Copyright 2012, Washington State University and Bonneville Power Administration

Near-Net-Shape Casting
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Summary
Refers to multiple techniques available to reduce the amount of
machining and surface finishing required for the final cast part.

Synopsis:
Casting is a manufacturing process that is used for making complex shapes that would
otherwise be difficult or uneconomical to make. Casting takes many forms, including sand,
continuous and die casting. A liquid material is usually poured into a mold, which contains
a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also
known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process.

Near-net-shape casting (NSC) is a family of techniques where the initial part production
provides a quality surface finish and is close to the final (net) shape. Reducing the need for
machining and grinding can eliminate more than two-thirds of the production cost in some
industries. NSC techniques include investment casting, spray forming (deposition),
polymer blow molding, vacuum forming, compressed air forming, laser forming, rapid
prototyping and nanotechnology manufacture.

With NSC, very close tolerances can be achieved with material waste reduced to a
minimum. NSC techniques can be used with ferrous and non-ferrous materials such as
Titanium, Aluminum, Copper, Magnesium, and Zinc and ceramics. Currently, most steel is
continuously cast into slabs, billets or blooms, which later have to be reheated and rolled
into final shape. Direct or NSC or thin-strip casting integrates the casting and hot-rolling
of steel into one step, reducing the need to reheat the steel before rolling it (IEA,
2008). With a direct continuous steel casting approach, liquid steel can be directly cast into
semi-finished products, which eliminates the need for primary rolling of ingots.

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Prediction of energy savings is difficult as NSC is not a "one size fits all" approach.
Generally, a consultant works with a foundry to design an approach that addresses specific
requirements of the material being cast.

Energy Savings: 25%

Energy Savings Rating: Not rated. What's this?

Details
Item ID: 183
Sector: Industrial
Energy System: Process Loads & Appliances--Industrial Processes
Baseline Example:
Baseline Description:

Manufacturer's Energy Savings Claims: Currently no data available.

Best Estimate of Energy Savings:
"Typical" Savings: 25%
Low and High Energy Savings: 25% to 50%

Comments:
An analysis of advanced lost foam NSC casting processes (such as Pressure Assisted
Solidification and Vacuum Assisted Mold Filling) reported a 27% energy savings, a 46%
improvement in labor productivity and 7% less material usage compared to other casting
processes. At the same time, mechanical properties, such as fatigue resistance for
Aluminum alloys, were improved. (Druschitz, 2009).

The U.S. DOE has sponsored research for the aerospace industry using net shape casting
with Titanium powders (Peter, ORNL, 2013). They state that: The aerospace industry,
which consumes over half of the U.S. titanium production, has very high scrap generation
rates. On average, eight pounds of raw material must be machined to produce one pound
of final product, with seven pounds of machinings discarded as waste. This low material
efficiency results in high machining costs and significant energy consumption per pound of
finished product. Their research further shows that: "Titanium components fabricated from
powder metallurgy could have less than 5% to 10% scrap. When compared to conventional
processes, the new titanium powders offer a 25% to 50% reduction in energy
consumption".

Energy Use of Emerging Technology:

Currently no data available.
Technical Potential:
Currently no data available.
First Cost: Currently no data available.

Cost Effectiveness:
Simple payback, new construction (years): N/A

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Simple payback, retrofit (years): N/A

What's this?
Reference and Citations:
ORNL, 11/22/2000. Scenarios for a Clean Energy Future, Chapter 5, The Industrial Sector
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

EERE, 02/28/2007. Research Advances Application of Semi-Solid Metal Processing,

Enables High Quality Die Cast Parts
Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy

EPA, 09/06/2012. Available and Emerging Technologies for Reducing Greenhouse Gas
Emissions from the Iron and Steel Industry
Environmental Protection Agency

NADCA, 01/01/2013. About Die Casting

North American Die Casting Association

William Peter, ORNL, 05/01/2013. Near Net Shape Manufacturing of New Titanium
Powders for Industry
U.S. DOE Advanced Manufacturing Office

A Druschitz, 01/01/2009. Advanced Lost Foam Casting Processes and Materials

SAE International Journal of Material Manufacturing , 2

Rank & Scores

There is no TAG available for this technology.

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