Sarginsons helps Coventry Univ scholar to push aero aluminium casting boundaries

Sarginsons Industries, the noted aluminium die-caster from the UK, has come forward to work with an aerospace engineering student on a first-of-its-kind project that pushed the boundaries of both aluminium casting and aerospace technology forward.

Sarginsons used its signature sand and low pressure casting expertise to help the budding engineer deliver a successful final-year project.

Saif Arif from Coventry University approached Sarginsons to sandcast an aluminium bell crank component for a control column to connect wings on military Harrier aircraft. He hollowed out the bell cranck with the objective of demonstrating the component's strength and efficiency on being re-designed.

Mr Arif said: “I came up with the idea of using design software to optimise a bell crank of a military aircraft. I looked into using CNC machining to create the component, but although Coventry University has a machine it was clear it couldn’t accommodate the design.”

“I thought outside the box and started approaching local manufacturing companies. Sandcasting was one of my initial ideas as it seemed to accommodate this complex design and I’d heard of Sarginsons, researched the company and called them.”

Sarginsons specializes in light-weighting automotive components; so, it was easy for them to help Mr Arif out by designing a solution that allowed totally hollow aluminium casting to be delivered.

According to sources close to Sarginsons, this was the first time aluminium hollow casting technology was used in a Harrier jump jet. The project, they say, represents a whole new area of enterprise for the company. 

David Hayden, at Sarginsons Industries, said, “Sarginsons has extremely strong links with academia as we currently work on R&D projects with six universities on behalf of a range of automotive companies and we welcomed the opportunity to support one of Coventry University’s brightest aerospace students.