Losing weight with lost foam casting

Equipment made with lightweight materials can improve fuel consumption and increase available payload capacity.

There are a variety of design techniques to achieve lightweight vehicles. One option that has been widely used is materials selection and the choice of less dense materials such as aluminum, magnesium alloys, or composites. There are several drawbacks to these material options including reduced material strength, ductility, and stiffness as well as higher cost. Another option involves using ferrous materials under innovative processing conditions.

When both the weight and cost per unit of strength are considered, ductile iron, also known as nodular iron, is a very attractive material to consider. While denser than aluminum, ductile iron's higher strength can result in weight reduction by allowing thinner section size.