NovaUCD, the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre at University College Dublin, today announced that Eck Industries has purchased a non-exclusive licence for the CDC Process. The CDC Process (Cast-Decant-Cast) produces near-net shape components from two dissimilar alloys or metals in a single multi-step casting operation.

The CDC process which was invented and developed by Dr David Browne and colleagues from UCD’s School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering has been patented by University College Dublin.

Rather than having a well-defined interface between the two alloys, the CDC Process produces a transition zone having a smooth gradient in concentration, microstructure and properties. Such a material is called a functionally gradient material. The CDC Process has been used to produce components joining a range of alloys, including two different Al-Si alloys, an aluminum alloy + an aluminum metal-matrix composite, and an aluminum alloy + a zinc alloy. The CDC Process should be capable of making castings from a range of dissimilar metals or alloys (magnesium alloys, copper alloys, steels, superalloys).

Eck Industries, located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin USA, is a leading caster of aluminum alloys and metal matrix composites. Dave Weiss, Eck’s Vice-President of Sales and Engineering stated, “The CDC Process will allow Eck to meet our customer’s requirements of having dramatically different properties and performance at different locations within a single casting.”

ENDS
13 June 2008

For further information contact: Micéal Whelan, NovaUCD, t: (01) 716 3712, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie.

For more information about the CDC Process contact:

North America and Asia
Dr Steve Midson, The Midson Group, Inc., 1353 S. Gaylord Street, Denver, CO 80210, USA.

t: +1-303-868-9766, e: steve@themidsongroup.com

Europe
Dr François Pichot, Project Manager, Technology Transfer, NovaUCD, Belfield Innovation Park, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4.

t: +353-1-716-3725, e: francois.pichot@ucd.ie