CAST-IT Resources

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CAST-IT Webinar Series

The CAST-IT team has recorded informative sessions on the following subjects:

A Project Management Approach to Air Set Sand and Investment Casting

Discover how to manufacture a casting that meets all necessary requirements, the pros and cons of the Air Set Sand Casting Process,  the benefits and short comings of the Investment Casting process and what project management steps to take if the original manufacturing insight is lost in order to be quickly and efficiently become compliant with the TDP. In part four, let’s discuss how to turn the raw casting into a finished part.

First Article Approval Success

Part 1: Learn what steps new awardees should take to be successful, how engineering authorities and inspection labs can assist, and the overall best practices to achieve first article approval.

Part 2: Learn how machining castings is different, how engineering authorities, inspection labs, and DCMA can help under the FAR, and the best practices for a collaborative solid model sequence to achieve first article approval.

First Steps to Supplying Legacy Castings (Webinar Series 2)

A complete series on supplying legacy cast parts from start to finish.

Casting Quality Tips

The CAST-IT application engineers have compiled their collective knowledge on the following topics:

Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing Casting Quality Tip Series

Case Study 3: Seemingly Complex Made Simple - Position of a Feature and Profile of a Surface

In the Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing Casting Quality Tip Series Overview that AMC sent out previously, simple GD&T improvements to help new suppliers achieve first article approvals were outlined.  In the following case study, you will see how using Position Tolerance to define features and Profile Tolerance to define surfaces can result in a new awardee more easily achieving a First Article approval, creating both cost and lead time savings.

Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing Casting Quality Tip Series

Case Study 1: Clarifying Datums and Defining Datum Targets

In the Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing Casting Quality Tip Series Overview that AMC sent out previously, simple GD&T improvements to help new suppliers achieve first article approvals were outlined.  One such opportunity is about clarifying datums and defining datum targets. In the following case study, you will see how simple changes allowed a metalcasting supplier team to avoid dimensional and/or surface finish rejection of their First Article casting.

Simple GD&T Improvements: An Opportunity when Revising Casting Drawings

Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T) (ASME Y14.5 – 2018) was developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1940s.  It originated from the realization that actual parts are three-dimensional and the prior (and still existing) Coordinate Tolerancing System is two-dimensional. GD&T is a system for defining and communicating engineering tolerances and geometrical requirements. Form, fit, and function are at the forefront of this system. As 2D drawings are being updated for other reasons, simple GD&T improvements can be made which will help new suppliers achieve first article approvals.

Impact of Requiring NADCAP Approved Heat Treatment Facilities for Castings

 The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Aviation Casting and Forging Summit held in September of 2019 and resulting working groups sought to uncover the reasons for sourcing issues, long lead times, and delayed procurements and deliveries of cast and forged components. The Technical and Quality working group discovered a recurring issue caused by technical data package/purchase order requirements for using National Aerospace and Defense Accreditation Program (NADCAP) heat treatment facilities.

In-Process Weld Rework Reduces Cost and Lead Time for Aluminum Castings

In-Process Weld Rework (I-PWR) is an everyday metalcasting industry
finishing process that reworks indications of potential non-conformances. This process is often unnecessarily limited which  results in an increase in cost and lead times. In 2018, AMC published a Casting Quality Tip on I-PWR in hopes of increasing the understanding and acceptance of this procedure for defense castings.  Using the Casting Quality Tip as well as other supporting data, David Weiss, VP of Sales and Engineering at Eck Industries, was able to convince his customer to overturn a blanket specification banning I-PWR.

In-Process Weld Rework

Internal scrap rate in a metalcaster’s shop is a major concern for casting producers and customers. Pragmatic approval of in-process weld rework, as one of the many normal casting finishing processes, has the potential to drive down the internal scrap rate and the resulting high casting costs and lead times. 

Casting Quality Tips for Inspection and Machining Fixtures

These are tips to help ensure every qualified casting produces a finish machined part that meets all requirements of the technical data package.

First Article Testing (FAT) for Castings

Solutions to assist in the FAT process to avoid delays or additional testing costs to best enable a responsive supply chain to support defense procurements, minimize PLT and reduce impacts on stock availability.

Importance of Accurate Specification Conversions

Assistance in converting technical data packages (TDPs) from canceled or obsolete specs to current specs to avoid delays of contracts and suppliers ability to fulfill contracts.

Advantages of the Casting Process

The casting process has nearly unlimited flexibility compared to other manufacturing processes and is excellent for optimizing designs based on performance and weight requirements rather than processing limitations.

CAST-IT Parts Library

CAST-IT has worked on over 2,900 diverse parts.

Documentation for First Article Testing (FAT)

Information for Contractors to include for FAT.