Sarginsons helps Coventry Univ scholar to push aero aluminium casting boundaries

<p>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.</p> <p>Sarginsons used its signature sand and low pressure casting expertise to help the budding engineer deliver a successful final-year project.</p> <p>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.</p> <p><img src="http://www.alcircle.com/uploads/images/Sarginsons20Coventry20University20collaboration.jpg" alt="News: Sarginsons work on aero casting" width="900" height="850" /></p> <p>Mr Arif said: &ldquo;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&rsquo;t accommodate the design.&rdquo;</p> <p>&ldquo;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&rsquo;d heard of Sarginsons, researched the company and called them.&rdquo;</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.&nbsp;</p> <p>David Hayden, at Sarginsons Industries, said, &ldquo;Sarginsons has extremely strong links with academia as we currently work on R&amp;D projects with six universities on behalf of a range of automotive companies and we welcomed the opportunity to support one of Coventry University&rsquo;s brightest aerospace students.</p>