AFS directly funds research projects from the allocation of a portion of annual dues paid by AFS Corporate Membership. Current AFS-funded research projects are described below.
Updated April 2025
20-21#02 Quantifying Aluminum Casting Quality Through H Gas - (Phase 2)
Principal Investigators: Daniel Hoefert, Eck Industries, Inc.
Steering Committee Chair: Adam Kopper, Mercury Marine
Foundries producing gravity pour aluminum castings have several gating concepts to choose from. Phase 1 (Quantifying Casting Quality Through Filling Conditions) compared three systems that provided different filling conditions ranging from tranquil bottom filling to semi-tranquil side filling to turbulent top filling. The results of the top and side filling gating systems repeatedly exhibited less shrinkage porosity and improved the general tensile properties over the bottom filling system. While bottom filling did avoid turbulence and oxide films associated with buoyant bubbles and non-buoyant flow tubes. Tranquil filling did not reduce the overall shrinkage porosity in the castings and did not improve tensile properties. However, other observations suggested that a relationship may exist between hydrogen gas levels in melts and subsequent interdendritic porosity. It also suggested hydrogen gas levels may reduce bubble formations.
The purpose of this project is to gain additional understanding regarding the solidification and filling dynamics that common defects are associated with, such as porosity (micro and macro), bubbles, flow tubes, and hydrogen gas.
The project is being monitored by the AFS Aluminum and Light Metals Division. For more information about the project, contact AFS Vice President of Metalcasting Technical Services (bbegan@afsinc.org).
21-22#03 Multi-axial Measurement of Casting Wall Movement During SGI Solidification and Cooling in In-Molding
Principal Investigators: Dr. Mingzhi Xu, Georgia Southern University; Dr. Simon Lekakh, Missouri University of Science and Technology
Steering Committee Chair: Jiten Shah, PDA LLC
Casting wall movement during metal solidification and cooling causes external surface distortion on complex ductile iron castings. Casting wall movement is also related to internal porosity formation within the castings.
The purpose of this project is to develop an experimental apparatus to perform multi-axial measurement of casting wall movement during ductile iron solidification and cooling. A full set of variables will be systematically studied, including mold strength, pouring temperature, riser condition, metalhead pressure, CE, nodularity, and inoculation.
The project is being monitored by the AFS Cast Iron Division. For more information about the project, contact AFS Director of Technical Metalcasting Services Travis Frush (tfrush@afsinc.org).
22-23#01 Refining Austenite in Gray Irons
Principal Investigators: Jingjing Qing, Georgia Southern University
Steering Committee Chair: Leonard Winardi, Charlotte Pipe
It’s well known that the properties of cast iron are related to the fineness of the microstructure features, such as graphite particle size, eutectic cell (GI) size, and pearlite lamellar spacing. Good attentions were paid onto refining sizes and distributions of graphite (nodule, flake and compacted) via inoculations, or refining pearlite structures using alloy additions, but much less effort was put into the study of refining austenite in cast irons, especially evaluating the effects of inoculant on austenite grain size.
The purpose of this project is to study the effects of different types of inoculants on the austenite grain size and mechanical properties of the differently inoculated cast irons. Heterogeneous nucleation to refine austenite in cast irons will also be explored.
The project is being monitored by the AFS Cast Iron Division. For more information about the project, contact AFS Director of Technical Metalcasting Services Travis Frush (tfrush@afsinc.org).
22-23#01b Refining Austenite in Gray Irons
Principal Investigators: Jingjing Qing, Georgia Southern University
Steering Committee Chair: Leonard Winardi, Charlotte Pipe
This project is an auxiliary project to 22-23#01: Refining Austenite in Gray Irons
The purpose of this project is to study the effects of additional inoculants including Al, Zr, Ba, Mg and Mn and their effect on austenite grain size and fatigue properties of cast irons.
The project is being monitored by the AFS Cast Iron Division. For more information about the project, contact AFS Director of Technical Metalcasting Services Travis Frush (tfrush@afsinc.org).
