The AI-driven aluminium casting revolution is drawing nearer following the unveiling of the first designs
Sarginsons Industries, a foundry based in Coventry (England), has published designs showing how an existing cast automotive subframe, which was weight-optimised in 2022, has been reduced from 28 kg to 15 kg.
The designs were created using new AI-driven software currently under development to demonstrate that the mass of aluminium components in automotive engineering can be reduced without compromising mechanical integrity.
The design highlights where excess aluminium has been removed and underscores the software’s ability to simulate a part’s varying mechanical properties in order to place the right material in the right place.
Sarginsons aims to produce the first physical casting using this technology by the summer.
The designs are the first results of the ‘Performance Integrated Vehicle Optimisation Technology’ (PIVOT) project, which Sarginsons is leading alongside its partners after receiving a grant of £6 million from the Advanced Propulsion Centre and Innovate UK.
Gavin Shipley, Technical Director at Sarginsons: “The designs not only look exceptional, they actually are exceptional, as they are 50 per cent lighter.
We have managed to overcome the complexity of simulating the yield strength, tensile strength and elongation of cast components. We can now predict the mechanical performance of the cast part point by point across the entire mould. This means, for the first time, that the actual performance in a vehicle crash can be simulated.
The ability to simulate and optimise casting performance at such a detailed level means that we can now produce organic, highly optimised designs that were previously beyond human imagination.
For the first time, the castings are also being produced from secondary, fully recycled aluminium, which means that PIVOT’s research could also represent the greatest advance yet in reducing CO2 emissions from vehicles since the introduction of the electric car – whilst at the same time drastically reducing the need for environmentally damaging mining.
The combined effect of all these technologies finally enables us to realise the full potential of liquid metal technology to manufacture components in almost any shape and size without compromising performance.
“This is a truly exciting prospect, as we are paving the way for cars, aeroplanes, trains and drones to utilise this technology in the future, making them lighter, more environmentally friendly and more cost-effective.”
Further information on the PIVOT research can be found at www.sarginsons.com.