“Manufacturing this tank forced us to
the CAD and FE programs we use,” Adam Loukas said. “While the structure is efficient, it’s com- putationally taxing.” Te final casting would be a single aluminum component, but it would require a number of sand cores, which could be stacked atop one another to produce the com- plex cavity. REL Inc. produced the majority of these cores in house, though some were 3-D printed for prototype models.
Castings to Meet Demanding Parameters
Te tank needed to operate at
3,600 psi, though it had to with- stand a burst pressure of 8,100 psi. Tis demand placed a premium on uniformity in casting. REL Inc. had some experience with the low pressure permanent mold process, which was appealing because it could reduce turbulence in filling the mold, but the company partnered with Eck Industries Inc., Manitowoc, Wis- consin, to produce the first version in 7075 aluminum, also produced in a low pressure permanent mold. Tose first articles proved prom- ising enough for REL Inc. to invest in a low pressure permanent mold- ing line at its facility in Calumet. Engineers then opted to cast the
develop enabling casting technologies and numerous process innovations to optimize metal flow and solidification. Tis was necessary to achieve high integrity material properties.”—Adam Loukus, REL Inc.
tanks in A206, one of the highest strength structural alloys. “It wouldn’t do us much good
to have great properties at the top of the tank if we have trouble near the gates,” Adam Loukus said. “It required a lot of process improve- ments and changes to the low pres- sure process. We needed to optimize the gating. We needed to introduce the metal in the most uniform man- ner possible.”
Once REL Inc. was able to
produce acceptable castings, processing after solidification was relatively minor. The complex cores needed to be burned out, the gates removed and the tanks heat treated.
Pursuing Commercialization Proving the technology works
is one thing; establishing a path to commercial feasibility is another.
ALUMIN UM ME L TE RS!
-25 “Hg, S.G.: 2.47
-26 “Hg, S.G.: 2.36
QCD-1 Porosity Measurement System
• Automatic measurement and recording of Specific Gravity / Sample Porosity in 15 seconds.
• Eliminates the need to cut and polish the sample to permit a very subjective estimation of gas level.
T.R.P. Vacuum Tester (True Reduced Pressure)
• Measures the absolute vacuum level, eliminating the need for daily/weekly/monthly calibration of the differential gage used on most RPT units.
• Fully automatic operation to pull the Absolute Vacuum to a target level of (+/- 0.20”Hg), run a timed cycle, and dump the vacuum.
Contact Us Today to learn more!
REL Inc. produced the complex core structure by stacking sand cores on top of one another.
E-mail:
dan@qcdesignsinc.com •
www.qcdesignsinc.com
Q.C. Designs, Inc. (269) 983-6859 • Fax: (269) 982-0823
February 2016 MODERN CASTING | 23
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