Boeing airliner sports a casting prizewinner

Aug. 21, 2003
A cast-aluminum-alloy support structure for the Boeing 737 took top honors at this year's American Foundry Society Casting Contest.

Hitchcock Industries Inc., Minn., won 2003 Casting of the Year with its strut fan cowl support beam. Cast with 0.08-in. minimum wall thickness, the one-piece D357 aluminum-alloy component

replaced an 11-part aluminum fabrication, saving 50% in cost and cutting assembly time by 78%. The redesign eliminates 17 shims, 175 fasteners, 40 linear ft of fillet sealant, and 21 fay-sealed joints. Designers cast the part using precision dry sand casting (similar to nobake molding). The component measures 41.54 X 24.13 X 6.58 in. and weighs 23.33 lb (machined). In use, it sits in the forward portion of the strut structure on the 737 and supports the fan cowling shrouding the engine, as well as the forward “thumbnail” fairing, which is part of the outside aero-surface of the strut.

Judges called the casting “a spectacular example of part consolidation...a top casting that helps prove the case for other conversions.”

Judges awarded 14 other casting designs out of a field of 50 with Best of the Class and Honorable Mentions. Key benefits of the designs include gains in speed-to-market, part consolidations and inventory, cutbacks in machining, welding, and assembly time, design flexibility, weight reductions, dimensional tolerance improvements, and total-system cost cuts.

For a free casting-contest brochure, contact AFS' Laurel Smolecki, [email protected].

Sponsored Recommendations

Sept. 16, 2025
From robotic arms to high-speed conveyors, accuracy matters. Discover how encoders transform motor control by turning motion into real-time datadelivering tighter speed control...
Sept. 16, 2025
Keep high-torque gearboxes running efficiently with external lubrication and cooling systems delivered fast. Flexible configurations, sensor-ready monitoring, and stocked options...
Sept. 16, 2025
Now assembled in the U.S., compact P2.e planetary gear units combine maximum torque, thermal efficiency, and flexible configurations for heavy-duty applicationsavailable faster...
Aug. 22, 2025
Discover how to meet growing customer demands for custom products without overextending your engineering team. Learn how scaling your automation strategy can help you win more...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Machine Design, create an account today!