THE CUSTOMER
A-S CASTING
HTS SOLUTION
iTherm® conformally cooled runner block
THE CHALLENGE
Cycle time reduction
OUTCOME
19% cycle time reduction
Case study overview
AS CASTING is one of the largest aluminum die casting companies in the Czech Republic. Equipped with five casting machines ranging from 400 to 1000 tons, they produce parts up to 13 kg for the electrical and auto ve industries, serving both domestic and international customers.
The company was using conventionally drilled runner blocks, reaching a 59-second cycle time. To enhance production efficiency and stay competitive, AS CASTING sought to reduce cycle time without compromising die quality or lifespan.
AS CASTING transitioned to iTherm® conformally cooled runner blocks.
The initial implementation of the iTherm® runner block (V1) showed promising results with better cooling speed and more even heat distribution across the working surface. Following this success, a second version, the iTherm® runner block (V2), was developed.
This version improved the cooling flow rate by 56% through upgraded conformal cooling arrangements, without changing the fluid velocity.
Results
Cycle time comparison
By implementing iTherm® V1 runner block, cycle time decreased by 7s.
The V2 runner block was implemented on the same line as V1 and resulted in an additional 4 seconds reduction in cycle time.
Lifespan comparison
In addition to the cycle time reduction, the runner blocks also substantially surpassed the lifespan of conventional, drilled runner blocks.
Conclusion
The implementation of the iTherm® runner blocks resulted in significant improvements in both cycle time and lifespan.
The integration of iTherm® conformally cooled runner blocks has allowed AS CASTING to achieve significant improvements in HPDC cycle time, reducing it by 19%.
Cycle time could further be decreased to 46 seconds, however, now the limiting factor is the die casting cell robot.
Customer Statement
We are very happy with our collaboration with HTS. With our competences put together, and with the help of their iTherm® technology, we have decreased cycle time so dramatically that it led us to discover a bottleneck elsewhere in our production.
