CHALLENGE, RAPID


RESPONSE COMPLEX


Thanks to streamlined simulation, tooling, casting and machining capabilities, an intricate water passage went from purchase order to prototype in just 17 days.


NICHOLAS LEIDER, ASSOCIATE EDITOR A


4-lb. aluminum water passage prototype Tool- ing & Equipment International (TEI), Livonia, Mich., produced for Honda R&D Americas Inc., Raymond, Ohio, in 2013 was a complex project. T e component integrated several parts into a single casting that featured six intricate cores. Vary-


ing wall thicknesses challenged design engineers to produce a solid casting that would pass demanding testing, while interior shapes needed to be simple enough for eventual high volume production. Despite initial challenges, the water passage to be used in the carmaker’s development department went from a purchase order to a fi nalized, ready-to-use casting in 17 days. Early collaboration between the two engineering teams minimized diffi culties later


in the process, which allowed the component to quickly move through simulation, tooling,


TEI delivered fi nal castings ready for use 17 days after the purchase order was issued.


Nov/Dec 2014 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | 25


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