innova io
time and mechanical and physical properties—are still a part of the equa- tion. But tooling costs, considering the end result is a single component, need to be minimized for the project to be feasible for both customer and supplier. Eck Industries Inc., Manitowoc,
O
Wisconsin, tackled such a challenge with a massive 1,400-lb. coil sup- port housing for a classifi ed project. Not only was the aluminum casting tricky in its design and execution, the customer also had a tight timeline, needing the part in 10 weeks. Early communication between the customer’s and supplier’s design team helped the project move forward. “T e customer was very upfront with us in regards to time, design and cost,” said Dan Hoefert, Eck’s lead en- gineer on the project. “T ey understood if we had to recommend modifying the design to get a sound casting; they would do everything to accommodate. We ran the design through simulations to optimize the part, going through 7-8 iterations for gating and risering.” T e customer emphasized soundness in the cast housing, measuring 59 in. diameter and 45 in. tall. While the engineers fi nalized design, Eck investi- gated ways to minimize tooling costs for the one-pece casting. T e design included a part- ing line that minimized draft. Additionally, 14 cores were needed to produce the com- plex geometry. Eck opted to use high-density foam for the tooling, which would produce a sound casting while reducing costs for the customer. “Some of the internal cores
would traditionally be wood and plastic,” Hoefert said. “We used foam because the cus- tomer couldn’t invest hundreds
CASTING
vations
Metalcaster Uses Unique Tooling for One-Off Casting
ne-off castings present unique challenges for metalcasting facilities. Normal consider- ations—design, lead
The aluminum casting included 14 cores made out of high density foam.
of thousands of dollars in tooling that might change in future designs. T is approach saved more than $100,000. It basically allowed the project to move forward.” Various chills were used to balance
solidifi cation and reduce stress on the semi-fragile foam tooling. Internal feeders, which were removed in the
machining process, were used to en- sure solid walls on the inner diameter. Once the design was fi nalized and tooling was produced, Eck began preparations to actually pour the 1,950 lbs. of aluminum it would take to produce the casting. “We trust our engineers and our
ability to simulate complex castings,” Hoefert said. “But you always have to hold your breath because the process is out of your hands at a point.” Once the massive casting
was poured and cooled, the gates and risers were removed and the housing was heat treated. After passing dye penetrant inspection, it was then sent to a third party for machining before even- tual delivery to the customer within the tight timeframe. “We heard that the
The 1,400-lb. casting met the customer’s soundness specifi cations. 46 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | Mar/Apr 2016
customer was satisfi ed,” Hoefert said. “Doing a one- off project like this can be a challenge because there’s so much riding on getting it right the fi rst time.” ■
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