We’ve had a lot going on at Joyworks since I last posted on this blog. A dash of alloy development, some lost-foam process development, a bit of Austemper alloy hardenability research, four University of Michigan MSE 350 labs, a day of bronzes and some family artwork. All that is happening while I’m maintaining my “day job” as CEO and owner of Applied Process Inc……where we’re STILL world leaders in Austempering technology and development.
This fall we had a record crop of 62 University of Michigan Material Science and Engineering MSE 350 students participating in the casting lab at Joyworks. The students created foam patterns which were invested in loose zircon sand and poured in 319 aluminum. We also digitally plotted the cooling curve of a chilled test piece. The curve clearly showed the inflection points where phase changes started and finished. The students subsequently took their newly minted treasures home. I have always said that these make and take projects will sit on their bookshelf for many years to come. When you make something with your own hands you cannot forget its origin. In follow-up labs with Prof. Wayne Jones the students have, and will, observe the microstructures of the 319 alloy both optically and with scanning electron microscopy. Mechanical properties will be assessed and the students will use these events to gain a fuller understanding of the metal casting process, and its metallurgy. A special thanks again this year to UoM lab assistant Justin Scanlon, UoM graduate student (and Joyworks assistant) Ryan Breneman, Joyworks assistant Demetri Golematis, and Applied Process Inc.’s Technical Director, Dr. Kathy Hayrynen and Principal Process Engineer, Chris Bixler for their assistance in making the lab successful.
I’d like to give a shout (again) to our friends at Buck Foundry for helping us to get some Mn Bronze. The stuff really flares and smokes a lot at pouring temperature but it’s a beautiful rich yellow alloy that looks really nice as-cast. It looks even better when you cast a University of Michigan seal out of it, paint it dark blue and then polish off the high surfaces exposing a handsome Maize and Blue seal. UoM students Eric Hung, Melissa Wickman, Michael Baumhart, Kyle Doubrava, Kathleen Chou and Marissa Lafata came out to Joy Road for the first annual “Joyworks Casting Call”. Their interest in metalcasting was piqued by the MSE 350 lab and they all went home with great looking UoM seals.
Joyworks welcomed the arrival of our new baby, a Tinker-Omega T-50 mixer just a short time ago. The mixer allows us to mold chemically bonded sand molds efficiently and with good quality. It sure beats the heck out of mixing 25-lb batches of sand in 5-gallon pails using a paddle bit and the drill press! Will Tinker, thanks to you and your team at Tinker Omega for your guidance on the selection of the mixer and your support in commissioning it.
I’d love to tell you the specifics of our Applied Process Inc. research being conducted at Joyworks……but I can’t. Suffice it to say that we’re never resting on what we know and always seeking to move beyond current technology. Whether it’s developing new, cost-effective ferrous alloys or pushing in to Monster Parts™ applications, Joyworks remains a critical partner to AP in research and development.
As the Foundry Educational Foundation Key Professor at the University of Michigan….you know, the school that FINALLY beat the Ohio State University to cap a 10-win season…………I was proud to take a student to the FEF College Industry Conference in Chicago this month. That student, Demetri Golematis, is a senior in Mechanical Engineering, and has been a lab assistant at Joyworks for the last two school years. He has assisted on everything from metal casting projects to computer modeling of various parts, patterns and devices. Along the way he’s developed hands on skills that compliment his educational experiences. At the FEF CIC Demetri met with top personnel from companies in the metalcasting industry……all looking to recruit students with experience like Demetri. Good luck Demetri!
Last, but not least, I was pleased to spend a day in the studio with my son-in-law Ensign Michael Brown, where we tested some new foam pattern material and he fashioned a few personalized pieces of lost foam work. Michael will soon be commissioned as a Chaplain in the US Navy and we thank him for his service. All that aside, he’s a great guy and I’m pleased to call him # 3 Son.
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