Compound casting for lightweight solutions with optimized properties

The purpose is to develop and implement compound casting as a method for production of lightweight components maintaining or improving performance. The industrial need is about developing lightweight solutions by using the right material at the right Place. In order to do so several materials need to be combined in one Component.

The focus of this Project is compound casting of ductile iron and aluminium to produce a multimaterial design. Commercial Automotive industry is constantly challenged when it comes to saving weight in order to improve fuel economy and load capacity. This Project aims to develop a method which creates a metallurgical bonding between the materials in order to provide heat transfer as well as mechanical joining at the boundary between the materials.

The goal is to show a weight reduction of more than 30% on a hub without decreasing safety. To succeed a number of challenges at the boundary between the materials must be solved. An important question is how a substrate may be applied to optimize the properties of the compound cast  Component. The method must be implemented and integrated with existing production in a cost and resource efficient way. The Project will also investigate how the Component will be affected by post processing like heat treatment and machining, and how it will do in normal conditions. One part of the Project will be to identify other Automotive Components where compound casting could be a solution, and also investigate a concept where the hub includes a brake disc.