State of the North American Die Casting Industry · Lube-Free Die Casting • Use of die lubricants...

State of the North American

Die Casting Industry

December 5, 2017

Stephen P. Udvardy

President

North American Die Casting Association

Is the New Administration

Doing Any Good?

Focus Areas:

• Healthcare

• Tax Reform

• Regulation Reduction

• Trade Balancing

• Infrastructure Spending (Private Financing)

• Defense Spending

• Minimum Wage

• Immigration

Manufacturing CEO’s Rate

Challenges YesterdayNational Association of Manufacturers Report from Q3 2016

Manufacturing CEO’s Rate

Challenges TodayNational Association of Manufacturers Report from Q2 2017

No Healthcare Reform as Yet

• Individual monthly premiums have doubled from 2013-2017

• Graham-Cassidy bill, yet to pass, includes control on how much rates can escalate

• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States spent more on health care per capita, and more on healthcare as percentage of its GDP (17.2%), than any other nation

ASPE.HHS.gov ASPE: Assistant Secretary for Planning & Evaluation of Health & Human Services MLR: Medical Loss Ratio CMS: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Workforce

• The Career Technical

Education bill has been

pending for over 10 years

• Government supportive

of initiating

Apprenticeship Programs

however

• National Network for

Manufacturing Innovation

Institutes have focus on

Workforce Development

No Tax Reform as Yet• A budget resolution will set the stage for tax

reform – may be resolution in December

• Hence, any tax bill will probably not take place

until early 2018 but likely by the end of March

2018.

• Corporate Tax Rate can’t be as low as 15% but

will probably be under 25%. The current word is

22.5%.

• Question - Is it an advantage to have the lower

rate if you’re currently at 27% and can no longer

deduct equipment and interest?

Regulatory Reform

• EPA has suffered staff cuts - less

resources now

• Clean Power Plan in early re-write

stage

• Delay in ground level ozone rule is

being challenged

• Reversal of the 54.5mpg fuel

efficiency standard is a possibility

• DOL/NLRB electronic reporting

requirements may be reversed

• OSHA – Electronic recordkeeping

is in effect but being reconsidered

Manufacturers Indicate How They

Would Benefit from Lower

Compliance Costs

NAM MANUFACTURERS’ OUTLOOK SURVEY SECOND QUARTER 2017

Trade Balance• NAFTA

• Negotiations officially began on August 16, 2017

• No one except Navarro and Trump want to totally scrap NAFTA

• The focus is on revising the 62.5% N.A. content up to 75% or higher

and setting a minimum U.S. content

• The U.S. is seeking changes on currency, rules of origin and dispute

resolution

• The target for completing changes is January of 2018, the earliest the

president can sign a new agreement is March 21st and roughly six

months later the new NAFTA goes before Congress for a required

vote

• If a good balance in trade is not met, could be a phase-out of NAFTA.

• Any change to NAFTA requires a 6- month notification.

• 232 Investigations: Aluminum and Steel – Tariffs, Quotas?

$1 Trillion Infrastructure Plan

• The $1T promise has an obstacle according to CNN -Trump’s own budget cuts.

• $255B in cuts for existing infrastructure programs considered to be wasteful

• “We will create the first class infrastructure our country and our people deserve”

• “It’s time to rebuild our country to bring back our jobs”.

• Is a new plan on the horizon? No sign that an infrastructure plan will become law soon.

Macro-Economics

GDP Growth Rate

GDP Growth was 2.6% in 2015, 1.6% in 2016, 2.5% is expected for 2017

Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3

Percentage of Unemployed at 25.6%

Declined from 2016’s High of 28.5%

Consumer Sentiment Remains High

Personal consumption

index in September

2017 was 95.1, down

slightly from 98.1 in

January 2017.

Personal Consumption

Consumption ties to sentiment and helps to spark the economy. Increased

since recession but currently tailing down a bit in percent change.

