METAL CASTING 
Project Fact Sheet 
PRACTICES BEING IDENTIFIED TO DEVELOP LIGHT WEIGHT, THIN 
BENEFITS 
THIN SECTION STEEL CASTING 
• Improves foundry practices in steel 
foundries resulting in larger market share 
• Reduces energy requirements in the 
foundry due to reduced melting 
requirements 
• Improves fuel efficiency in the automotive 
sector through the introduction of light 
weight, thin wall steel cast components 
APPLICATIONS 
The results of this project can be applied 
throughout the steel foundry industry. 
Techniques for thin section steel casting can 
be implemented for an virtually any type of 
steel cast component, however, the strongest 
demand is currently for light weight cast 
components in the automotive industry. 
SECTION STEEL CASTINGS 
Continued customer demand for lighter casting weights points to the significant 
market for high-strength, thin-wall steel castings in automotive applications and 
thinner wall castings for a wide variety of other applications. 
In this project, Pennsylvania State University and industry partners are 
developing a comprehensive understanding of thin section steel mold filling and 
the influence of foundry processing variables on thin section steel capabilities. 
This will enable low cost light weight cast steel components. 
The development of the FM (fonte mince) process in the mid-1980s and the 
Hitchiner process in the 1990s have been driven by opportunities to reduce wall 
thickness. Although these "low pressure" processes offer enhanced mold filling, 
the capabilities of conventional, low cost "gravity pour" sand casting to produce 
thin-wall steel castings has not been fully exploited. The most critical technology 
areas to address are techniques for enhancing and ensuring the ability of the 
molten steel to fill thin mold sections. The issues that must be addressed 
include metal fluidity enhancement, metal/mold surface tension constraints, and 
gating system development. No comprehensive guidelines have yet been 
established to permit foundries to fully embrace the critical technologies needed 
for successful cast thin section steel components. 
THIN WALL STEEL CASTING DESIGN 
Steel castings with wall thickness as thin as 4mm can be readily produced. 
OFFICE OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES 
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Project Description 
Goal: The goal of this project is to develop a fundamental understanding of the key 
technologies needed to develop lighter weight, thinner section steel castings. The focus 
is directed towards an understanding of technologies and practices that will enhance 
mold cavity filling. 
Progress and Milestones 
This three year project began in October 1997. Specific tasks include: 
• Plant Casting Trials - This research data was used to develop a comprehensive 
empirical understanding of the many factors influencing thinner section casting 
capabilities. To date, analysis of test castings has resulted in empirical equations to 
predict thin wall filling performance. 
• Laboratory Trials - Laboratory trials are isolating critical thinner section casting 
variables. Because the influence of certain critical foundry variables cannot be 
readily studied at production foundries, these studies and additional fluidity and 
mold filling experiments are being performed in the laboratory. 
• Validation Studies with Solidification Modeling Software - FLOW-3DŽ was chosen as 
the simulation package due to its flexibility in specifying the simulation inputs. The 
sensitivity of mold filling simulation to several inputs was evaluated including the 
effect of heat transfer coefficient, velocities, freezing range, and critical fraction solid. 
The simulation also was used to evaluate the sensitivity of foundry variables 
including pouring temperatures and mold materials. Wall thickness was found to be 
a significant factor. For the same initial metal temperature, increasing the wall 
thickness from 3 mm to 4 mm increases the minimum fill distances by 70 percent on 
average. 
PROJECT PARTNERS 
Pennsylvania State University 
University Park, PA 
Steel Founders' Society of America 
Barrington, IL 
Durametal Corp. 
Muncy, PA 
Pacific Steel Casting Co. 
Berkeley, CA 
Pelton Casteel 
Milwaukee, WI 
Pennsylvania Steel 
Hamburg, PA 
Quaker Alloy 
Myerstown, PA 
Spokane Industries 
Spokane, WA 
Varicast, Inc. 
Portland, OR 
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, 
PLEASE CONTACT: 
Harvey Wong 
Office of Industrial Technologies 
Phone: (202) 586-9235 
Fax: (202) 586-6507 
Harvey.Wong@ee.doe.gov 
http://www.oit.doe.gov/IOF/metalcast/ 
Please send any comments, 
questions, or suggestions to 
webmaster.oit@ee.doe.gov. 
Visit our home page at 
www.oit.doe.gov 
Office of Industrial Technologies 
Energy Efficiency 
and Renewable Energy 
U.S. Department of Energy 
Washington, D.C. 20585 
January 2001