The Metal Casting Institute (MCI) was created as an internet blog site to relay information and lessons learned, as related to metal casting. The MCI mission is to train and prepare students, designers, engineers and quality professional for advancing into well paying and stable jobs within the automotive industry.
Michigan Consulting Services, LLC is a Michigan business entity that provides engineering services, design guidance and problem solving assistance to clients worldwide.
WHAT IS THE METAL CASTING INSTITUTE?
The Metal Casting Institute (MCI) is an internet site for both professionals and hobbyists who are interested in metal castings using aluminum, magnesium, iron, steel or zinc alloys. This website is designed to provide information, training and links to resources for getting started in metal casting.
Industry Associations and other Institutes:
For any specific metal casting process, there will be at least one industry association taking opportunity to define and publish guidelines to product designers. The most common industry associations in North America are:
- American Foundry Society (AFS)
- North American Die Casting Association (NADCA)
- Investment Casting Institute (ICI)
- Ductile Iron Society (DIS)
Generally these societies and associations publish their guidelines in consideration of the following 4 categories:
- Selection of alloy composition and associated casting process.
- Functional shape requirements of the design.
- Rules for ensuring “Cast-ability” in holes, radii, draft, etc.
- Quality control factors related to porosity, leak tightness, etc.
Magnesium Casting
Learn more about Magnesium Casting by following this link.
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Michigan Consulting Services, LLC
Michigan Consulting Services, LLC provides engineering services related to product design, supplier development and problem solving.
Author’s commentary – Brad Guthrie
When I graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville in 1978, I started working as an engineer for a company in Waukegan, IL that produced outboard motors: the Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC). Initially, I was enamored with the design of the 2-cycle engines, hoping to one day work inside OMC’s racing department. However as time went on, I became interested in the special manufacturing processes used to form the engine and power-transfer parts. The most exciting processes were associated with metal casting and the interesting technical areas related to the tooling, metallurgical analysis, downstream machining and assembly. Unknown to me at the time, the efforts I took to gain knowledge and experience with High Pressure Die Casting would help me to advance into well paying and stable jobs within the automotive industry.