Manufacturing Capacity Use at 75.5%

Manufacturing CEO Outlook Index

Up in 2017

New admin may

help small firms


Expected Growth in Manufacturing


Manufacturing Turning the Corner

in Recent Months


End Market Analysis

Light-Vehicle Sales Up from the

Prior Year’s 17.75 M

Historical Vehicle Sales

Housing Market Shaping Up but

Shy of Real Healthy

Forecast: Up 16% in 2017 and up 9% in 2018

Appliances

Tied to Housing

Household appliance production grew 4% in 2016 and is forecast to grow

3% in 2017, and another 2% in 2018

25

Industries with Largest Annual Rate of

Change 2014-2024

4.7

4.2

4.1

3.5

3.4

3.4

3.3

3.3

3.3

3.2

3.2

3.2

3.2

3.2

3.1

3.0

3.0

2.9

2.9

2.9

0 1 2 3 4 5

Software publishers

Wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite)

Satellite, telecommunications resellers, and all other telecommunications

Computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing

Other miscellaneous manufacturing

Securities, commodity contracts, and other financial investments and related…

Lessors of nonfinancial intangible assets (except copyrighted works)

Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing

Offices of other health practitioners

Home health care services

Monetary authorities, credit intermediation, and related activities

Medical and diagnostic laboratories

Offices of physicians

Other ambulatory health care services

Outpatient care centers

Hospitals; private

Computer systems design and related services

Petroleum and coal products manufacturing

General Merchandise stores

Funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles

Die Casting Capacity Use in Q3 2017

Energy Cost ($/lb Shipped) Q3 2017

Current overall average energy cost is $0.21/lb shipped

Shipment Comparison by Quarter

U.S. Foundry Shipments of Aluminum

Castings by Method(millions of pounds)

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Sand Castings

Permanent Mold

Die Castings

ALUMINUM ASSOCIATION SECOND QUARTER 2017 SHIPMENT REPORT

Forecast for 2017

2017 Q3 Snapshot

Research & Technology

Objectives:

• Identify company specific alloys

• Establish mechanical properties

• Seek Aluminum Association registration

• Transfer information to industry

Cast Materials

Standards & Specifications

• Eight company specific alloys identified

with potential performance advantages

AlloyComposition (%)

Si Cu Mg Fe Mn Zn Ni Ti Sr Other

A380 7.5-9.5 3.0-4.0 0.1 1.3 0.5 3.0 0.5 - - 0.5

B360 9.0-10.0 0.25 0.4-0.6 0.45 0.25-0.35 0.5 0.1 - 0.05-0.08 0.25

F380 8.5-9.5 3.0-4.0 0.1-0.3 0.45 0.25-0.35 1.0 0.1 - 0.05-0.08 0.5

C383 9.5-11.5 2.0-3.0 0.1-0.3 0.4 0.25-0.35 3.0 0.5 - 0.05-0.07 0.5

D384 10.5-11.5 3.0-4.5 0.1-0.3 0.4 0.25-0.35 3.0 0.1 - 0.05-0.07 0.5

High Mg A380 7.5-9.5 3.0-4.0 0.5 1.3 0.5 3.0 0.5 - - 0.5

Low Si A365 9.5 0.03 0.1-0.5 0.15 0.5-0.8 0.07 - 0.04-0.15 0.005-0.02 0.1

Gibbsalloy MN 0.1-0.3 0.1 2.6-3.7 0.2-0.5 0.4-1.0 0.05 - 0.03-0.07 - 0.5

AlMg2MN 0.2-0.4 0.05 1.85-2.3 0.6-0.8 0.4-0.6 0 - 0.05 - 0.5?

Cast Materials


Tensile Properties of Cast Specimens

* - Mg higher than target

Alloy UTS (ksi) YS (ksi) % Elong.

