CastExpo'08 Highlights Global Warming, Energy Costs

U.S. dependence on oil, escalating energy costs, and climate change legislation are all important issues facing metalcasters today. All three of these topics will be featured at the 112th Metalcasting Congress to be held in conjunction with CastExpo'08 this May in Atlanta.The U.S. dependence on petroleum for transportation fuels has been a great cause for concern. The Hoyt Memorial Lecture, "FreedomCAR and Casting: Research & Development of Cast Automotive Components," by Joseph Carpenter Jr., U.S. Department of Energy, on Monday, May 19, at 10:15 a.m., highlights the latest research in advanced automotive technologies aimed at reducing reliance on petroleum for transportation. The lecture will focus on the major role cast aluminum and magnesium automotive components have played in the research. Global climate change legislation is a hot topic; however, its final effect on the metalcasting industry remains to be seen. The special session, "Global Warming and the Metalcasting Industry," on Tuesday, May 20, at 8:30 a.m., will inform you of AFS's involvement in climate change issues, define key issues, preview pending legislation, and describe potential costs of compliance. Plan to attend this session to gain awareness of the potential effect global warming legislation will have on your operation.The cost of energy is a big part of the operating budget for metalcasting facilities, and any reduction in energy consumption results in direct bottom-line savings. The special congress workshop, "Forum on Energy Savings," on Tuesday, May 20, at 10:00 a.m., focuses on simple changes metalcasting facilities can make that result in major reductions in these costs. Using metalcasting facility case studies, the workshop will demonstrate how practical energy saving techniques can be applied immediately to your operation.The AFS Town Hall Meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 17, at 11:30 a.m., will review the latest programs offered by AFS/CMI, as well as a chance to meet the AFS National Officers, Board of Directors and staff. Come prepared to discuss current and future metalcasting issues.Don't wait. Register early at reduced rates at www.castexpo.com.

Yamaha to introduce DiASil cylinder in India

Parallel to a slew of launches, Yamaha Motor India is aiming to demonstrate its technological prowess with the launch of DiASil Cylinder in the Indian market. Yamaha “DiASil Cylinder” is used on the new 150cc YZF-R15 which was unveiled at Auto Expo 2008 and will be released in the market later this year.

Developed in 2002 by Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd, Yamaha “DiASil Cylinder” is an all-aluminum die-cast cylinder with 60% better cooling performance and 30% cheaper production cost than a conventional cylinder. Yamaha “DiASil Cylinder”, is the world’s first all-aluminum die-cast cylinder and it achieves cooling performance equivalent to that of a nickel-plated cylinder, which is currently recognized as the best in the industry, but at a significantly lower production cost than a nickel-plated cylinder.

“DiASil", an abbreviation for "Die-casting Aluminum-Silicon", is a technology which brings together an ideal combination of material, manufacturing technology and environmental friendliness. The material used is a 20% silicon content aluminum alloy, the manufacturing technology is the Yamaha CF Aluminum Die-cast Technology, which enables the production of an all-aluminum die-cast cylinder. It is Yamaha’s exclusive CF Aluminum Die-cast Technology that enables the mass production of a die-cast cylinder made completely of 20% silicon content aluminum alloy, something that could not be done with conventional die casting methods.

According to Mr. Sanjay Tripathi, Head of Dept- Product Planning & Strategy, “Conventional engine cylinders have a steel liner to reduce the friction resulting from the piston's movement. The "DiASil" cylinder is made by the exclusive Yamaha Aluminum Controlled Forging (CF) technology. Because the "DiASil" Cylinder is all aluminum, it has excellent heat dissipation qualities and reduces engine weight at the same time. In comparison to cast steel liner type aluminum cylinders, the DiASil cylinder has 60% better cooling performance at 30% lower manufacturing cost and enables 30% lighter design which results in better power to weight ratio besides excellent recyclability”.

“Considering the environment-friendly nature of aluminum, we have made aluminum technologies part of our core technology and actively increasing the use of aluminum in our products. Our CF Aluminum Die-cast Technology enables the mass production of die-cast aluminum parts that are both thinner and larger than was possible in the past. This same technology has been applied to the manufacture of engine parts. This is also a technology that can be easily transferred to overseas Yamaha manufacturing bases. Yamaha also plans to apply to new areas automobile and outboard motor engine parts”, he added.

This next-generation technology promises to contribute to improved function and product quality for the majority of Asian market motorcycles and automobiles that presently use conventional pistons with cast steel liners.

Sourced From: Mavcomm Consulting Pvt Ltd

Honda Says Aluminum Use May Increase on Steel Price

By Naoko Fujimura and Hiroshi Matsui

Feb. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Honda Motor Co., Japan's second- largest automaker, said competition won't allow carmakers to pass on higher steel costs to consumers, which may accelerate the use of more aluminum in cars.

``The consumer won't accept price increases,'' President Takeo Fukui told reporters in Tokyo today. ``We may see a quicker shift to aluminum.''

Nippon Steel Corp., JFE Holdings Inc., and Posco, Asia's three largest steelmakers, agreed to a 65 percent increase in iron ore prices with Cia. Vale do Rio Doce, the companies said separately on Feb. 18. Honda, Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co. and Japan's other vehicle makers may pay a total of 200 billion yen ($1.87 billion) more for steel next fiscal year, according to analysts.
``We need to lower costs with our production process and procurement,'' as steel will remain as main material for autos for the time being, Fukui said.

Tokyo-based Honda plans to offer more fuel-efficient vehicles as the price of oil rises. Honda aims to make hybrids accounting for 10 percent of its global volume around 2010, Fukui said. Honda's sales goal for 2010 is 4.5 million vehicles.

