Overview
The 2008 NADCA R&D Strategic Plan guides the NADCA R&D Program by
defining the strategic areas targeted for technological advancement to
which research efforts are applied. The Roadmap aligns specific projects
with the strategic areas to ensure that the research efforts are in
support of the Strategic Plan.
The areas identified by industry as strategic are shown in Figure 1.
Although research efforts are applied in all five of the major strategic
areas (Products & Markets, Manufacturing Technology, Materials
Technology, Energy & Environmental and Industry Health &
Profitability), the bulk of the research efforts are currently focused
on Manufacturing Technology and Materials Technology. The current list
of research projects is shown in Table 1, which shows the alignment of
the projects, taking into account the primary and secondary foci of the
projects, to the major strategic areas. Figure 1a shows the projects
grouped by second tier strategic areas of the projects’ primary focus
(or general topic) for ease of reference.

Figure 1: Organization of Strategic Areas

Figure 1a: Second Tier Strategic Areas
The total leveraged value (direct funding plus cost share) of the
18-project portfolio is approximately $15,000,000. Funding is provided
by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) through the Defense Logistics
Agency (DLA) and the American Metalcasting Consortium (AMC) and the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) through the Industrial Technologies Program
(ITP), the Cast Metals Coalition (CMC) and the U.S. Council for
Automotive Research (USCAR)/U.S. Automotive Materials Partnership (USAMP)
Program. Additional funds are provided from NADCA’s own R&D funds. Table
1 shows the funding source(s) for each project.
Technology Transfer
Research results and technical information from the R&D Program are
transferred to the industry in several different ways: Die Casting
Engineer, text books and electronic documents, educational courses,
conferences, software packages, the NADCA website and congress sessions,
including the 111th
Metalcasting Congress in Houston, TX, on May 15-17, 2007. Of the papers
presented, nine were related to NADCA sponsored research projects,
including:
-
T07-012: Development of Zinc Die Casting Alloys with Improved Fluidity —
Progress in Thin Section Zinc Die Casting Technology
-
T07-041: An Accelerated Method for Testing Soldering Tendency of Coated
Pins
-
T07-043: Review of Reverse Engineering Technologies and Techniques
-
T07-052: Optimization of a Graded Multi-layer Die Coating System for use
in Al Pressure Die Casting (Selected as the Best Congress Paper for
2007)
-
T07-053: Factors that Affect Die Casting Die Life
-
T07-061: Rapid Tooling Keynote Address
-
T07-072: Heat Losses in Aluminum Holding Furnaces and Transfer Ladles
-
T07-101: Finite Element Modeling of Casting Distortion in Die Casting
-
T07-112: An Experimental Verification of the Effect of Die Location on
Tie Bar Load Imbalance
In addition, over the past year, five Turn Research into Action
brochures were compiled and distributed to NADCA corporate members.
These special compilations contain project summaries, implementation
strategies and case studies from completed research projects in the
areas of Cast Materials, Die Materials, Die Coating and Surface
Treatments, Computer Modeling and Process Technologies.
Keys to the Future
Technological advancement of the strategic areas is intended to enhance
efficiencies in various aspects of the die casting process, including
lead-time reduction or faster time to market, productivity improvement,
scrap reduction, cost reduction and energy efficiency. Attacking and
improving these vitally important aspects will assist in keeping the die
casters in North America not only competitive, but the best in the
world — die casters that truly embrace and exude the virtues of
innovation, integrity, accessibility and reliability.
Several ideas for future projects have been identified by the technical
committees and industry participants:
Ideas from Industry
We know
you’re out there. Are you using what we have? We hope so!
We also
know you may have some suggestions for other projects that would provide
a benefit to your plant or assist in resolving a technical issue at your
plant. If so, this is an opportunity for you to make suggestions for
projects which can be either short term (6-18 months) or long term (2-4
years). Kindly forward suggestions to
research@diecasting.org.
Current Research Projects
Interested in knowing a bit about the current projects? If so, the
following provides the title of each project and its key
accomplishment(s) thus far.
•
Project #131: Evaluation of Die Components Made from the Direct
Metal Deposition Process (Nao Tsumagari, formerly of Briggs &
Stratton)
Key
Accomplishment: Specimens
of wrought copper coated with H13 via the DMD process have been
successfully prepared and tested for thermal fatigue resistance. The
test yielded favorable results.
•
Project #132: Mechanical Performance of Dies Continuation (R.
Allen Miller, Ohio State University)
Key
Accomplishment: The
contributions of intensification pressure and die position on tie bar
loading and distortion of the system components have been sorted out.
This allows for adjustment of the machine and derating of the machine,
if desirable.

Figure 2
–
Computer
models of an ejector side die half showing the maximum separation and
separation plots for four-die support schemes. The impact of die support
on deflection can been seen.
•
Project #133: Design Support for Tooling Optimization (R. Allen
Miller, Ohio State University)
Key
Accomplishment: The
computer code for analyses such as flow, fill and thermal by qualitative
reasoning has been extended from high-pressure die casting to squeeze
casting and other slower fill processes.
• Project
#134: The
Development of Smart Die Coatings (John Moore, Colorado School of
Mines)
Key
Accomplishments: The
architecture and processing parameters have been defined for two
optimized multi-layer coating systems for improved performance. A smart
coating has been developed and is currently undergoing evaluation. The
coating is multi-layer, containing a piezoelectric film which provides
an electrical response when stressed and is intended to provide an
indication of when remedial measures for dies should be taken.
Electrical responses are being measured on samples.

