Both light and ferrous metals research highlighted in technical papers
presented during the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 2002 World Congress
TROY, Mich., March 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Researchers and engineers
from INTERMET Corporation (Nasdaq: INMT), one of the world's leading
independent manufacturers of cast-metal automotive components, are presenting
three technical papers on new advancements in material, process and testing
technology at this week's SAE World Congress in Detroit.
Presenters from INTERMET's Technical Center in Virginia as well as from
the company's engineering office in Troy, Michigan, are introducing an
evaluation of magnesium alloys in structural and high-temperature
applications; an innovative study on how design and material properties
interact during the testing of ductile-iron brake parts; and new developments
in hardened ductile-iron powertrain components.
"We strongly believe that technology will continue to be the driver behind
our long-term success in the automotive cast-component market," said Dr. Gary
Ruff, INTERMET's Executive Vice President of Technical Services. "Along with
full-service qualification and a global presence, INTERMET's engineering and
research capabilities have uniquely positioned us as the pre-eminent supplier
of cast-metal automotive components. I am pleased to say that everything we
do related to material and process technology is focused on one ultimate goal
-- providing our customers with the most technically advanced castings in the
world, in any cast metal. These SAE papers are examples of that focus."
In addition to the papers submitted this year, Dr. Ruff delivered a
presentation as part of a panel discussion on "Changing Trends in Automotive
Casting Technologies and Applications," which was jointly sponsored by the
American Foundry Society and SAE. He discussed the current landscape of
automotive metal-casting suppliers and what it will take for survival in the
21st century.
A brief summary of each of the three INTERMET technical papers follows:
Evaluation of Structural and High-Temperature Magnesium Alloys
(Paper 02M-20)
Authors: Dr. Alan P. Druschitz, Eric R. Showalter, Joseph B. McNeill,
David L. White
Presented March 4, 2002, 11:30 a.m., Cobo Center Rm. D3-24/25
The automobile and light truck industries are increasingly using more
magnesium castings in structural and high-temperature applications.
Unfortunately, the castability and mechanical behavior of the commonly used
alloys have not been compared under similar conditions. Further, new alloys
intended for high-temperature applications (Noranda AJ50X, Noranda AJ52X,
Hydro AS21X, Dead Sea Magnesium MRI-153) are being promoted, but their casting
and mechanical behavior are not well known. The properties presented in this
paper will help provide the necessary data for engineers and designers to use
these lightweight materials efficiently and effectively.
Component Testing and Materials Properties of Ductile Iron Brake Anchors
(Paper 02AE-13)
Authors: Dr. Alan P. Druschitz, Nathan J. Sochor, Brandon Reneau
Presented March 6, 2002, 10:30 a.m., Cobo Center Rm. D3-20/21
Product testing has been and will continue to be a crucial part of the
product development cycle since current math models cannot fully take into
account variable material properties and cannot fully account for all loading
conditions that might be encountered in service. For this study, a relatively
simple ductile-iron component (brake anchor) was selected to demonstrate how
design and material properties interact. A variety of tests were performed to
determine the characteristics of the component during loading. This type of
data is needed by the design engineer when specifying material requirements,
developing new components and developing component test specifications.
Induction Hardened Ductile Iron Camshafts (Paper 02M-25)
Authored by Dr. Alan P. Druschitz and Steve Thelen
Presented March 6, 2002, 11:30 a.m., Cobo Center Rm. D3-24/25
A wide variety of materials and processes are used to produce camshafts
for the automotive industry. One of the most versatile material-process
combinations is cast ductile iron along with induction hardening. Cast
ductile iron produces a low cost, near-net shape component that is suitable
for subsequent precision machining and heat treatment. Induction hardening
can be economically used to heat the casting and subsequent quenching produces
hard, wear-resistant martensite or ausferrite (austempered ductile iron).
Machining can be performed before or after induction hardening. Since a
camshaft is a multi-purpose component, different properties are needed at
different locations; for example, the desirable characteristics for the cam
lobes are a hard, wear-resistant surface with high load carrying capacity;
however, the bearing surfaces need to be readily machinable, dimensionally
accurate and smooth. Therefore, a strong, readily machinable material, such
as ductile iron, combined with localized induction hardening is often used.
This study shows how the casting process was optimized to produce material of
sufficient quality to resist quench cracking during the hardening process and
to resist mechanical cracking during the machining process.
With headquarters in Troy, Michigan, INTERMET Corporation is a
manufacturer of powertrain, chassis/suspension and structural components for
the automotive industry. INTERMET's strategy is to be the leading supplier of
cast-metal automotive components in the world. The company has more than
6,000 employees at facilities located in North America and Europe. More
information is available on the Internet at http://www.intermet.com .
SOURCE INTERMET Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.intermet.com
CONTACT:
Mike Kelly of INTERMET Corporation,
+1-248-952-2500
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