A380 std 47.0 23.0 3.5

E380 45.8 27.2 3.0

E380-T5 46.7 39.3 1.2

F380 46.1 23.4 5.0

F380-T5 48.4 31.4 3.3

F380-T6 61.0 49.0 2.9

A360 46.0 24.0 3.5

B360 46.6 23.5 6.1

B360-T5 52.0 37.1 3.6

B360-T6 53.0 41.0 5.8

383 45.0 22.0 3.5

C383* 45.8 23.7 4.5

384 48.0 24.0 2.5

D384** 46.1 28.0 2.4

Gibbsalloy MN 30.6 15.9 12.1

Gibbsalloy MN -T5 32.5 18.5 11.7

AlMg2MN 29.1 15.4 10

Cast Materials


• Heat treatment and tensile

testing conducted at an

independent lab

• Heat treatment: AMS 2750 E

• Tensile testing: ASTM E8-13a

• All strengths exceed those of

Standard A380

• Heat treatment boosts

strength

Tensile Properties of Castings

Alloy UTS (ksi) YS (ksi) % Elong.

A380 Standard 31.4 19.5 3.6

E380 31.9 24.4 2.9

E380-T5 37.1 36.7 1.0

E380-T6 42.3 40.3 2.0

F380 35.6 24.0 2.6

F380-T5 35.4 33.1 1.4

F380-T6 TDB TDB TDB

B360 35.9 20.6 6.0

B360-T5 40.8 27.6 5.1

B360-T6 35.3 24.5 7.9

Cast Materials


Cast Specimen Data Added to NADCA Product Standards» F380 and B360 registration with AA in

progress

Cast Materials


On-Demand Melting

• Objective:

• Eliminate holding of massive volumes of molten metal

• Develop alloy strategy which maximizes material usage

• Analysis of melting furnaces and laundering for on-demand

melting

• Develop optimum melting furnace options (gas electrical

resistance, induction, immersion heaters, microwave) for small

batch melting.

• Optimize a launder system and insulation to conserve energy and

eliminate hazards associated with an exposed molten metal

stream.

• Improve furnace melt technology to increase production for

lower quantity orders – higher speed, low volume

Charge size-shape optimization

On-Demand Melting

Targeting the objective of 6 sec/lb

Finite element simulations showed that melting

time is reduced as current frequency is

increased.

The impedance of the system needs to be

corrected to counteract the strong levitation

forces consequence of the high-frequency

currents.

59

kHz

84

kHz

On-Demand Melting

Targeting the objective of 6 sec/lb

Finite element simulations showed that melting

time is reduced as current frequency is

increased.

In summary, higher current freq. reduces melting

time. Adjustment of the resonant circuit is

required.

On-Demand Melting

Summary

• Induction is a viable method for on-demand melting.

• The melt rate increases with power and coupling.

• Preheating can significantly shorten melting time.

On-Demand Melting

Die Materials

Information from NADCA Publication #229

Die Materials

Die Materials

Many steels from which

to choose.

Lube-Free Die Casting

• Use of die lubricants result in a number

of undesirable outcomes

• Lubricants can reduce the quality of die

castings

• Utilizing lubricants increases costs

• Life of the die is compromised by the

thermal fluctuations caused by use of die

lubricants

• Die lubricants create expensive

housekeeping issues

Aluminum Adhesion Test (AAT)

• Developed a simple laboratory test

– Representative of the die casting process

• Evaluated both in-house and commercial coatings

• Generated quantitative measurement of “sticking”

behavior

– Aluminum alloys on coated and uncoated substrates

Results – Adhesion Strength

Material Supplier MethodAdhesive Strength

[MPa]

