Advanced Casting Research Center Opens New Metal Processing Facility

Aluminum Foundry.”

Shivaram added that WAF plans to add 30 new positions at DEE, which, with 72 employees, is currently one of the largest employers in Crookston.

Paul Cwikla, one of DEE’s three previous owners, will lead the Minnesota operation as vice president and general manager. “This is a wonderful opportunity for the team, the community and for WAF,” he said. “We recognize the experience and expertise WAF brings to the table and share the value they place on employees. It is a great match and we’re excited about our future together.”

WAF’s latest acquisition comes less than a year after it purchased Wabash Castings in Wabash, Indiana.

“There has been tremendous growth in demand for products manufactured in America, and we are positioning ourselves to meet that demand,” Shivaram said. Under WAF’s ownership, Wabash Castings has doubled revenue and increased employment by 50%. ■

希瓦拉姆补充说，WAF公司计划在DEE增加30个新 岗位，该公司目前拥有72名员工，是克鲁克斯顿地区最大 的雇主之一。

保罗·奇克拉是DEE公司前三位所有者之一，他将作 为副总裁兼总经理领导明尼苏达州公司。

他说：“这对团队、社区和WAF公司来说都是一个绝 佳的机会，我们认可WAF公司带来的经验和专业知识，以 及他们的员工价值。这将是一场精彩的‘比赛’，我们对双 方共同的未来感到兴奋。”

本次收购距离WAF公司最近一次收购印第安纳州沃巴 什的沃巴什铸件厂后不到一年的时间。

希瓦拉姆表示：“对美国制造的产品的需求出现了巨大 的增长，我们正在为满足需求做好准备。”加入WAF公司后， 沃巴什铸件厂的收入翻了一番，就业人数增加了50%。■

先进铸造研究中心成立新的金属加工实验室

The Advanced Casting Research Center (ACRS) unveiled its new state-of-the-art metal processing lab at University of California–Irvine on March 3. Researchers, professors, and leading metallurgists from around the country gathered for the grand opening event. “After more than a year of remote learning, students really appreciate hands on experience,” said ACRC Board of Directors Chair Randy Beals of MAGNA. “The new ACRC lab at UCI allows the undergrad students to become more engaged, which makes it easier to understand the challenging theories and concepts behind materials science. It also equips ACRC researchers with the state-of-the-art tools to be successful in their cutting-edge casting research programs and in their professional lives after school.”

ACRC, which relocated to UCI in 2020, is one of the largest industry-university consortia in North America dedicated to collaborative research in metal processing and manufacturing. Its focus is metal casting and digital manufacturing. Built under the direction of Diran Apelian, ACRC founding director and UCI distinguished professor at UCI’s Department of Materials Science

2022年3月3日，美国先进铸造研究中心（ACRS） 在加州大学欧文分校（UCI）为其最先进的金属加工实验室 举行了揭幕仪式。来自美国各地的研究人员、教授和首席冶 金学家齐聚现场，参加了盛大的开幕活动。 “经过一年多的远程学习，学生们非常希望能亲身体 验，”ACRC董事会主席、来自麦格纳公司的兰迪比尔斯说， “加州大学欧文分校（UCI）新的先进铸造研究中心（ACRS） 实验室让本科生更多地参与其中，从而使他们更容易理解材 料科学背后的具有挑战性的理论和概念。它还为ACRC的 研究人员配备了最先进的工具，以便他们在顶尖铸造研究项 目和今后的职业生涯中取得成功。” ACRC于2020年搬迁至UCI，是北美最大的产学联盟 之一，致力于金属加工和制造业方面的合作及研究，其重点 是金属铸造和数字制造。在ACRC创始负责人和UCI材料 科学与工程系特聘教授迪兰·阿佩利安的指导下，新的铸造

