DFM Enhancement for Cast Aluminum Automotive Components
Summary
AutoCast Solutions needed to optimize their transmission housing design for high-pressure die casting. Original design had 28% scrap rate due to porosity and dimensional issues affecting critical sealing surfaces.
The Challenge
Initial Need:
AutoCast Solutions required DFM optimization for transmission housing castings with 28% scrap rate due to porosity in critical sealing areas, dimensional instability, and excessive machining requirements for final finishing operations.
Pain Points:
Porosity in critical sealing surfaces causing leak failures
Warping during cooling affecting mating surface flatness
Excessive machining allowances increasing cycle time
Die filling issues creating incomplete cast features
Our Solution
Our Approach:
Optimized gating system design for proper metal flow, uniform wall thickness distribution, integrated cooling channels, strategic rib placement for thermal management, and cast-in locating features to minimize machining requirements.
Methodology:
Flow simulation using MAGMA5, thermal analysis for cooling optimization, die design verification, and casting trials with porosity analysis using computed tomography to validate metal flow patterns and solidification characteristics.
Final Summary:
Optimized design achieved 96.5% yield with zero porosity in critical areas, reduced machining time by 65%, improved dimensional stability to ±0.15mm, and enabled 45-second cycle time with automated part handling.
Execution
Process Description:
Production implementation included optimized die construction with conformal cooling, automated ladling systems, integrated X-ray inspection, and CNC machining cells with part-specific fixturing for consistent quality.
Outcome
Value Comparison:
Scrap rate reduced from 28% to 3.5%, machining time reduced by 65%, cycle time improved by 40%, and achieved 100% leak-free performance with automotive quality certification and 18-month payback period.
Client Testimonial:
"The DFM casting optimization eliminated our quality issues entirely and positioned us as a preferred supplier with major automotive OEMs through consistent performance."
- Quality Director, AutoCast Solutions