Technical paper one of three presented by INTERMET at annual Congress
TROY, Mich., March 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a groundbreaking study
presented at the 2003 SAE World Congress in Detroit,
INTERMET Corporation (Nasdaq: INMT) unveiled a new ferrous metal that allows
for the production of high-strength, safety-critical iron automotive cast
components at a much lower cost than competing materials and processes.
Dr. Alan P. Druschitz, INTERMET's Director of Material Research and
Development, and David C. Fitzgerald, Director of Product Engineering and
Design, delivered a technical presentation introducing "MADI(TM)" (Machinable
Austempered Ductile Iron) ferrous metal, which gives automotive engineers the
flexibility to design suspension and powertrain components with the strength
of steel forgings, but at the cost and machinability of as-cast ductile-iron
castings.
According to Druschitz, the MADI material addresses one of the major
stumbling blocks to the efficient casting of suspension control arms and
crankshafts in austempered ductile iron: they are difficult and costly to
machine. "The machining of hardened, or austempered, ductile-iron castings
has been a problem in the past because of the cost of the special tools
necessary to mill the material," he said. "With the MADI material, we use a
special iron chemical composition and heat-treat cycles that produce a unique
microstructure more favorable to normal, less costly machining methods,"
Druschitz said. "This is a major breakthrough, especially for high-volume
automotive applications, which demand continuous improvement in performance as
well as higher value."
The study, titled "MADI(TM): Introducing a New, Machinable Austempered
Ductile Iron," was presented on Tuesday, March 4, 2003 at Cobo Center in
Detroit. In addition to this report, INTERMET engineers presented two other
technical papers at the SAE World Congress. A brief summary of each follows:
Bolt Load Compressive Stress Retention Testing of Magnesium Alloys (Paper
2003-01-0178)
Authors: Dr. Alan P. Druschitz, Eric R. Showalter, INTERMET Corp.
Presented Monday, March 3, 2003
For years, the automotive industry has been using magnesium castings for
structural applications, such as seat backs, seat pans, brake-pedal brackets
and instrument panels. But acceptance of magnesium has been slower for more
demanding powertrain applications like oil pans, transmission cases and
cylinder blocks, which encounter higher temperatures. These components must
retain their tensile and compressive strength through a wide range of
temperatures. This paper looks at a number of new magnesium alloys that have
been developed to address these issues at more competitive costs when compared
with aluminum and gray iron.
New Approach in Non-destructive Evaluation Techniques for Automotive
Castings (Paper 2003-01-0436)
Authors: Thomas E. Prucha, Nanda Gopal, INTERMET Corp., Robert H. Nath,
Quasar International Inc. Presented Wednesday, March 5, 2003
Automotive castings increasingly are being utilized in structurally
demanding and safety-critical applications. The need for reduced weight,
near-net shape and more cost-effective components has resulted in a desire by
automotive designers and component manufacturers to explore the reduction of
conservative safety factors used for design criteria. This presentation
reviews past requirements and testing approaches and sets the background for
introducing an NDE (Non-Destructive Evaluation) method that evaluates parts
not in terms of specific indications, but in terms of structural properties --
a much better way to determine component fitness.
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 world's leading
supplier of cast-metal automotive components. The company has approximately
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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