Hybrid Plans

Honda will release a five-seat hybrid in 2009, aiming to sell 200,000 vehicles a year. Fukui also said sales of a hybrid sports car based on the CR-Z prototype unveiled in Tokyo in October may total about 100,000 units a year. The only hybrid Honda sells now is a version of its Civic small car.

The U.S., where Honda gets 41 percent of vehicle sales may not be entering a recession, as the company keeps posting record sales in areas including the East Cost and the Midwest, Fukui said. Still, sales in California and Florida, two states heavily affected by the crisis in subprime mortgages, have dropped, he said.

``I expect auto demand in the U.S. to remain firm,'' Fukui said. ``A shift to smaller cars from light trucks will probably continue''

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Effects of ultrasonic vibration on degassing of aluminum alloys

Recent research on aluminum degassing

Hanbing Xu, Qingyou Han and Thomas T. Meek, Effects of ultrasonic vibration on degassing of aluminum alloys, Materials Science and Engineering: AVolume 473, Issues 1-2, , 25 January 2008, Pages 96-104. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TXD-4NJ0TJG-1/2/ca2e31f0340a039b472216f225528b04)

Abstract: In order to investigate the effects of ultrasonic vibration on degassing of aluminum alloys, three experimental systems have been designed and built: one for ultrasonic degassing in open air, one for ultrasonic degassing under reduced pressure, and one for ultrasonic degassing with a purging gas. Experiments were first carried out in air to test degassing using ultrasonic vibration alone. The limitations with ultrasonic degassing were outlined. Further experiments were then performed under reduced pressures and in combination with purging argon gas. Experimental results suggest that ultrasonic vibration alone is efficient for degassing a small volume of melt. Ultrasonic vibration can be used for assisting vacuum degassing, making vacuum degassing much faster than that without using ultrasonic vibration. Ultrasonically assisted argon degassing is the fastest method for degassing among the three methods tested in this research. More importantly, dross formation during ultrasonically assisted argon degassing is much less than that during argon degassing. The mechanisms of ultrasonic degassing are discussed.

doi:10.1016/j.msea.2007.04.040 Available through sciencedirect.com

Getting bored.. try this new aluminum contour bottles...

Coca-Cola is testing a new set of contoured aluminum bottles for it iconic namesake brand.

At the annual Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference here Coke is offering sleek new 250 ml aluminum bottles in red, black and silver for regular Coke, Coke Zero and Diet Coke.

A Coke spokesman said via email that the new bottles are a concept the company is "piloting."

"We wanted to provide the analysts (at the conference) with a snapshot of some of our ideas currently in the pipeline," he said. A sign by the vending machine at the Florida conference says that "the new design is a modern interpretation of the classic contour bottle in aluminum form." The new bottles aren't currently available in stores, but have appeared at select events and some night clubs.

The Coke spokesman said the success of the pilot programs would be one of the factors the company would consider before deciding if it wants to launch the new bottles nationally. He declined to say what the other determining factors would be.

-By Anjali Cordeiro, Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-2408; anjali.cordeiro@ dowjones.com


On the other side, listen to what Container Recycling Institute said about this new contour can ....


The Container Recycling Institute, today, announced a campaign to discourage Coke from going nationwide with their new can that's shaped like a contour bottle. "Coke's contour can," said Pat Franklin, Executive Director of CRI, "is costly to consumers and costly to the environment. All the consumer gets for the higher cost of the shapely, contour can is more waste and more pollution."

Franklin says the contour can holds the same amount of Coke Classic (12 fluid ounces) as Coke's standard aluminum cans, but is 8 mm taller and 2 grams heavier -- using 15 percent more aluminum than a regular, straight-walled Coke can. The shape of the can was inspired by the original contour glass Coca-Cola bottle, which according to the President of Coke USA, is "one of the world's most powerful equities with consumers."

"Mimicking the refillable, glass bottle, creates the image that the contour can is environmentally-friendly," said Franklin. "But in fact, the contour can creates more waste and more pollution and uses more water and more energy in its production than the standard can, and is many times more wasteful than the refillable glass bottle."

The new can is being marketed in Terre Haute, IN, the city where Coke's glass bottle was first patented in 1915, and four other cities: San Angelo, TX; Tucson and Sierra Vista, AZ and Las Cruces, NM. CRI has been organizing activists in the test-market cities, in an effort to discourage Coke from going nationwide with the can.

CRI estimates that the contour can will consume an additional 25 million pounds of aluminum a year, if it is introduced nationwide. With a 64 percent recycling rate, the institute estimates that approximately 9 million pounds will end up in landfills annually. CRI maintains that the introduction of the contour can flies in the face of the Coca-Cola Co.'s "commitment to the environment", as expressed in their publication, The Coca-Cola Company & The Environment. In that publication they declare, ". . . we have a responsibility to the billions of people . . . and that responsibility includes conducting our business in ways that protect and preserve the environment."

"If Coke goes to the national market with the contour can," said Franklin, "it will reverse the environmental policy of the world's leading soft drink manufacturer, and turn the clock backwards on source reduction."

# # #



NOTE: CRI is encouraging consumers to do four things to help prevent nationwide marketing of Coke's contour can.

1. Sign a petition showing their opposition to Coke's newest package
2. Write a letter to the editor of their local newspaper,
3. Send a check to 'Kick the Can Campaign', c/o The Container Recycling Institute
4. DON'T BUY COKE IN CONTOUR CANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

News Release
Container Recycling Institute1911 Ft. Myer Drive, Suite 900Arlington, Virginia 22209703/276-9800 fax 276-9587