Cast Steel Foam for Lightweight Strength
A possible breakthrough in casting steel with a foam-like structure could challenge traditional wrought-steel applications. HATHIBELAGAL ROSHAN, MAYNARD STEEL CASTING COMPANY, MILWAUKEE
S
teel plates and billets are manufactured as wrought products and have been
used in armored and civilian applica- tions for several decades due to their ease of manufacture and low cost. But Maynard Steel Casting Company is developing the innovation of steel plates and billets via a casting process that could break the monopoly of wrought metal and provide an oppor- tunity for the casting industry to
enter a market that was not previ- ously accessible. Designers have a strong need
for lightweight steel components in armored vehicles, naval structures, automobiles and civilian structures. However, the availability of such a material on an industrial scale has been elusive for several decades. Variable density lightweight steel using a sand casting process was recently developed at Maynard
Steel after the facility looked at the latest developments in research and thought it could complete the puzzle, so to speak. Te lightweight steel is available
in the form of steel panels and bil- lets in low-alloy steels with hardness ranging from 100-400 BHN. Com- ponents made using this material (patent pending) could eventually be used in armored vehicles, naval ships and protective panels for architec- tural applications. Tis material also has potential applications in the automotive industry in the form of lightweight pistons. Metal foams are metals with
This is a picture of a drag mold with set-in cores. 34 | MODERN CASTING January 2017
pores deliberately incorporated in them. Introducing voids in metal reduces density and increases the apparent thickness. Designing com- ponents with metallic foams result in higher plate bending stiffness and lower weight. Foam materials have been made from base materi- als such as polymers, ceramics and some metals such as aluminum and titanium. Aluminum and titanium foams are becoming popular in the aerospace and automotive industries. Steel is one of the most widely used engineering materials by the design- ers, and yet there is no commercially available foam using steel as the base metal. As a result, applications of steel foams in civil structures have not yet been demonstrated.
All images and figures courtesy of Maynard Steel Casting Company.
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