As the application of our parts becomes more critical, the specifications required to meet the demands of their performance escalate. Certification to specifications is a critical element of many purchase orders. It can involve heat treatment, chemical and physical analysis, x-ray and dye penetrant inspection, anodizing, impregnation or all of these processes. Successfully achieving these levels of certification requires specialized training and documented part specific instructions. These are all planned into the manufacturing process from order entry through final packaging.
Aluminum casting Process Specifications Certified
Heat Treat Specifications
- T4
- T5
- T6
- T71
Chemical and Mechanical Specifications
- AMS 4117
- AMS 4212
- AMS 4214
- AMS 4217
- AMS 4218
- AMS 4228
- AMS H 6088
- ASME B-26
- ASTM-A-48
- ASTM-B-26
- Mil-A-21180
- Mil-Std-21180
Class 10 Grade B - QQ-A-601
X-ray & Dye Penetrant Specifications
- Mil-Std-2175
Class 2, Grade B - AMS-Std-2175
Class 2, Grade C - Mil-Std-2175
Class 2, Grade C - Mil-Std-2175
Class 1, Grade B
Anodize Specifications
- AMS 4273
- Mil-A-8625
Type I, Class 1 - Mil-A-8625
Type II, Class 1 - Mil-A-8625
Type II, Class 2
Impregnation Specification
- Mil-Std-276A
Our heat treat departments are on the same property as the foundry operations. The advantages are many. The heat treatment of castings is a 24/7 operation. It allows us to optimize the flow of parts to the customer. This efficiency not only enhances on-time delivery, it also reduces costs in that our work in process moves faster.
The aluminum alloys that we currently heat treat are:
- A206
- 319
- 355
- 356
- A356
- A357
- 713 (artificially age)
- 771
Non-Destructive Testing
X-ray and dye penetrant inspection are our most common non-destructive testing processes. We use it internally for purposes of what we consider foundry control. That is to check our own processes. Military and aviation applications are the most common users of these methods. In some cases, testing to a sample lot will approve the whole production lot. In other cases, the testing can include 100% of the order.
Housing
Application: Defense, 2 pounds, A356-T6, X-Ray per Mil-Std- 2175 Class 2, Grade B,
Dye Penetrant per Mil-Std- 2175 Class 2, Grade B
Hook
Application:Energy Infrastructure, .8 pounds, A356-T6, X-Ray per Mil-Std 2175 Class 1, Grade B,
Dye Penetrant per Mil-Std 2175 Class 1, Grade B
Destructive Testing
Some castings have specific and measurable destructive test forces that they must surpass. Non-Destructive measures can also be a part of the assessment but it is necessary to destroy some parts to further guarantee that the casting’s performance far surpasses the stress of the application.
Our most critical example of this type of casting is one where melt lots are tracked with chemistry checks and heat treat charts. Two molds must be preselected from the lot as the x-ray samples so that the mold cavity can be marked and the x-ray ID cast on. Those two samples from the lot first must pass x-ray then they go to the customer to be destroyed on a test stand. If the two samples pass the destructive test, then their production lot can move on to be machined and shipped to the customer with the process certification documents. If one of the samples should fail, the entire lot is rejected. There can be no deviation from job specific instructions.
Hook
Application: Energy Infrastructure, 7 Pounds, Alloy 771T6, Sand Casting
Hook Casting
Application: High Voltage Transmission, 7 Pounds, Alloy 771T6, Sand Casting
Saddle
Application: Energy Infrastructure, Anodized per Mil-A- 8625 Type 2
Following machining, some of our aluminum castings require an anodize coating. This protects them from the elements and can retard or halt oxidization.
Oil Pump Housing
Application: Aviation, Impregnation per Mil-Std- 276A
Impregnation can be used as a repair process to seal casting leak defects but in many critical applications, particularly where combustibles might be involved, it can be used as part of the standard practice.