Production processes

For high volume serial production of automotive products, Montupet uses gravity casting and low pressure casting in metallic dies with sand cores.

We are capable of optimising the manufacturing process to suit the part design and the level of performance required from the part.

In the same way, during the high volume machining of cylinder heads, we allow for immediate quality feedback on the machined parts, thus optimising the number of quality parts delivered to the customer.

The use of statistical process control, increased process automation, and mastering the design and fabrication of dies/moulds are important aspects of quality and productivity that Montupet use continually.

Alloy wheels are completed through the process of heat-treatment and painting, and the finished product is delivered direct to the customer.

The introduction of metal into the die is mainly due to the mass of the metal, hence the name, gravity casting.

Since the die filling is only due to the mass of the metal, the die must be designed so that the cavity is well filled by the liquid metal.

The die consists of a filling and feeding system. The feeding of a die by gravity consists of 3 phases:

This method consists of filling the part with a system under pressure and using the same system to refill the tubes required to feed the part.

The principle function of a low pressure machine consists of 4 main elements:

(1) a furnace under pressure
(2) a feed system between furnace and die
(3) a control system to control furnace and die
(4) the die

The casting method under low pressure consists of applying a pressure in the furnace of 0.2 – 2.0 bar. This allows the metal to be raised to the die level.

The liquid metal rises up the feed tube before filling the die. The air inside the die is
forced out by the pressure of the metal. The principle advantage of this low pressure
casting is the controlled mode of die filling, from bottom to top which preserves the
quality of the cast alloy.

The temperature of the various zones of the die is controlled by heating or cooling to
allow the metal to solidify in the correct way. When the part is solid, the pressure
in the furnace is reduced and the liquid metal drops back down the tube into the bath
of the furnace, leaving the solid part in the mould.

(1) - 1st Phase: Metal Filling
A casting ladle is put into a bath of liquid aluminium and collects enough to fill the die.

(2) - 2nd Phase: The filling of the die is caused by the flow of aluminium (by gravity) down the die feed system. The metal enters the die cavity and evacuates the air through air vents.