BMW opens emission-free foundry
BMW will be opening an emission-free foundry at its facility in the Bavarian city of LandshutThe company is extending the use of core moulding methods already in use for the manufacture of aluminium crankcases and cylinder heads for six-cylinder diesel engines to cover the foundry's entire product range.
The changes focus on the sand cores used for internal cavities like lubrication and coolant passages inside the company's alloy heads and blocks. This traditionally done by inserting a moulded mix of fine sand and binder materials into the die cast for each component. The heat of the molten metal melts and evaporates the binder substance, leaving the loose sand to be shaken or brushed out of the component once it cools down.
BMW's new facility replaces the conventional use of organic binders with new-generation materials based on water-soluble alkali silicates.
To maximise its use of the technology's potential, the company has introduced a full panoply of casting, moulding and core shooting tools. The result is a simpler, quicker process with a cooling efficiency allowing it to get rid of old vent-cooling systems and cut manufacturing cycle times by about 10 per cent.
An important by-product of allowing the molten aluminium alloy to cool quicker is stronger components. This, the company says, opens the way to boosting the power efficiency of its engines by boosting their peak cylinder pressure tolerance.
On top of this, the new facility dispenses with the energy intensive system of dry-ice blasting (using frozen CO2 pellets) to rid the casting equipment of combustion residues.
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