Green Design Matters

  • The Challenges: Dwindling Resources, Reducing Emissions, Energy Conservation
  • The Stakes: Quality of Life, the Global Economy
  • The Answer: Precision Investment Casting
  • The Means: Hitchiner's Exclusive Countergravity IC Processes
  • The Outcome: More Fuel-Efficient, Cleaner Power

Fuel-efficient, low-emissions technologies provide a green path into the future for aerospace, defense, automotive, and industrial gas turbine design. Global pressure to advance efforts in energy conservation in all areas of industry means our customers need high-performance, light-weight components made quickly, cost effectively, and in the right volume to keep products in their customers' supply chain. From design to application, Hitchiner-made parts meet the green challenge better, faster, and in the most optimal volumes more than any other manufacturing method on the planet.

In the air and on the ground, our exclusive Countergravity Casting Services are uniquely qualified to meet the technical needs our customers demand, while also reducing waste and energy consumption. Unlike other methods, Hitchiner produces high-performance, light-weight, thin-wall parts with no design compromises. These lightweight, strong components function reliably and cleanly in the tortuous high-temperature environments of increasingly fuel-efficient aerospace, defense, automotive, and industrial gas turbine applications.

How Thin is Thin?

With walls as thin as 0.38 mm (0.015 inch), Hitchiner's castings can be made to almost any shape and complexity our customers require in a wide range of stainless steel and reactive metal alloys, including titanium. That's:

  • Thinner than a credit card = 0.76 mm (0.0299 inch)
  • Thinner than a human fingernail = 0.43 mm (0.017 inch)
  • Thinner than 27 gauge stainless steel sheet metal = 0.4166 mm (0.0164 inch)
  • Almost as thin as a cats whisker (crystal radio) = 0.255 mm (0.01 inch)
  • As thin as needed for cutting edges
  • As thin as cast-to-size bolting threads

Fast Fuel Facts

  • Reducing thickness not only means reducing the amount of metal used, but also fuel consumption and waste.
  • Fuel economy improves 2% on average with every 45.36 kg (100 lb.) weight savings.
  • Titanium alloys can weigh half as much as stainless steel per cubic inch with equivalent strength.
  • Cast stainless steel or titanium alloy components perform at temperatures as high as 593 C (1100 F).
  • Design freedom
  • Light weight
  • Right-sized volumes
  • On time delivery
  • Rapid prototyping
  • Near-net shape
  • Finishing & assembly
  • High-performance applications
  • Thin walls to 0.38mm (0.015 inch)
  • SS and reactive alloys