innovations CASTING
Cab Mount Bracket Improved by Converting to Casting
also make it less expensive at the same time. To do that they turned to Dotson Iron Castings (Mankato, Minnesota) to transform the steel fabrication. Casting the cab mount bracket
A
provided several advantages for the applications of the product to meet the tight space requirements and the high load requirements for the multi- function part. T e casting supports and ties the fuel tank strap and the rear sleeper components to the frame for the heavy truck industry. Extensive simulations by Dotson
identifi ed opportunities to reduce casting costs by doubling the core production, automating core placement, and reducing riser waste. T e use of an automated trim press process also cut costs. Dotson utilized software from
MAGMA (Schaumburg, Illinois) in more than 50 mold fi lling and solidifi - cation simulations that were performed during the design stage. T e Dotson engineering team worked closely with the design engineers at one of their cli- ents to gradually modify section thick- nesses in an attempt to allow some of the risers to feed multiple sections. Isolated thick sections on the origi- nal design would have required seven risers per casting to produce a sound part. Numerous gating systems were tested after each casting design change to optimize yield and still produce a sound casting. T e fi nal design required only three risers, and X-ray results showed no sign of porosity. The ductile iron casting was pro- duced via green sand molding and weighs 16.5 lbs. and measures 14 x 4 x 10 in. Along with the challenging perfor-
mance requirements, cost savings was a driving factor for the fi nal product. T rough the combined eff orts of Dotson and its clients, the fi rst prototype cast-
The ductile iron casting was produced via green sand molding and weighs 16.5 lbs. and measures 14 x 4 x 10 in.
pair of companies that collaborate on a cab mount bracket for large trucks wanted to im- prove the product and
ings were developed and launched. T e released product met the performance requirements of the application, however the customer still needed a team eff ort to meet cost saving objectives.
Again, the trio collaborated to de-
velop a cost savings plan to meet the customers’ objectives. With the team eff ort, the overall cost of the system was reduced by at least 10%. ■
The casting supports and ties the fuel tank strap and the rear sleeper components to the frame for the heavy truck industry.
May/Jun 2017 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | 49
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