WINNERS A
Automotive Award Goes to Aristo Cast for Low-Volume Alternative to Die Casting
risto Cast was approached to produce 126 sets of right and left-hand pre-production mirror mount brackets for
the automotive industry. Although the 7.5″ x 7.5″ x 4.6″ aluminum (A356) brackets
would eventually be produced by die casting, the customer turned to investment casting for the lower volumes needed while complex die cast tools were being constructed. The component design took full advantage of any weight
savings with deep cored pockets, and optimized strength with many thin-walled gussets. Since the parts were designed as die castings, draft angles were incorporated into the design. To optimize time while still producing top-quality cast-
ings, Aristo Cast designed the wax injection molds to produce wax patterns in two pieces that would be assembled prior to clustering to the down sprue. This technique is unique to the investment casting industry; the castings, when completed, show no visual or physical signs they were assembled wax patterns to begin with. The first articles were shipped within four weeks of
receiving the purchase order, and the balance shipped two weeks after approval, thus keeping the customer on sched- ule with their commitments.
Atlantic Casting & Engineering Takes Defense Award with Lower Cost, Complex Housing
W strategic areas to reduce cost.
hen the military replaces older aircraft with newer models, they often turn to investment castings in Such is the case for the
recipient of the 2015 Investment Casting Institute Military/ Defense Casting Award. The motor housing, cast by Atlantic Casting and Engineering of Clifton, NJ, is used on a military jet fighter. The 9″ x 12″ x 13.5″ single-piece aluminum (A357 T6) component was designed as an investment casting.
If
manufactured by alternative methods, this casting would have required an assembly of many parts. Without assembly, the result is not only lower in cost, but also more durable to withstand forces and vibrations. Illustrating the complexity of the part, the tooling required 23 soluble waxes, one ceramic core, and one stainless steel insert. The finished component includes a variety of features characteristic of investment castings:
undercuts, narrow
massages, deep pocket, sharp-edged blades, lofted surfaces, thick flanges and thin walls. The marriage of these assets make it a sterling example of the capabilities of the investment casting process.
12 ❘ October 2014 ®
WINNER
Aristo Cast, Inc.
Atlantic Casting & Engineering Corp.
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