foundries with concurrent
evaluation of defect occurrence from selected worst example case history castings and standardized test casting. The bench
test results will then be correlated with the manufacturing results. After that, researchers will examine process parameters,
which can be used to achieve the desired trend or range for the bench test parameters, and run confirmation tests to determine
that the desired results are achieved in manufacturing.
Steel Founders' Society of America ABC-NACO, Cicero, IL Wisconsin Invest Cast, Watertown, WI
Barrington, IL Stainless Foundry, Milwaukee, WI PED Manufacturing, Oregon City, OR
Spokane Steel, Spokane, WA Wisconsin Centrifugal, Waukesha, WI Nova Precision, Auburn, PA
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