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This paper presents a case study of the development of a new water cooled DOHC cylinder head. This specific head represents the highest geometric complexity, including multiple core cavity structures, in cylinder heads. The goal of this study was to verify the possibility of a paradigm shift in engine development, in which tooling design and production are postponed until after dynamometer testing of the engine is completed. This paradigm shift becomes possible with the use of Direct Shell Production Casting a rapid manufacturing process which makes traditional casting obsolete. Using Direct Shell Production Casting (DSPC®) to produce the prototype cylinder heads and blocks in aluminum and ductile iron enabled the development team to completely eliminate the need for temporary tooling. DSPC works directly off of a CAD file to create the actual ceramic casting molds, complete with integral cores.

Full service supply and concurrent engineering are the wave of the future in powertrain development. Launching a new automotive engine requires a fast and efficient development program for both the first engine and the transition into mass production. This paper presents a case study utilizing Soligen's Direct Shell Production Casting (DSPC ®) to integrate the development of a new aluminum intake manifold and the launch of the mass production tooling, eliminating long lead times and costs as well as potential geometrical inconsistencies from incongruous manufacturing phases. DSPC is a rapid casting process which makes conventional prototype casting obsolete. DSPC works by producing ceramic casting molds with integral cores, directly from CAD files without the need for patterns and core boxes. Using DSPC in the design phase enables engineers to test multiple design iterations in various alloys concurrently, expediting and improving the design phase.

The purpose of this paper is to outline a new approach for production outsourcing of complex cast metal parts. The paper details the steps in providing a smooth transition from a CAD file through production. The key to this transition is the successful creation of the production tooling on the first attempt. Significantly shortened lead times and proper implementation of concurrent engineering are the consequent results. The inability to produce production tooling (patterns and core boxes) prior to creating a first article part is the main weakness of traditional casting processes. Creating production tooling is an expensive process that requires long lead times. The foundry, in order to minimize its financial risk, seeks to avoid total fiscal responsibility for the many required steps in converting a CAD design into serial production, and therefore charges the customer accordingly.

This paper presents a case study using Direct Shell Production Casting (DSPC®) to manufacture a production steel permanent mold for a four cylinder water cooled DOHC cylinder head. The permanent mold was produced in close cooperation with our mass production foundry. This permanent mold consists of water cooled inserts which accelerate the solidification of the combustion chamber and reduce the grain size of the cylinder head at the combustion chamber and the ports. This program has demonstrated the use of cast tool steel inserts made in net shape directly from the cylinder head CAD file. The process followed an extensive dynamometer testing of prototype cylinder heads made directly from CAD by utilizing DSPC. The DSPC machine is like a three dimensional printer that uses the designer's CAD to create the actual ceramic casting molds, complete with integral cores. The result is a functional metal part, that can be tested practically, and then changed or approved.