Caster Mount
Overview
Focus:
Process DevelopmentIndustry:
MedicalDimensions (mm):
152 x 51 x 51Weight (g):
11360,000 Units
Prototyping
Local Supplier
A-356 Aluminium
Innovative Equipment
Developed Expertise
This caster mount is used for ambulance stretchers. It is manufactured in Warsaw, Indiana, and used at a medical facility in Michigan. We make these parts using A-356 aluminium casting, and this was the first time we used this material in investment casting at our foundry in the US. This is a new customer for Texmo Blank - we began working with them less than five years ago - and we estimate we have made 60,000 units so far.
Simulation & Risk Identification
Simulation took place during the quoting for this job. Aluminium is very forgiving with directional solidification so there were very few challenges in getting good results. There is always a risk when working with new materials. We worked with consultants and carried out a lot of technical research to ensure that we had the correct equipment and process controls in place to cast a material that was new to us.
We were open with the customer about the fact this was a new material for us, however we were confident that we had the engineering capabilities to develop a process using aluminium that would provide the customer with the best castings possible.
Prototyping
Printed waxes were used to study the contraction of the new alloy and for our customer to assess and finalise design changes. Multiple potential final designs were in place for this part, but the customer needed to validate these through destructive testing to decide on the one to use for the full production run.
Manufacturing Processes
We added a new melting furnace type called solid state melting. Aluminium has a lower melting point than other materials, which means solid state melting is sufficient and its use eliminates the stirring effect of induction melting. This minimises surface area contact with the atmosphere, which is necessary in this instance as aluminium instantly forms oxides with oxygen and picks up hydrogen from the air.
The fact that hydrogen has partial solubility in molten aluminium presented challenges. The degassing process for aluminium is specialised and needed to be developed at our facility.
Optimised Production Lines
We established a shift dedicated to aluminium processing so that expertise could be gained and we could quickly specialise in this area. Texmo Blank also brought in specific equipment used just for the processing of aluminium components so this is a process we can continue to offer in the future.
Impact
By adapting our offering to include aluminium casting, we gave the customer a sustainable local option for the parts they needed when they had previously been forced to order from China. This helped improve communication lines between supplier and customer, which better accommodated for potential changes in demand.
Get In Touch
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