Metalcasting
Metalcasting
The metal casting industry is vital to the U.S. economy and national security. Cast metal components are used in the energy, automotive, aerospace, railroad, electronics, manufacturing, plumbing, construction, and other industries.
In the metal casting industry, the melting of metal accounts for approximately 55% of total energy costs. Other energy-intensive processes include core making, mold making, heat treatment, and post-cast activities.
See our metalcasting profile for more information.
Melting and molten metal holding technologies account for a large portion of energy use in the metalcasting industry. The industry has worked closely with AMO to develop a range of resources to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
Current R&D Projects
One project currently in the AMO R&D portfolio that will benefit metalcasting manufacturers is the following:
Commercialized Technologies
The following technologies that were developed with DOE support are now commercially available to help improve the competitiveness of the U.S. metalcasting industry:
Thixomolding®: Improved Magnesium Molding Process
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Injection molding process substantially reduces energy, waste, and operating costs
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The Thixomolding® process offers a viable alternative to die casting and occurs in a closed machine that can be monitored and operated by one person. In one step, room-temperature magnesium chips are heated to semi-solid slurry and molded into components in a process similar to plastic injection molding. After cooling in air, these components are ready for trimming and assembly or secondary operations. Few, if any, finishing processes are required. Ceramic Composite for Metal Casting
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New material produces superior, affordable dies
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A new ceramic composite in the nitride/nitride-carbide family provides stability to molten metals and is resistant to corrosion, oxidation, thermal fatigue, and cracking. As an alternative to conventional coated steel forming dies, lower-cost hybrid composites have the potential to last up to 10 times longer with significantly lower weight. The ceramic dies also produce fewer casting rejections, thereby reducing the energy required to recycle rejected castings.SeeFOAM®: CPFD® Software for Lost Foam Pattern Blowing
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Software package allows engineers to detect potential filling problems before cutting tooling
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A foundry engineering software package correctly models fill patterns, visualizes the effects of vent locations and fill gun parameters, and provides final local pattern density. Using Computational Particle Fluid Dynamics (CPFD), the software models white expanded polystyrene (EPS) patterns while monitoring any significant interaction between the individual EPS bead motion and air flow. This user-friendly software package gives engineers the ability to detect pattern defects before a tooling is produced or filled, saving costs with improved tooling designs. The model has been validated by automobile manufacturers in the U.S. and Japan.Rapid Solidification Process (RSP) Tooling: Quality Mold Production
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Simple, more efficient tooling for multiple industries
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The Rapid Solidification Process (RSP) was developed to improve the efficiency of manufacturing molds and dies. RSP Tooling uses a system that is able to spray molten steel onto a ceramic negative, while spinning and changing the spray angle for even distribution. RSP allows production-quality tooling for steel, glass, metal casting, forging, and heat-treating applications to be made in a fraction of the time and at a significantly reduced cost compared to conventional tool-making practices.Integrating Rapid Solidification Process Tooling and Rapid Prototyping in Die Casting
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Cutting lead time, costs, and energy for production of tooling
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A new Rapid Solidification Process (RSP) technology for the die casting industry reduces lead time for prototyping and producing die casting tooling while substantially reducing energy use and scrap compared to conventional machining practices. The approach combines rapid solidification processing and net-shape materials processing in a single step. A mold design is converted to a tooling master using a rapid prototyping technology such as stereolithography. Then, a thick deposit of tool steel is applied via spray forming to capture the desired shape, surface texture, and detail. Tools have been produced for the die casting, plastic injection, investment casting, glass forming, and metal forming industries.Multiple-Station Air Gauge: Non-Contact Part Inspection and Gauging
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Air gauge system accurately gauges parts without damaging casting patterns
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The multiple-station air gauge system allows precise, non-contact measurement of low-modulus materials during the casting process without damaging casting patterns. The system works by blowing air on surfaces and monitoring the pressure ratios created by airflows between a central primary air chamber and 30 separate secondary chambers. The system reduces processing time, product reject rate, and scrap generation, thereby increasing the energy efficiency of the casting process.CastView™ Modeling Program: Die Casting Design Visualization
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Quick evaluation of die casting design during the design phase
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CastView™ is a PC-based modeling program that simulates molten metal and heat flow in the die casting process, allowing designers to detect potential die casting problems during the design phase. This easy-to-use program utilizes imported stereolithography CAD files to create detailed simulations in minutes of die cavity filling and thermal distribution. CastView™ can reduce scrap by 20% or more, resulting in increased yield and saving the energy formerly wasted by producing defective parts.CermeTi®: Titanium Matrix Composite-Lined Shot Sleeves for Aluminum Die Casting
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Innovative material saves energy and extends shot sleeve lifetime
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CermeTi® is a rugged titanium metal matrix composite material with the toughness of titanium and the soldering and abrasion resistance of ceramic. This alloy contains microscopic particles of hard ceramic that enable excellent heat retention and resistance to aluminum soldering—ideal properties for H-13 tool steel shot sleeve liner material. Shot sleeves using this material demonstrate reduced heat loss during injection, permitting lower pouring temperatures or slower plunger tip speeds. This material is produced by powder metal technology and can be made to custom-sized near net shapes.Copper Die Casting Technology for Motor Rotors
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High-temperature die materials enable cost-effective die casting of efficient copper rotors
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A novel process for die casting copper rotors uses pre-heated molds from high-temperature tungsten and nickel-based alloys. Despite its lower electrical conductivity, aluminum—rather than copper—is traditionally used for the squirrel cage of induction motor rotors because of its lower casting cost. By pre-heating and maintaining die temperature, the new process reduces the temperature differential between the mold surface and the cooler interior, preventing destructive thermal shock and fatigue. Die life of conventional die steels is also improved with the process.Analytical Studies & Other Publications
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Manufacturing Energy and Carbon Footprints provide a mapping of energy use, energy loss, and carbon emissions for selected industry sectors.