The purpose of this course is to provide students with knowledge and skills regarding the nomenclature, terminology, principles, and techniques for the metallurgy of aluminum base casting alloys. This course makes clear the reasons why foundry personnel 'do what they do' in relation to aluminum casting metallurgy. This course examines aluminum structure and properties, the effects of alloying elements and the influence of melting operations on impurities; how to interpret and read phase diagrams and recognize characteristics from microstructures; how grain refinement and modification work in foundry operations, how they are measured and the benefits of both; inclusion formation and filtration techniques; and much more.
Course Syllabus
Course Instructor:
Dave Palmer, P.E.
BRP-US Inc.
Dave Palmer has a B.S. in materials engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology and an M.S. in materials engineering from UW-Milwaukee. He works for BRP-US Inc as supplier quality development engineer, with a focus on castings and coatings. Dave also worked for Modine Manufacturing Co for several years. He is an experienced teacher and has worked for both producers and end-users of metal castings. Dave serves as Secretary-Elect for the AFS Aluminum and Light Metals Division.