Chicago White Metal Casting News

Since CWM put the advanced Magmasoft software simulation system to work, its accurate thermal and metal-flow predictions prior to tooling design and prototyping have helped achieve first-piece production success with some especially challenging die cast part designs.

A recent project was a particularly dramatic example of the prevention of what could have been a costly tooling and production failure. The product designers had developed what they believed was an excellent design for a successful die casting and were anxious to proceed. CWM engineers were wary of complete die cavity filling for certain part features and recommended a detailed Magmasoft simulation. Before proceeding with tooling design, the customer’s CAD data was used to perform the analysis. Results of the simulation modeling not only confirmed CWM’s suspicions, but demonstrated that the original part design would have resulted in production dies incapable of being modified for a successful production.

Component design changes recommended were agreed to and new flow simulations were run. The final production part met all customer requirements.

This special August 2010 report in USA Today states that General Electric is moving important production from China to a newly renovated factory in the USA, resulting in 400 jobs. The story highlights a growing band of U.S. manufacturers—including giants such as GE, NCR and Caterpillar—that are reversing the inexorable offshoring movement, bringing return of some new production to the U.S. from far-flung locations such as China.

Other OEMs that were buying components overseas are switching to U.S. suppliers. Ford Motor said August 4 that it was bringing nearly 2,000 jobs to its U.S. plants by 2012 from suppliers, including those in Japan, Mexico and India.

Many reasons for the shifts were reported, often called “onshoring” or “reshoring.” Chinese wages and shipping costs have risen sharply in the past few years while U.S. salaries have stayed flat, or in some cases, fallen in the recession. Meanwhile, U.S. manufacturers have been frustrated by the sometimes poor quality of goods made by foreign contractors, theft of their intellectual property and long product-delivery cycles that make them less responsive to customer demand. Several cite the drawbacks of tying up valuable capital in huge overseas shipments, and want to bring assembly closer to engineers, suppliers and customers, concerns that mounted as makers slashed costs in the downturn. Others are simply weary of midnight phone calls—and multiple annual trips—to Asia.

Check out OEM Tech Brief #39 for more information. Also see book review, “Poorly Made in China,” here.

Paul Midler, with a background in Chinese studies and history– and hands-on experience working for years in China with Chinese supplier manufacturers– has written a valuable new book, “Poorly Made in China,” with insights into the current world of OEM offshoring there.

Any North American OEM considering offshore sourcing will want to be familiar with the information this interesting businessman-author documents.

For the review of the book, “Poorly Made in China,” from Modern Casting magazine, View & Download T38.

Further CNC Dept. Expansion:
CWM’s CNC Dept. expansion moved significantly forward with the installation two new CNC machining centers: The Kitamura Mycenter HX400iSII and the Leadwell MV-50i CNC Machining Center.

The Kitamura Mycenter HX400iSII center, known as the CNC horizontal machining workhorse, offers greater flexibility with both high- and low-volume projects. It is equipped with leading edge CNC technology for optimizing each processing step. Extreme accuracy and repeatability is provided by its solid box way construction, assuring highest quality parts with a faster turn-around.

Also recently acquired was the state-of-the-art Leadwell MV-50i CNC Machining Center, which will allow the company’s growing CNC department to take on bigger projects, delivering on both higher volumes and larger parts. And since this system can manage complex jobs with multiple parts and complete them with a single setup, the MV-50i insures high efficiency.

New FDM Unit:
In addition to the CNC centers, CWM has also purchased a new FDM (Fused Deposition Molding) machine — the Dimension SST 1200 es. The unit is capable of creating rapid plastic prototypes that are 40 times stronger than those of the company’s previous system.

A new magnesium die cast support structure for an automatic-dimming rear view automotive mirror is now being produced in a high-pressure, hot-chamber Mg die casting machine using “in-die de-gating,” two-stage ejection technology, resulting in significant cost savings.

This new Mg production strategy is based on established miniature zinc die casting production techniques. The successful application to larger high-pressure, hot-chamber Mg custom die casting equipment has significantly reduced post-casting operation costs and brought CWM the 2009 “Award of Excellence” for Process Innovation from the International Magnesium Association.

In moving to a lightweight, yet strong, mag die casting for a new model of their advanced electrochromic mirror’s structural component, Gentex company engineers put forth a unique challenge for the die design and production of their new unit. They called for a new Mg tooling design that could achieve the post-casting cost-savings of the high-speed miniature zinc die casting process in the 200-ton hot-chamber mag die casting machine required for the part.

Chicago White Metal brought its deep experience in hot-chamber magnesium part design and production, as a North American pioneer in the process, to bear on the project. CWM was joined by another Gentex supplier, Cast Products, with its background in tooling design for miniature zinc die cast parts.

The Mg die casting is now being produced without the use of a trim die– no final trimming required. This new application story is being featured in recent issues of Design News and Machine Design magazines.

More details, and photos, on this advance in Mg die casting process technology, go to “Case Study #41.”

This concise 10-point OEM checklist can be a helpful guide to making the optimum supplier decision for successful results in producing a new housing of component as a custom die casting.

It is designed to help assure that OEM engineers and purchasers raise the right questions regarding custom die casting supplier capabilities and receive unbiased recommendations.

This “Application/Tech Brief” is just one of the nine content sections of CWM’s OEM Resource Center on thlis website, where a wealth of free die casting design guides & aids are available for viewing and download.

To download this new PDF Tech Brief (no. 36) on “Selecting the Best Custom Die Caster for Your Next Project,” click here.

For some time CWM has offered a selection of important die casting design and specification reference manuals and CD-ROMs for purchase through its website. Now, for OEMs considering the die casting process, this valuable reference material will be available to OEMs in the U.S. and Canada by convenient, rapid online credit card ordering through the PayPal system.

The authoritative reference selections offered at special CWM OEM discounts include the latest editions of: The 178-page “Product Design for Die Casting” Manual, the 220-page “Product Specification Standards for Die Casting” Manual and the CD-ROM version of this Standards Manual, all published by the North American Die Casting Assn.

To access the Reference Manual section and online Order Form in the “OEM Die Cast Design Center” of the CWM website, click here: Reference Manuals/CDs.