Improving competence by designing cast components - GJUTDESIGN-2005

Cast materials are widely used in drive trains, in cars, trucks, wind mills, ship engines, construction machinery and many other mechanical components. In 2000 a consortium of 21 industrial companies, universities and research institutes representing all Nordic countries initiated a joint research project with the goal developing improved methods and tools for fatigue design of cast structures and components. Consortium partners represent machinery, construction, manufacturing, energy production, ground transportation and shipping industries. The main objective of the initiative was to improve the reliability and reduce the time and effort required to design complex fatigue loaded cast structures by developing design guidelines, quality rules and cost-effective NDE systems. Work on the project has proceeded simultaneously along several fronts such as fatigue testing of small test pieces and real components, application of different NDE-systems, modelling and analysis of complex structures, and quantitative examination of factors influencing cast quality. All structures considered represent actual components from the participating industries. The analysis and testing include both multi-axial and linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM). During the project a broad analysis of the design process of cast components is started.