Exco and Lunt Work Together for Award Winning Casting 3/17/2003

One of Exco's unique achievements in the past two years is its collaboration with Lunt Manufacturing of Hampshire IL., to design and build a production die for an unusually large auto part: a magnesium cast instrument panel for a medium duty truck. The success of this project marked a step forward in tool building for both Exco and Lunt. The technical challenges of this large and geometrically complex part were further enhanced by additional customer requirements. Specifically, the casting was to contain significantly less material volume than the one in production, while maintaining sound structural and material properities. Further, there was to be no post machining on the cast part, and the die itself had to be production ready when shipped. Early in 2000, Lunt chose to partner with Exco for the design and manufacture of the die, specifically because of Exco's reputation for quality and technical creativity. Exco rose to the challenges set by both the automaker and the casting supplier by applying its full suite of engineering services to the project. In close collaboration with both parties, Exco performed exacting simulations of heat, flow and stress analysis of the proposed concepts and completed a thorough structural analysis of Excos solid model design. The casting designers, casting supplier, and tool designers developed a constant flow of productive communication between all members of the team, which allowed fast response to questions, and minimized headaches. The chosen design neatly solved the customer requirements and unique casting challenges. Excos innovative approach was to re-orient the part within the die, successfully achieved with the flexibility afforded by Excos patented toggle locking core design . Additionally, among the unique features of the die, was the use of nineteen core pulls added to the die design to meet the requirements for no post machining. The final die was an innovation in and of itself. Not only did the die achieve optimum material properties into the steering column area, but the die design and use of the toggle lock contributed to a 30% reduction in casting weight over the existing production version. Further, it required no machining, and little finishing beyond a trimming operation. Proof of the projects success has come in the form recognition from the die-casting industry itself. NADCA presented Lunt with the Large Magnesium Casting Award, at the 2001 Annual Die Casting Congress and Exposition, in Cincinnati, OH. Lunt has also been very forthcoming in acknowledging Excos contributions to this award-winning project.