April 7, 2020

The Differences Between Casting and Forging for Aerospace Construction

The aerospace and aviation industry is continuously changing, while the importance of creating reliable, safe parts remains essential to the industry’s advancement. New advancements in aviation directly affect how our military’s implement strategies, our commercial flights, and deliveries. Without high quality, expertly engineered parts, none of this would be possible.

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Issue 323 : Dec 2024

April 7, 2020

Kawneer glazing systems to feature on world’s first Passivhaus leisure centre

The complete portfolio of Kawneer products will be used at St Sidwell’s Point in Devon. Work is expected to start shortly on the installation, on the world’s first Passivhaus leisure centre, of architectural glazing systems by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer. The systems – two types of curtain walling, three types of doors, windows and brise soleil – will be installed by Kawneer-approved specialist sub-contractor AB Glass for main contractor Kier at St Sidwell’s Point in Exeter. The 4,850m2 project will replace an ageing swimming pool with an eight-lane national/county-standard pool and four-lane learner pool, both with movable floors, together with dry sports facilities including gym, café and crèche, and health and spa amenities. Benefits of the Passivhaus design include a 70% saving on energy costs when compared to a current good practice pool, a 50% reduction in water use, outstanding internal water and air quality, excellent daylight levels and lower maintenance costs due to a high-quality building fabric. Step up Kawneer’s Passivhaus-certified AA®100 capped curtain walling, which will be used around the building envelope and some locations internally, and RT®82HI windows which feature exceptional levels of thermal performance and airtightness, partly due to larger-than-normal thermal breaks. These Passivhaus-certified products will be installed by AB Glass alongside Kawneer’s AA®100 FR and AA®720 FR fire-rated curtain walling and doors as internal screens, AA®190 TB external entrance doors, AA®720 standard and AA®720 HI doors internally and externally, and AA®130 brise soleil. The flagship in Exeter City Council’s £330 million regenerating city centre masterplan, which also includes housing, offices, restaurants and retail, is expected to open to the public, alongside a new bus station, in the spring of 2021, and attract more than 500,000 visits a year. Exeter City Council and Passivhaus designers Gale & Snowden architects have delivered several Passivhaus multi-unit housing schemes but this is the first commercial Passivhaus development they have embarked on together. The hybrid construction comprises an in-situ concrete frame with aerated concrete blockwork infill and mineral wool batts on an insulated in-situ ground floor slab. The design also features a metal standing seam roof on CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) and glulam beam structure and a liquid-applied warm roof on a steel frame structure. The Passivhaus Institute is acting as Passivhaus certifier and modelling the design in a bespoke multi-zone PHPP (Passive House Planning Package). As such, the energy performance figures are different to standard Passivhaus calculations due to the high pool and changing area temperatures. Alan Brayley, managing director of AB Glass, who will have a team of up to 30 on the project for an estimated 30 weeks, said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded this contract. This is an innovative project that we are very excited to be involved in. The environmental credentials of this building are such that we believe some of the standards and skills we will be implementing here will be in high demand in the future as many more buildings look to emulate what we see here.”

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The Differences Between Casting and Forging for Aerospace Construction

The aerospace and aviation industry is continuously changing, while the importance of creating reliable, safe parts remains essential to the industry’s advancement. New advancements in aviation directly affect how our military’s implement strategies, our commercial flights, and deliveries. Without high quality, expertly engineered parts, none of this would be possible. Where to Find Parts for Aerospace/Aviation Manufacturing When looking to find the best aerospace and aviation parts, quality is of the utmost importance. Finding the right aerospace forging companies will make a big difference in the quality of products you receive. From actuators, runway light covers, and specialty parts, you want to make sure you find a manufacturer who is experienced and qualified to produce the parts. Finding an experienced manufacturer in crafting these specialty parts is crucial to ensuring you get the very best options that are safe and reliable.  Forging vs. Casting When shopping for aerospace and aviation parts, there are two conventional methods of manufacturing many of these specialized parts. Depending on the stress these parts are going to be under, and what type of material they are made of, they may be forged or cast. Forging is the process of heating the material being used to create the part until its just hot enough to shape with a hammer or forced within a die. This process produces durable and robust components that can handle a lot of stress. Casting is a process of melting the metal material and pouring it into a die. Once the part has cooled off, the metalworker then continues to finish the small details of the piece. This process is excellent for more intricate part shapes, as the mold can be made to handle more complicated designs. Both forging and casting come with their own set of pros and cons, each playing an essential role in the aerospace and aviation industry. What is Aerospace Part Forging? The process of forging components for aerospace parts is done by taking a billet (metal material) and compressing that metal into the shape desired. This is done using extreme compression and force, and the result of these efforts are parts with incredible strength. When making parts that are going to be under high levels of shock or stress, such as gears, wheel spindles, or pistons, forging them gives them that extra strength to perform well. There are a few ways of forging parts for aerospace and aviation. Two common types are open-die and closed-die. The open-die process is the preferred method for working with larger aluminum components. This process is done using flat-faced dies without any precut profiles. This process of forging is often preferred as it allows the metal worker to make larger, more unique designs. Closed-die forging is a similar process where the metal is restricted as its put within the die. This process makes very detailed designs to exact specifications. Using the closed-die method works best for smaller parts, requiring great attention to detail. What is Aerospace Part Casting? Casting is the process of creating parts by pouring or injecting molten metal into a preshaped mold. To cast aerospace parts you need to bring the metal to a high enough temperature that it will melt, when the molten metal hardens in the frame, the metalworker can then touch up the component and work it until it meets the specifications needed. Compared to forging parts, casting parts cant take the same levels of stress. These parts are best for lightweight applications. The benefits of casting parts is that it can be formed in a large variety of sizes and shapes, They require less work in the secondary machining process, and casting parts tend to be lighter than if they were forged. Knowing What Part to Choose When choosing how a part is made, it’s necessary to understand what type of application it will be used for. Casting offers a great way to produce valves, swirl nozzles, engine rings and blades, and most light-duty metal parts. When looking for high strength parts for high-stress situations, its best to choose forged parts. Each process of creating parts serves the aerospace and aviation industry with great benefits according to what job needs to be performed. By having this information on the processes used to create parts, ordering the right ones should come easily. The important thing is to choose a professional manufacturer who understands how your parts are going to be used.

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