AFS Castings of the Year

Aug. 21, 2008
The metalcasting industry handed out top honors in its 2008 Engineered Casting Solutions and American Foundry Society Casting Competition.

The winners serve in a variety of industries, including material handling, agriculture, energy production, military, heavy truck, and automotive.

Carley Foundry Inc., Blaine, Minn., took Casting of the Year honors for its Harley- Davidson oil tank. The tank was cast in A356-T6 aluminum via semipermanent molding; it weighs 9.25 lb and measures 14 10 8 in. The casting is better looking and increases heat resistance compared to an alternative plastic design and a multipiece fabrication.

A brass permanent-mold chill casting for a steering linkage from Piad Precision Casting Corp., Greensburg, Pa., was redesigned from a weldment composed of 10 prefabricated pieces, 19 weld joints, and four bushings. The resulting 9.82-lb component was 10% lighter than the weldment and eliminated some machining and the need for stress relieving.

For its Agri-Speed Hitch, Dotson Iron Castings, Mankato, Minn., engineered an austempered ductile-iron and ductile-iron green-sand casting from a weldment. The new assembly was 30% lighter and cost 40% less.

In a Static Mixer Tube, Castalloy Corp., Waukesha, Wis., made an abrasion resistant, 124-lb white-iron no-bake sand casting of a tool for cleaning coal in power-generation facilities. It was converted from a seven-piece fabrication, eliminating assembly and allowing for thickening in wear areas which extends the service life of the component.

Denison Industries, Denison, Tex., converted a multipiece assembly into a 200-lb, A356-T71 aluminum no-bake sand casting. The conversion eliminated tubing, hydraulic lines, and passageways by casting them into the design, which required 77 cores.

Citation Columbiana, Columbiana, Ala., devised a 21-lb ductile-iron lost-foam casting that eliminated machining and heat treating needed on previous towing brackets. The new part is 1.5-lb lighter and saves 35% of the costs associated with the previous one. The new part has cast-in frame mounting and cross-member mounting surfaces, a tow pin receiver, and holes for radiator and bumper brackets.

Diversified Machine Inc., Warren, Mich., created a 33.5-lb vacuum and pressure riserless casting poured in A356 aluminum. It is welded to four aluminum extrusions to form the engine cradle for a Cadillac. It reduced weight by 40% and consolidated the previous steel design’s 32 parts into one.

For its Rear Motorcycle Frame, Eck Industries, Manitowoc, Wis., used ablation to make a 4.9-lb A356-T6 aluminum part with enhanced mechanical properties in its thin sections. The component, which fits on the tail of a Buell Motorcycle Co. bike, saves weight and cost by incorporating the motorcycle’s shock mounts.

For more information on the competition, contact Dave Krugman, AFS, at [email protected] or 847/824-0181.

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