72nd Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition


Agenda, Continued from pg 21


10:45 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. Paper No. 9 Mitigating Investment Casting Distortion through Counter- Distortion Techniques Evan Letourneau, MAGMA Foundry Technologies The investment casting process is frequently employed


for castings demanding tight tolerances. However, specific casting geometries can exhibit significant distortion during the cooling process, potentially leading to parts failing to meet specifications. Traditional straightening methods are manual and require skilled operators. This research explores two counter-distortion methodologies to mitigate this issue. The first approach utilizes an iterative physical process. A casting is produced from a 3D-printed pattern and 3D scanned to map the distortion. This data is then used to generate a counter-distorted pattern, which is subsequently cast and scanned to measure dimensional accuracy. The second method uses a computational approach. First, the casting distortion is predicted using a stress simulation and the resulting distortion map is reversed to create a counter-distorted model. Then, the counter-distorted model is validated through a second simulation and a 3D-printed pattern is produced from that model. Finally, the casting is scanned to measure dimensional accuracy. This study compares the efficacy of these two counter-distortion techniques in minimizing casting distortion and improving dimensional accuracy. Keywords: Dimensions & Tolerances


11:20 a.m. - 11:55 a.m. Paper No. 10 Revert Cleanliness to Improve Cost Savings Robert Cook, Cannon Muskegon Market fluctuations have recently caused many alloy


constituents to increase dramatically in value Year-Over- Year causing decreased profit margins to casting facilities and alloy producers. Proficient use of lean principles applied to the customer specific revert stream can reduce gangue traces in cast parts and thereby reduce scrap and improve yield for both manufacturers. The casting facility gains by preventing Foreign Object Debris, shell material, chill plugs, etc, inadvertently polluting their closed-loop stream causing an unwanted tramp or trace being introduced to the melt that needs to be corrected by the alloy producer. The alloy producer gains by limiting wear on equipment and prolonging the life of furnace linings, thereby saving time and money. Both parties gain by having high quality starting materials for either producing cast parts or alloy and limiting defects in the final product. This report will


22 ❘ July 2025 ®


Pittsburgh: A Bridge to Technology EVENT AGENDA


focus on practical applications of lean principles to improve the revert stream and reduce waste. Keywords: Quality Control and Defects


11:55 a.m. - 12:50 p.m. LUNCH BREAK


12:50 p.m. - 1:20 p.m. Paper No. 11 Superalloy Metallography Review to Empirically Reduce Scrap and Rework Robert Cook, Cannon Muskegon The microstructure of superalloys is a complicated


mixture of strengthening phases and intermetallic compounds that develop from an as-cast part with macro segregated elements that further evolves through heat treating and service exposure. Superalloys inherently high toughness, corrosion resistance and temperature stability further complicate accurately revealing this microstructure. This review focuses on presenting fundamental principles of metallographic preparation and etchants used in industry for common equiax, directionally-solidified and single crystal superalloys with an emphasis on reducing scrap and rework of complex castings that are near to net shape. Keywords: Quality Control and Defects


1:20 p.m. - 1:55 p.m. Paper No. 12 Navigating the Automation Journey – Considerations When Evaluating Automation Patrick O’Neil, Acme Manufacturing As manufacturers continue to adopt automation for


material removal applications, selecting a partner is a critical step in ensuring successful implementation. But what factors should you consider when evaluating your options? How can you align automation with your long- term production goals? In this session, Patrick O’Neil of Acme Manufacturing, will guide attendees through the key considerations


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