International Aluminium Die-casting Competition winners awarded at EUROGUSS 2016

German Aluminium Association, Düsseldorf, has awarded the winners of the International Aluminium Die Casting Competition 2016 as part of the EUROGUSS 2016 in Nuremberg. Prizes were awarded by a jury of experts from research and practice to three castings from renowned manufacturers with a further three castings receiving special commendations. GDA has organised a competition for aluminium die-castings for the second time. It was partnered by the Association of the German Foundry Industry. The Austrian Economic Chambers and the Swiss Aluminium Association alu.ch also supported the competition.

For many years, the Aluminium Die-casting Award has proven to be a successful platform for demonstrating the high quality standards of aluminium die-castings. The aim of the competition is to boost interest in aluminium, a versatile material, still further and to demonstrate further fields of application. Criteria for evaluating the castings, submitted to the Aluminum Die Casting Competition 2016, were the die-cast conform and resource efficient construction.

The winners were:

1st Prize: Part of an oil-coolant assembly for medium-duty commercial-vehicle engines by Hengst SE & Co. KG, Nordwalde.
Alloy used: EN AC-Al Si9Cu3(Fe)

The first prize was awarded to a part containing a large number of integrated functions, which was achieved by means of a highly complex die concept. It includes gating via a slide, slide-in-slide technique and an underfloor slide with locking. Other distinguishing features of the finished cast component are a sealing groove and a required flatness of 200m. In addition, the component has to meet very stringent cleanliness requirements and exhibit tightness at oil pressures in excess of 50 bar. Here, die-casting contributes to increasing the payload of commercial vehicles by use of intelligent applications.

There were other winners as well. The prize-winning castings will be on display in Hall 6 at the EUROGUSS fair and one can also see them this year at the ALUMINIUM trade fair in Düsseldorf (29 November - 1 December).