Aluminum is a prime choice for applications such as gear housings, intake manifolds and ornamental castings, which require lower weight and structural soundness without necessarily needing high strength at elevated temperatures.
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Casting Call: Part Plays Lead Role, Then Pays for Itself
August 5, 2020A five-piece fabricated prototype part was eating up 30 minutes per piece in welding labor, which wasn’t too smart for the genius concept one manufacturer envisioned. But the ‘ah-ha’ decision to make it a casting poured on almost instant ROI and nearly $100K in annual savings.
Strategies for Diecasting Prototyping
While today’s most common diecasting process is the high-pressure diecasting technique, when die cast prototypes are needed, other casting methods are often used.
Study Examines Aluminum Rotors Poured in 3D Printed Molds
Results indicate up to 26 cast rotors could be made economically via 3D printed mold.
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Does My Tooling Transfer?
As a buyer of castings, you eventually will find yourself in the situation where you need to change foundries. In terms of the tooling required to make your castings, you will have two choices: build new tooling or move the existing tooling to the new source. Moving existing tooling is usually th
Tariffs, Pandemic, Supply Chains Driving Reshoring
For businesses looking for ways to prosper in these difficult times, the stage is set for OEMs and foundries to improve their lot through effective reshoring.
Ensuring Quality
Julia Scruton’s business card says she’s a metallurgist/project engineer for Baker Manufacturing Co. (Evansville, Wisconsin). But that’s just part of the story. “When people ask me what I do, I normally say metallurgical engineer/whatever-else-they-want-me-to-do,” Scruton said.
Designing for Space Travel
Software developer Autodesk wanted something out of this world to show what its generative design software could do, so it teamed up with AFS Corporate Member TEI (Livonia, Michigan) to make a lightweight component for an interplanetary lander.