Citation Columbiana converted a fabrication to lost foam at a time when many other metalcasters are turning to different processes.

Shea Gibbs, Senior Editor

irst, there was the padded steering wheel. Then, there was the beaded seat cover. Now, in the long line of products engineered to make truck drivers more comfortable comes the cast exhaust bracket from Citation Columbiana, Columbiana, Ala. The approximately 28 x 6 x 8-in.

(710 mm x 150 mm x 200 mm) ductile iron exhaust bracket bolts to the frame rail of Daimler Trucks class 8 model trucks and holds the exhaust stack vertical. As an improvement over its steel fabrication predecessor, the exhaust bracket also limits the amount of heat and noise that are transferred from the exhaust stack into the trucks cabin and

eventually into the truck drivers road weary head. What the customer wanted to accomplish was a reduction in the weight of the component, as well as a reduction in the heat transfer and noise from the exhaust back to the cab, said Jamey Reynolds, process engineering manager for Citation Columbiana. We

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accomplished those goals in lost foam through realizing what was required from a functional standpoint. Upholding Lost Foam Citation Columbiana is one of the few metalcasters in the U.S. still making production parts in the lost foam process. In the past several years, some of the major players in the industry have backed away from

the process, including General Motors. Just as the automotive giant led the charge into the process when it installed a rash of lost foam engine cylinder head and block lines in the 1990s, it has fueled a downsizing of the industry by shifting newer generations of those blocks and heads to other metalcasting processes like precision sand. According to Reynolds, the downsiz-

ing of the lost foam market segment is a double edged sword. We consider ourselves the leader of the industry because of our experience, he said. We continue to push the envelope from a technical standpoint. However, the industry itself being larger and having competitors would make our customers feel more comfortable. In order to counteract the effects of the shrinking pool of lost foam producers, Reynolds says his company is forced to take its show on the road. Citation Columbiana visits prospective customers and educates them about what the process can do and how it can fulll their needs. We tell them lost foam can offer weight reduction and design freedom that allows you to strengthen parts in

The lost foam cast exhaust bracket from Citation Columbiana (shown in inset and in teal in the schematic) supports the 8-9 ft. exhaust pipe on Daimler Trucks class 8 models (left).

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ways other than adding solid mass, Reynolds said. The pattern molding equipment requires less draft and the process offers dimensional precision that allows the elimination or reduction of machining and the ability to integrate multiple components into a single unit. In the course of taking its show on the road, Citation has come across a

particular market segment it sees as a potential growth marketheavy truck. Because the industry has shifted its focus toward light-weighting in order to meet stringent new environmental regulations, lost foam is an attractive option for designers looking to reduce the amount of material used on certain components, like diesel particulate lter brackets,

spring hangers, exhaust brackets, and diesel blocks and other engine components. We are looking into lost foam overall for our existing applications, as well as future applications, to reduce weight and improve the quality of our parts to make them more cost effective, said Napolyon Isikbay, Daimler Trucks senior manager for chassis structures and after treatment group. In addition, Reynolds notes that designers in the heavy truck market segment are generally familiar with the capabilities of ferrous parts and potential conversions to iron from steel. All of these benets aside, though, OEMs like Daimler still may have some concerns about dealing with such a small pool of lost foam producers. I think in general it is somewhat of a concern, Isikbay said. You want a good competitive playing field, but building relationships [with suppliers] you trust to bring your vision home is important. Two Peas in a Process Daimler Trucks design engineer Walt Pratt appreciates a metal casting supplier that is willing to work closely with him. When hes designing a component for the metalcasting process, he likes to nish a design and have his supplier work directly from his CAD les. I want to deliver an initial design and [have the supplier] come back with any concerns, Pratt said. I dont mind making the changes, as long as we come out with a part that works well for us. I dont want someone to take my model and run off with it. I want to work with them. Particularly when working in lost foam, Pratt nds the expertise of the metalcaster invaluable. From a design engineers perspective, we want a vendor we can ask [questions of and] someone to explain to us what the issues are,

As opposed to the steel fabrication that preceded it, the lost foam exhaust bracket allows Daimler Trucks the exibility to produce two different exhaust congurations. The top photos show the outside conguration; the bottom photos illustrate inside conguration.

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Pratt said. Thats something [Citation is] able to do. Pratt notes several key differences between designing in lost foam and sand casting processes. Because the patterns used in the lost foam process are not broken into a top and bottom half, he can be less cognizant of the loading of the part with respect to the parting line. The parting plane is very important, Pratt said. With green sand it seems like you always have the parting line right through a high fatigue area. It is easier to design around it with the foam process. This characteristic of the patterns also allows the designer more freedom when it comes to draft angles. But that doesnt mean Pratt can play fast and loose with all the rules of casting design. The designer and metalcaster still have to work together to attempt to limit warpage in the nal casting, as well as air pockets in the sand around the foam pattern. There has to be a successful marriage so that we can both get out what we need, Isikbay said. On the exhaust bracket the two companies recently worked on, that marriage led to a nal part conguration that closely resembled the initial design. This Bracket Isnt Exhausted When redesigning the class 8 model exhaust bracket, Daimler trucks made one misstep. When the company decided it wanted to convert its steel fabrication to a casting, it attempted to make it in the nobake process. According to Isikbay, the low startup costs associated with sand tooling were attractive (he did not disclose the exact savings). Unfortunately, while one of Citation Columbianas sister companies attempted to produce the part for Daimler in the sand process, it ended up yielding a higher piece price than was acceptable. The [nobake] casting process was an intermediate step, Reynolds said. But it was not manufacturable as a production part. The part had to be hollowed out, and in lost foam we didnt require a separate core. According to Pratt, the size of the part, the draft angles and added weight required, the production rates, the increased amounts of warpage, and the costs to machine several features into the raw casting all made nobake
For an audiocast with the designers, go to www.moderncasting.com.

We are looking into lost foam to reduce weight, improve the quality of our parts and make them more cost effective.Napolyon
Isikbay, Daimler Trucks
casting difcult in this case. With nobake, youre limited to certain wall thicknesses, Isikbay said. For a part as big as this, you pay a penalty for your draft angles and wall thicknesses. Finally, the loading requirements across the parting line and the amount of material needed to meet those loading requirements made lost foam more appropriate for the part. In order to deliver a part that would provide fatigue strength while limiting trucker fatigue, Daimler and Citation worked together to redesign the exhaust bracket as a hollow, onepiece ductile iron casting with the required bolt holes and mounting surfaces cast in to completely elimi-

nate the machining operations. The part had to be produced with precision atness to allow it to be bolted directly onto the truck frame rail in a way that was friendly to the rest of the trucks component package. The packaging constraints of the fabrication were tremendous, Isikbay said. Going with a casting, we were able to do that very effectively. I would put the packaging friendliness at the top of the list [of improvements provided by the casting]. The exhaust bracket was redesigned with appropriate strength to hold 8-9 ft. of exhaust pipe (depending on the truck model) at a piece price that was considerably reduced from the previous steel fabrication. The resulting casting also was lighter due in large part to its varying wall thicknesses. The surface nish is great. The edge conditions are good, Isikbay said. The bottom line is we got a much better product. MC
For More Information
Finding Lost Foam, S. Gibbs, MODERN CASTING, December 2007, p. 30-33.

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For additional photos of EBAA Iron, visit www.moderncasting.com.

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