detailset DESIGN


Taking Advantage of Investment Casting


JITEN SHAH, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & ANALYSIS, NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS CASTING PROFILE


Cast Component: Front engine mount and alternator. Process: Investment casting.


Material: Cast steel ASTM A148 Grade 130-115. Weight: 30 lbs. Dimensions: 21 x 10 x 7 in.


I


nvestment casting enabled an armored vehicle manufacturer to re- duce weight and costs on an engine and alternator mount produced by Barron Industries (Oxford, Michigan). Originally a 12-piece welded fabrication, the redesigned mount reduced the piece cost by 40% by reducing machining and welding time. With no welding


now needed, the concern regarding weld joint integrity was alleviated. Investment casting allows for easy feature placement, which helps in


consolidating parts. Overall, the investment casting process off ers superior surface fi nish, smaller draft angles, and tighter dimensional tolerances than sand casting.


Mounting holes were incorporated by machining because they were too small to be cast-in. •


Cored features in investment casting are made by having ceramic slurry fl ow into the cored hole, hence the size is limited by the ability for the slurry to fl ow and penetrate to get better feature defi nition.


18 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | Nov/Dec 2016


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