GM refines casting technologies - General Motors Corp
On a recent tour of the AMDC, Williams and others lifted one corner of the veil of secrecy over the center’s activities and interests, particularly in the areas of LFC, squeeze casting and MMC. A complete production system For lost foam casting drew the most attention, because that is what GM will use to make the aluminum blocks and heads for the new 1-6 truck engines it is expected to bring out in 2001 (AMM, March 18). They will be the first all-aluminum truck-specific engines ever produced in high volumes by GM. Even before then, GM will use LFC to make the aluminum blocks and heads for the new L850 in-line four-cylinder car engines that are slated to be built in Tonawanda, N.Y.
The LFC production system at the AMDC actually is a test and development system that gets tried, adjusted, improved and tried again so that the next time GM installs such a system at its production casting facilities in Saginaw, Defiance or Massena, the group’s casting managers and engineers will know exactly what equipment and operating procedures to use in the system. “Having a complete system at our disposal for development purposes is advantageous,” said Paul H. Mikkola, GM Powertrain’s director, advanced manufacturing engineering. “Seeing how all the operations relate to each other allows us to do a better job.” It also enables the manufacturing engineers and system installers to “hit the floor running when it’s time to put a production system into one of our casting plants,” added Barry Priem, LFC manager at the center.
GM already has used squeeze casting to make certain production components, such as steering knuckles and suspension system control arms, just as it has used-and still is using-LFC in the high-volume production of major engine and transmission components. Squeeze casting currently is being tested as a production technique for MMC pistons as well as other components.