AlCrN Supplier 1 Cathodic arc 0

AlTiN Supplier 1 Cathodic arc 0

CrWN Supplier 2 Thermal diffusion 0

AlTiN Supplier 3 Cathodic arc 0*

TiAlN Supplier 3 Cathodic arc 0.01

CrN Supplier 4 Cathodic arc 0.07

Cr CSM Sputtering 0.12

CrN/AlN CSM Sputtering 0.19

CrWN Supplier 4 Cathodic arc 0.26


TiN CSM Sputtering 0.84

AlCrN Supplier 5 Cathodic arc 1.30

TiB2 Supplier 6 Sputtering 2.54

*Stuck, but no load required to separate cast aluminum from coating



[MPa]















Three

coatings

exhibited

zero

adhesion

strength



[MPa]















AlCrN

coating

chosen

for plant

trials



[MPa]















AlCrN

coating

chosen

for plant

trials

• AlCrN from supplier 1 exhibited zero

adhesion strength in multiple trials

• AlCrN has excellent oxidation resistance up

to 800oC

• AlCrN has high hardness and good wear

resistance

Plant Trial

• Casting chosen was a

balance shaft housing

• Weighs 1.75-lbs

• Produced in a single

cavity die

• Using a 700-ton die

casting machine

• PPAP run

AlCrN Coating

• Entire die coated with AlCrN• Moving side

• Cavity, runner block, vent block and core pins

• Fixed side• Cavity and vent block

Moving

side of die

Fixed side

of die

• Uncoated version

of die previously

run at Mercury• About 90,000

shots

• Necessary to

spray lube on

uncoated die for

12 secs

Plant Trial - ResultsDay 1

• 70 castings produced using 2 seconds lube

spray

• 83% reduction in spray

• No evidence of sticking

• 30 casings produced using 1 second lube

spray


• No evidence of sticking

• One casting attempted with no spray

• Stuck

Status –Plant Trial

• Coating has allowed a

reduction in spray time

from 12 seconds to 1

second


• Sizable portion of the die is

running without lubrication

• Only the gate region of the

die is being sprayed

Spray

zone

Lube Free

Quality Improvement

• Castings produced in coated die

were T6 heat treated

• 1000oF/2 hrs + WQ + Age

• Would normally be expected to

produced surface blistering

• Due to entrapped air and lubricant

• Minimal blistering after T6 heat

treatment

• Suggests improved internal quality

of castings due to low lube

• Why Multi-layer?

• Cracks initiated at the surface of monolithic layers and can

readily propagate to the substrate

• Multi-layer coatings• Cracks change propagation directions at layer interfaces

• Avoiding premature failure

Single layer

coatings

Multi-layer

coatings

Multi-Layer Coatings

• AlCrN + TiN

• Consistently exhibited zero adhesion in

CSM’s laboratory adhesion test

• Performing well in lube free plant trials at

Mercury Castings

• TiAlN + TiN

• TiAlN also exhibited exhibited zero adhesion

in CSM’s laboratory adhesion test

• From two commercial suppliers

• Common coating for Indian die casters

Multi-Layer Systems Evaluated

AlCrN + TiN

• Produced multi-layer coatings• From about 350 nm +

350 nm layer thickness

• Down to about 3 nm + 3 nm layer thickness

• Testing has shown excellent adhesion to substrate • Even after thermal

testing

• 680oC/10 mins + WQ80 nm AlCrN + 60 nm TiN

multi-layer coating

Lubricant Evaluation


Cooling effect during spray, plate at 400C


Cooling effect during pour, plate at 400C

Conclusions• Trump Administration may be doing some good. Healthcare

reform, tax reform, trade balance yet to be delivered. There

has been push-back on and delays of some onerous

regulations.

• Manufacturing in general seems to be turning the corner.

Sales, production, investments are up.

• Die Casting shipments in 2017 will be about the same as for

2016. Major markets are hanging fairly steady.

• New technologies have been developed and others are in

development for the die casting industry. These will assist in

keeping the industry strong and able to compete globally and

with other processes through improved operational efficiencies

and improved cast part performance.

State of the North American Die Casting Industry · Lube-Free Die Casting • Use of die lubricants...

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