Congratulations to Flavio Toma, an undergraduate mechanical engineering student and research assistant at the UWM Foundry Lab for winning second place and a prize of $750 at a national competition showcasing original metalcasting research.
The International Journal of Metalcasting’s Foundry Education Foundation Student Research Competition is judged by a panel of industry experts from the American Foundry Society.
UWM students have placed first or second in this competition for the fourth consecutive year.
In his presentation, Toma described a groundbreaking, single-step casting process: By coating sand cores with a specially designed slurry made of nickel, copper, and graphite powders before the liquid brass is poured, the team successfully created a highly durable, enhanced surface layer on the inside of the castings.
Rather than mixing expensive elements throughout the entire bulk of the casting, this new technique concentrates beneficial materials only on the surface where they are most needed. This approach dramatically reduces manufacturing costs and eliminates the need for toxic lead additions.
Toma presented the findings on behalf of the UWM research team that included Kaustubh Kishore Rane, Mehran Zare and Swaroop Behera. Associate Professor Benjamin Church, and Pradeep Rohatgi, Distinguished Professor in charge of the UWM Foundry Lab were the advisors.