“We manufacture our own tool-
ing, we cast onsite and we ma- chine in-house,” said Ted Kahaian, process manager, TEI. “Custom- ers are shipping in trial parts or placing orders electronically, and we deliver finished parts that are ready to be bolted onto engines for testing.” When Honda began look-
ing for a prototyping source, the corporation settled on TEI for two major reasons. A dedication to confidentiality made TEI a perfect partner considering its ability to handle the majority of respon- sibilities, including design and engineering, tool manufacturing, casting, metrology, machining, as- sembly and testing, at a single site. Additionally, TEI offers a low
pressure nobake sand casting process, something that Japanese automotive manufacturers use for major engine parts such as cylin- der heads, transmission housings and oil pans. Even if the eventual component will be produced via high pressure diecasting, the low pressure sand casting process can produce an appropriately high quality prototype. “We regularly handle parts that
are ultimately high pressure die castings, but tooling costs and lead times are major issues,” Johnson said. “For something like a trans- mission, for example, the tool could cost a million dollars and take six months. We can make a first casting in six weeks that will be representative in wall thickness and geometry.”
Planning for Action While lead times for prototypes
After casting, the water passage was machined and leak checked in-house.
passage is a great example of our relationship.”
Locating a Source
At its 85,000-sq.-ft. facility outside Detroit, TEI’s prototyping department runs alongside an opera-
tion that produces a wide range of tooling for the metalcasting industry. TEI also offers prototype design- ing, engineering and casting support through its “Casting & Development Center,” which handled much of the water passage project.
will vary from project to project, TEI’s design team has learned how early collaboration can streamline an already time-driven process. When Honda first approached TEI with the potential water passage casting, the two firms had worked on a number of projects to- gether, allowing both engineering teams to build trust in one another. Design revisions and 3-D model- ing took place in the preliminary
Nov/Dec 2014 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | 27
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