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 dkrugman@afsinc.org
or 847/824-0181.