22-23#02 Additively Manufactured Lost Polymer Casting Process
Principal Investigators: Ismail Fidan, Fred Vondra, Mohammad Alshaikh Ali, Tennessee Tech University
Steering Committee Chair: Marshall Miller, 3D Systems
Lost foam casting uses polystyrene patterns which are consumed by molten metal, overcoming many traditional sand-casting limitations, but still poses challenges in patternmaking. Investment casting, similar to lost foam, uses wax patterns coated to form ceramic shells for casting. Additive manufacturing has been utilized for creating complex expendable patterns for both sand and investment casting and has been used to develop patterns from decomposable materials using the material extrusion process. However, there is a lack of research for manufacturing industries to start utilizing the material extrusion process in their casting methods.
The purpose of this project is to test different material extrusion parameters to generate expendable patterns to produce castings.
The project is being monitored by the AFS Lost Foam Division & Additive Manufacturing Division. For more information about the project, contact AFS Assistant Technical Director of Metalcasting Services Bo Wallace (bwallace@afsinc.org).
22-23#06 Understanding and Mitigating the Effect of Boron in Ductile Iron
Principal Investigators: Laura Bartlett, University of Missouri Science & Technology
Steering Committee Chair: Kramer Pursell, Metal Technologies Inc.
Boron has shown to cause multiple effects on microstructure and mechanical properties of ductile iron castings, causing an increase in problems for ductile iron foundries.
The purpose of this project is to quantitatively evaluate the effect of different boron additions in the range of 8 to 60 ppm on the microstructure and mechanical properties of pearlitic and ferritic ductile irons.
The project is being monitored by the AFS Cast Iron Division. For more information about the project, contact AFS Director of Technical Metalcasting Services Travis Frush (tfrush@afsinc.org).
24-25#01 Printed Wax Pattern Molds
Principal Investigators: Tom Mueller, Mueller Additive Manufacturing Solutions
Steering Committee Chair: Marshall Miller, 3D Systems
The cost and lead time required for wax pattern tooling has increased significantly due to increased tool complexity, fewer suppliers, and limited ability to expand capacity rapidly. Developing the means to reduce both the cost and lead time of wax pattern tooling could help improve the cost effectiveness of American Investment foundries.
The purpose of this project is to determine whether printed wax pattern molds with conformal cooling channels are viable for medium volume production of wax patterns.
The project is being monitored by the AFS Molding Division. For more information about the project, contact AFS Vice President of Metalcasting Technical Services (bbegan@afsinc.org).
24-25#02 3D Printed Pattern Tool Wear in High Pressure Green Sand Molding
Principal Investigators: Marshall Miller, 3D Systems
Steering Committee Chair: Jiten Shah, Product Development Analysis (PDA), LLC
Traditional tooling is known for having long lead times, high cost, and limited design freedom. For foundries and pattern shops to more widely accept and us additive manufactured tooling, SOPs used to print the tooling and machine them needs to be developed and made available to the industry along with empirical wear performance data.
The purpose of this project is to produce basic procedures and guidelines for a foundry or pattern shop to use to successfully print and machine tooling.
The project is being monitored by the AFS Additive Manufacturing Division. For more information about the project, contact AFS Director of Technical Metalcasting Services Travis Frush (tfrush@afsinc.org).
24-25#05 Numerical and Experimental Study of Tool Erosion in Core Shooting
Principal Investigators: Habin Ning, Jun Ge, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Steering Committee Chair: Jarek Olszak, LAMPE REICH
The impingement of the pressured flow of sand/ binder mixture on tooling surface induces deformation, wear and material loss, damaging the tool as well as the geometric integrity of the core cavity. This erosion effect eventually leads to scrap tooling as the tooling cannot be used for further production due to irreparable damage on the tooling surface and dimension of core cavity.
The purpose of this project is to investigate and characterize tool erosion caused by impingement of sand mixture flow on tooling surface.
The project is being monitored by the AFS Molding Division. For more information about the project, contact AFS Director of Technical Metalcasting Services Travis Frush (tfrush@afsinc.org).