and Engineering, the new foundry and lab are equipped with: ·A modern foundry that houses two Inductotherm 35 kW induction furnaces for the production of alloys. ·State-of-the-art vacuum melting system with capabilities for atomization (Arcast 200) with various geometry molds to process refractory metals. ·Complete Spectro lab for chemical analysis. ·Buehler Center of Excellence (for metallography). ·Olympus Microscopy suite, including a laser confocal microscope. ·SLM-125 laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) system with Yb fiber laser (400 W) for AM manufacturing of material components. ·VJ Technologies Veda CT 450 an x-ray computed tomography (CT) is being installed, which will be equipped with a 450 kV power source for macroCT imaging and a 250 kV power source for microCT imaging. ·The CT is equipped with a Deben CT 5000, which allows the testing of samples under loading and interrogating and imaging with the CT under load. ·The Deben system has a 5KN testing stage for X-Ray CT applications. ·For mechanical testing, an MTS Nano Indenter XP, and Instron Model 8801 and Model 5985 testers. ·Buehler 2004 microhardness tester and an Instron E3000 microtester allow the execution of mechanical testing of miniature specimens. ·Digital image correlation (DIC) system (model: VIC-3D v7, manufacturer: Correlated Solutions, Inc.) is also available to measure strain and subsequent evaluation of corresponding stress. “The new ACRC facility has the state-of-the-art equipment and lab space for research and development in advanced metal casting and digital manufacturing,” said Alan Luo, director of Lightweight Materials and Manufacturing Research Lab and Professor at Ohio State University, who attended the unveiling of the new lab. “It’s a one-of-its-kind center in the United States for fostering industry-academia collaboration, which is indispensable for the metals and manufacturing sectors in the nation. I was also impressed by the top-notch researchers and students who I had the pleasure to meet and discuss many technical challenges facing the industry.”

ACRC Member Kevin Anderson, Brunswick Senior Fellow at Mercury Marine, said, “It is a rare opportunity to build a materials laboratory from the ground up. Everything from new state-of-the-art equipment to the facility itself was very thoughtfully constructed. Even the greatest laboratory needs an excellent staff and the professors, and students at UCI are clearly up to the challenge. Not only will this serve the ACRC well, it will be a place of learning for the students, UCI faculty, industry, and frankly our nation for years to come. What an accomplishment. Great job!”

More information about ACRC’s research is available at: https://acrc.manufacturing.uci.edu/current-projects/■

厂和实验室配备了： 现代化铸造厂所需的两台应达公司35kW感应炉，用于 生产合金。 ·最先进的真空熔炼系统（Arcast 200），具有雾化能 力，通过不同几何形状的模具处理难熔金属。 ·用于化学分析的斯派克实验室。 ·布勒卓越中心（用于金相学分析）。 ·奥林巴斯显微镜套件，包括激光共聚焦显微镜。 ·SLM-125激光粉末床融合(LPBF)系统与Yb光纤 激光器(400 W)用于材料组件的增材制造。 ·VJ技术公司的Veda CT 450，正在安装一台X射线 计算机断层扫描机(CT)，它将配备一个用于宏观CT成像的 450kV电源和一个用于微CT成像的250 kV电源。 ·CT设备配备了Deben CT 5000，它允许在负载下 测试样品并在负载下使用CT进行查询和成像。 ·Deben系统具有用于X射线CT应用的5KN测试台。 ·对于力学性能测试，配备有纳米压入仪MTS Nano Indenter XP和英斯特朗8801型和5985型测试仪。 ·布勒2004显微硬度计和英斯特朗E3000显微测试 仪允许对微型样品进行力学性能测试。 ·数字图像相关(DIC)系统（型号：VIC-3D v7，制造 商：Correlated Solutions, Inc.），可用于测量应变和相应 应力的后续评估。 “新的ACRC设施拥有最先进的设备和实验室，用于 先进金属铸造和数字制造的研发，”俄亥俄州立大学轻质材 料与制造研究实验室主任兼教授Alan Luo参加了新实验室 的揭幕仪式，他说，“这是美国独一无二的促进产学合作的 中心，对于美国的金属行业和制造业来说是不可或缺的。这 里顶尖的科研人员和学生也给我留下了深刻的印象，我很高 兴见到他们并讨论了行业面临的许多技术挑战。” ACRC成员凯文·安德森是水星海事公司的高级研究员， 他说：“从头开始建立材料实验室是一个难得的机会，因为 从最先进的设备到工厂本身，一切都需要经过精心筹备。即 使是最高级的实验室也需要优秀的员工和教授，而UCI的学 生显然能够应对这项挑战。实验室将不仅为ACRC提供卓 越的服务，还将成为UCI的学生、教职员工及行业，甚至坦 率地说也将成为美国未来几年的科研基地。这是一项多么有 成就感的工作。了不起！” 有关ACRC的更多信息，请访问：https://acrc. manufacturing.uci.edu/current-projects/ ■