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Engine Block Die Development today
3/17/2003		Standards for auto emissions and weight reduction are becoming more stringent than ever. This is forcing automotive designers to consider lighter materials for their powertrain components, including aluminum for engine blocks. If European and Japanese marke ts are any indication, the process of choice for engineering and tooling for these types of engine blocks in North America will be die casting in the not too distant future.

One reason is cost. Die casting is the cheapest way to produce high volumes of geometrically complex aluminum parts. It is by far the more economical process for higher volume programs generating 300 to 500 a day quotas per production cell. Overall savings are achieved through reduced cycle time (one engine block can be produced every three minutes versus six to eight minutes with sand casting), less downtime, reduced waste and less energy consumption.

Sand casting for example, generates more waste and consumes more raw materials. Sand reclaiming in particular has extremely high-energy requirements for melting, regrinding and re-molding. Further, sand cast parts require extensive machining to achieve a finished part. On engine blocks, up to 7lbs of material may need to be removed as compared to 1 ½ lbs for a die cast part. As environmen tal concerns increase, and competition increases, these process costs will come under closer and closer scrutiny.

Another factor is quality. Die cast parts are lighter and run to tighter tolerances, ensuring that the process is more accurate and therefore repeatable.

While die cast aluminum engine blocks are used sporadically in North America, one need only look to the Japanese and European auto manufacturers where they have been a production mainstay for many years. These markets have been using open deck engine block design and die casting to produce lighter, smaller, more fuel-efficient engines. The efficiency of the process, combined with decades of commitment to energy and fuel conservation, has led to much more widespread acceptance than in North America, but that is expected to change as market forces are brought to bear.

A new direction in V die design

In 1997, Exco developed a unique three-plate or split ejector die design system that allows manufacturers to maintain dimensional consistency for location of the slides on dies for V-block engines. Exco has designed and built V6 production dies using this concept for manufacturers in North America and V8 production dies for Europe.

The three plate design was developed to address a number of challenges commonly associated with high volume engine block casting programs.

·  Excessive bank and side slide movement

·  Inconsistent bank slide liner location

·  Difficulties in die maintenance and reliability

·  Inability to handle high intensification pressure

In creating this design, which makes use of a moving ejector die base to positively lock the bank slides, Exco can deliver a more robust, rigid, dimensionally consistent die that is easier to maintain and service.

In addition, as new projects emerge, data from existing designs can be used as a foundation for subsequent die projects, thereby reducing development time. Exco has since been building on the three plate concept to develop new designs for 60º and 90º configured V6 and V8 engine block castings. These new offerings provides the same strength and reliability as the three plate design while resulting in a more compact finished product.

As market forces continue to change, manufacturers will be continuing to look to more innovative processes to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and compete more effectively. In North America especially, where die casting volumes are enormous (the major manufacturers produce in excess of 1 million engines a year), having reliable, flexible and innovative tooling equipment will ensure that these volumes can be met more cost-efficiently.

Exco Engineering designs, builds, and supplies prototype and development engine block dies for either aluminum or magnesium alloys at very competive prices and lead times. As part of prototype and development die tooling programs, Exco also has the capabilities to produce machined castings.

For information on Excos engineering services, contact;

Kevin Hollingworth, Senior Design Engineer
Exco Engineering
905.853.8568