HI-MAC project receives funding from Dept. of Energy and U.S. Automotive Materials Partnership

Modern Casting, July, 2006

A High Integrity Magnesium Automotive Castings (HI-MAC) project is the most recent magnesium project to receive approval and funding under the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) cooperative agreement with the U.S. Automotive Materials Partnership (USAMP) of USCAR-the U.S. Council for Automotive Research.

Awarded on April 1, the estimated four-year, $6 million project will help develop metalcasting process techniques and tools required to manufacture higher integrity cast magnesium components for the automotive industry. The DOE will provide $3 million in cash funding through its cooperative agreement with USAMP, while an additional $3 million will come through in-kind efforts of the project participants.

The project proposal was developed largely through the efforts of an American Foundry Society (AFS) team made up of Bruce Cox, Daimler-Chrysler Corp., Farmington Hills, Mich.; Steve Robison, AFS Inc., Schaumburg, Ill.; Don E. Penrod, Manufacturing Services & Development Inc., Cape Haze, Fla.; and David Weiss, Eck Industries, Manitowoc, Wis.

The need for lightweight material in automotive production is primarily driven by the demand for better fuel efficiency and reduced exhaust emissions. Magnesium castings can contribute to improving a vehicle's fuel efficiency by reducing the overall weight of vehicles. Additional potential benefits of lower weight include the reduction of exhaust emissions and better overall vehicle performance.

"The HI-MAC program gives us the opportunity to apply and modify established structural casting processes like low pressure permanent mold and squeeze casting to the production of high performance magnesium castings," said Weiss, AFS Magnesium Div. research chair. "The successful completion of HI-MAC will leave a foundation of research and development that can be deployed across industries for a greener, more competitive U.S. manufacturing base."

Previous efforts to develop the use of magnesium castings in automotive applications resulted in the USAMP Structural Cast Magnesium Development (SCMD) project's successful redesign of the front cradle for the 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 from cast aluminum to a cast magnesium design, resulting in a 35% weight reduction. The HI-MAC team believes that similar reductions can be achieved in other suspension and chassis components with the use of magnesium castings.

"The HI-MAC project is another opportunity for the U.S. metalcasting industry to demonstrate its technological strength and forward thinking. The continued research and development of magnesium castings for automotive applications is a great step toward a cooperative future between our industries," said Jerry Call, executive vice president of AFS.