63rd Technical Conference & Exposition
CASTING CONTEST
Lens Housing Illustrates Investment Casting Success
FINALISTS T
O’Fallon Casting
he complex geometry of this lens housing and the need for the different locations of the housing to be well aligned to each other made investment casting
the only choice for this housing. Designers had the freedom to optimize their casting to meet the critical weight and size constraints they needed.
The thin walls were especially
suited to the investment casting process. The machining of the housing requires hundreds of .040 and .060 countersunk holes to be precisely located on the casting. This requires O’Fallon to hold very tight tolerances or else the precision of the machined holes could not be achieved. The casting also utilizes many features unique to the
casting process, such as ribs, lightening pockets and complex geometries. Concurrent engineering between the machinist and the customer ensured the best possible end product.
PART: Lens Housing Size: 9 x 9 x 7” Alloy: A356-T6 Notes: Complex part optimizes weight, size constraints and meets Grade B metallurgical requirements.
Fabrication and Sand Casting Conversion Achieves Excellence T
his part, originally a fabrication, turned sand casting is now being manufactured as an investment casting. In 2011, Uni-Cast commissioned a proprietary
solidification process, capable of producing aluminum castings with superior strength and structural integrity. The SPARK process has proven to be successful in exceeding the minimum mechanical property requirements of 50KSI Tensile, 40KSI Yield and 5% elongation verified by excised test bars dissected from the casting.
These
properties were obtained throughout the casting with section thickness ranging from 0.080” to 1.600”. Weighing over 30 lbs. and with an overall size at 35 x 26 x 13” adds to the complexity.
PART: Uplock Support Casting Size: 35 x 26 x 13” Alloy: D357 Notes: This sand casting conversion elminates fabrication by use of a proprietary process.
16 ❘ October 2016 ®
Uni-Cast/Cera-Met
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