Creativity, Complexity on Display in ICI Design Contest

The Investment Casting Institute awarded the best product designs for aerospace, automotive, industrial, and defense applications, and recognized the work of overseas investment casters, too.

The annual ICI casting design contest was staged in concert with the Institute’s 61st Technical Conference and Expo, October 5-6 in Covington, KY. Top honors were awarded in five product categories for investment castings — aerospace, automotive, industrial, and defense, as well as international products.

Eight finalists in various categories also were recognized.

The casting contest is open to ICI member foundries, was initiated to recognize foundries that manufacture components that best demonstrate and promote the benefits and flexibility of the investment casting process, or which demonstrate problem-solving techniques for the customer.

ICI business administrator Grayce Albanese, who coordinates the contest, observed that the annual competition illustrates the strengths of the investment casting process and benefits both casters and customers.

“Each year of the contest we see how investment casters are manufacturing complex castings and creatively solving problems both in their process and for the customer. Each internal passage, intricate coring detail, thin wall, and each difficult design element represents an advantage of the investment casting process and a potential problem solved for the customer,” she said. “The use of investment casting can often result in total cost savings, because of reduced machining and finishing, combining part details into a one-piece casting, or improving surface finish.”


Albanese further noted the contest provides an opportunity for participating members to show capabilities to end-use customers.