Figure 3
–
Schematic
showing the architecture of a “Smart” coating system which contains a
piezoelectric film.
•
Project #135: Improved Die Casting Process to Preserve the Life of
the Die Casting Dies (Jack Wallace and David Schwam, Case Western
Reserve University)
Key
Accomplishment: The
effect that cooling of dies has, especially by die spray lubricant, on
die life has been highlighted through this work.
•
Project #136: Improvements in Efficiency of Melting for Die Casting
(Jack Wallace and David Schwam, Case Western Reserve University)
Key
Accomplishments: Various
melting and holding furnaces have been benchmarked for energy
efficiency. Guidelines for the selection, operation and maintenance of
melting and holding furnaces have been developed.

Figure 4
–
Thermal
fatigue curves showing the effect of die lubricant spraying pressure on
die cracking behavior. Higher spraying pressures can overcome the vapor
blanket at higher temperatures, increasing the cooling and the
temperature. With extremes, however, more cracking can be expected.
• Project
#137:
Innovative SSM Processing (Diran Apelian, Worcester Polytechnic
Institute)
Key
Accomplishments: A
simplified continuous rheocasting reactor design has been developed for
ease of use on a standard high-pressure die casting machine and
demonstrated in plant trials. Preferred chemical constituencies of
alloys for SSM process robustness and optimized heat treatment
parameters have been established.

Figure 5
–
Photograph of a simplified CRP Reactor for SSM processing and a
resultant excellent SSM microstructure from a casting produced with the
reactor.
•
Project #138: The Use of Laser Engineered Net Shaping for Rapid
Manufacturing of Dies (J. Brevick, The Ohio State University and J.
DuPont, Lehigh University)
Key
Accomplishment: A method
has been developed for producing material with a copper core and an H13
working layer, providing excellent adhesion between the copper and H13.
This provides an opportunity for faster cooling via conformal cooling
lines and the higher conductivity of copper.
•
Project #139: Thin Wall Zinc (F. Goodwin, International Lead and
Zinc Research Organization)
Research
Objectives: To
develop and define an approach for producing zinc die castings with wall
thicknesses of 0.3 mm or less. Metal chemistry, gate and runner system
designs and the nature of heat transfer in tooling will be taken into
consideration.

Figure 6
–
Cast
stepped flow specimens comparing the flow distance of the new high
fluidity zinc alloy to Alloy 7.
• Project
#144: Zinc Alloy
Properties for Market Development Support (Frank Goodwin, International
Lead and Zinc Research Organization)
Key
Accomplishments: An expanded
database of properties has been developed for standard alloys such as
Alloys 2, 3, 5 and ZA8, including tensile properties over an extended
temperature range, compression at elevated temperatures, impact, rotating
fatigue and creep.
• Project
#146: Die Casting Mechanical Property Improvements through Process
Enhancements (Gary Ward, General Motors Powertrain)
Key
Accomplishment: This project
has been approved but has yet to start. The research objective for this
project is to conduct a design of experiments that will determine the
optimized process parameters required to yield the best casting mechanical
properties in thick walled aluminum die castings.
• Project
#149: Reverse
Engineering Tools & Productivity Improvements for Spare Part Components
(S. Udvardy, J. Wilkey and A. Monroe, NADCA)
Key
Accomplishments: Seven
productivity improvement technologies have been identified and are being
formulated into implementation strategies. Also, two reverse engineering
methods (laser and white light) have been assessed.
• Project
#150: Computational
Tool for Short Run Insert Production and Improved Yield (A. Miller, The
Ohio State University)
Key
Accomplishment: A means of
exporting spline representations for gates and runners from the geometric
reasoning tool has been developed which allows for uses in other programs,
such as CAD, to assist with yield improvement.
• Project
#151: Rapid Tooling
for Short Run Metal Mold and Increased Productivity (J. Wallace and D.
Schwam, Case Western Reserve University)
Key
Accomplishment: Lower cycle
times have been demonstrated with tungsten-based cores and cores produced
from laser deposited H13 on a copper substrate.
• Project
#152: High
Production Rate Process for Metal Matrix Composite Components (J. Moore,
Colorado School of Mines)
Key
Accomplishments: Reaction
systems for aluminum matrix/titanium intermetallic composites have been
defined. Cylindrical samples of material up to 3˝
in
diameter with up to 47% particulate have been produced for mechanical and
physical property analysis.
• Project
#153: High
Performance Die Casting Alloys
(D. Apelian
and M. Makhlouf, Worcester Polytechnic Institute)
Key
Accomplishments: 38 alloy
compositions have been produced and assessed. After optimization efforts,
nine compositions have been selected for further study.
• Project
#154: Development
of a Porosity Guideline for Die Casting (J. Brevick, Ohio State
University)
Key
Accomplishment: A literature
survey has been conducted and information collected on the influence of the
casting design and process on porosity.
• Project
#157: HI-MAC
(Bruce Cox, Chrysler;
S. Robison,
AFS; S. Udvardy and J. Wilkey, NADCA; other USAMP participants)
Key
Accomplishments: A magnesium
squeeze casting cell has been set up at Contech, and a few shots have been
made on a tilt steering housing with AZ91 to test the set-up.
• Project
#158: Casting Alloy
Standards (S. Udvardy, NADCA and D. Apelian, WPI)
Key
Accomplishment: This project
has recently started, and its research objective is to establish properties
for two premium-grade aluminum die casting alloys — specifically targeted
are impact and fatigue properties.
• Project
#159: High
Production Rate Tooling (J. Wallace and D. Schwam, Case Western Reserve
University)
Key
Accomplishment: This project
was recently started, and its research objective is to evaluate advanced
cooling techniques for die casting dies in order to reduce cycle time and to
generate revised guidelines for cooling line placement.
