CAST STEEL FOAM FOR LIGHTWEIGHT STRENGTH
A possible breakthrough in casting steel with a foam-like structure could challenge traditional wrought-steel applications.
HATHIBELAGAL ROSHAN, MAYNARD STEEL CASTING COMPANY, MILWAUKEE S
teel plates and billets are manufactured as wrought products and have been used in armored and civil- ian applications for several decades due to their ease of manufacture and low cost. Steel plates and billets made via a casting process that could break the mo- nopoly of wrought metal and provide an opportunity for the casting industry to enter a market that was not previously accessible.
Designers have a strong need
for lightweight steel components in armored vehicles, naval structures, automobiles and civilian structures. However, the availability of such a ma- terial on an industrial scale has been elusive for several decades. Variable density lightweight steel using a sand casting process was recently developed at Maynard Steel Casting Company (Milwaukee) after it looked at the latest research and thought it could complete the puzzle, so to speak. T e lightweight steel is available in
the form of steel panels and billets in low-alloy steels with hardness ranging from 100-400 BHN. Components made using this material (patent pending) could eventually be used in armored vehicles, naval ships and protective panels for architectural applications. T is material also has potential applications in the automo- tive industry in the form of light- weight pistons. Metal foams are metals with pores
This is a picture of a drag mold with set-in cores. 42 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | Jan/Feb 2017
deliberately incorporated in them. Introducing voids in metal reduces density and increases the apparent thickness. Designing components
All images and fi gures courtesy of Maynard Steel.
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