Data from a five-year, $1 million project from the American Foundry Society is being presented this week for inclusion in the Metallic Materials Properties Development and Standardization (MMPDS) handbook.
The project, funded by the American Metalcasting Consortium, involved testing two investment cast steel alloys (17-4 and 15-5) in three different heat treatment tempers and validating the strength and mechanical properties though a rigorous testing protocol. Acceptance into the MMPDS handbook, the official military and aerospace handbook for materials, would open the door for these alloys to be used to design and manufacture flight-critical components in military and civilian aircraft.
The 31st MMPDS Coordination Meeting, where the data is being presented, is March 6-9 in Buckhead, GA. Presenting on behalf of AFS are Jiten Shah, program manager for the research project, and Zayna Connor, AFS representative for outside research programs.
Fourteen investment casting foundries participated in this project by producing the castings at their own cost. AFS managed and used the AMC funds to pay for wax pattern production, heat treating, x-ray inspection and testing. If accepted, these will be the third and fourth alloys AFS will have had accepted into the MMPDS handbook.
AMC – comprised of metalcasting industry experts, technical associations, and leading research universities, receives funding through the U.S. Department of Defense and the Defense Logistics Agency. This strengthens ties between the DOD and the metalcasting industry to improve infrastructure and information-sharing for reduced lead times, improved quality, and lower costs in the procurement of castings for military vehicles and other defense needs.
The American Foundry Society is a dynamic technical and advocacy organization that serves and represents the $33 billion metalcasting industry. AFS is the only association serving the entire industry, including all metals and processes, with a three-part focus on advocacy, education, and innovation.
AFS also publishes Modern Casting and Metal Casting Design & Purchasing magazines and presents Metalcasting Congress and CastExpo, the largest metalcasting trade events in North America. Founded in 1896, the organization is based in Schaumburg, Illinois, with an advocacy office in Washington, D.C. More information is available at afsinc.org.