Founded in 1933 and now in its fourth generation, Boose Aluminum Foundry Co., Inc. has emerged as a key provider of high-quality aluminum sand castings for numerous modern markets and military uses. Embracing the motto, “Boose is here to assist,” the company comprises a group of 130 committed workers collaborating to provide clients with the high-quality goods they need. With a production facility that can cast items from mere ounces to more than 2,000 pounds, a quality department that can satisfy clients’ non-destructive testing and quality needs, and an experienced staff that can help customers with design and engineering support, Boose also provides value-added services including heat treatment and an in-house pattern shop.
With more than 87 years of experience in the foundry industry, the company has the technology and creativity to compete in today’s market, as well as the history and expertise to deliver flawless production outcomes to its clients. Serving loyal customers in the military, medical, robotics, power generation, and many other private and commercial sectors for four generations, Boose has continually nurtured those relationships by delivering only the highest-quality castings paired with unrivaled customer service.
The company is also particularly proud of the implementation of its automatic green sand molding line. “Since 1933, we have utilized manual machines in our green sand molding process,” says Justin Sweigart, Director of Business Development.
Progressively over the years, it became more and more difficult to locate and hire skilled labor with a strong manual work ethic, Sweigart adds, and with retirements of long-term employees on the rise, an investment in a more automated solution was made in 2021 with the purchase of an automatic Hunter molding machine.
“Prior to taking receipt of the new machine, Boose had a devastating fire, which forced us to re-evaluate the layout of the manufacturing facility,” Sweigart explains. Consequently, the decision was made to decommission a larger, more inefficient machine and reutilize the space for the new Hunter and existing manual machines. “Boose Aluminum still has the capabilities to manufacture products off of original manual molding equipment, but now has the ability to produce low- to medium-volume orders more efficiently at competitive costs on our automated molding line.”
The company is also proud of its in-house heat treating services. Casting projects require accuracy—even small variations can result in nonconforming parts, waste, and expensive delays. Investing in dimensional verification at the sampling stage yields numerous benefits, including assurance of compliance with stringent industry and customer criteria and decreased expenses and waste by avoiding mistakes prior to downstream processing.
Under stress, untreated aluminum components may break, deform, or distort. Compared to materials like steel, aluminum is a relatively soft and pliable metal. Nonetheless, it’s a highly sought-after material in dozens of industries due to its light weight and resistance to corrosion. While there are many different types of heat treatments, they all entail heating and straining metal parts to encourage greater strength and appropriate shape.
For generations, Boose has been aware of the potential of heat treating metals. These days, a wide variety of heat treatment techniques and procedures are distinguished and defined by the T system of classification. Every technique has advantages and disadvantages for the final output, and one of the most used heat treatments for aluminum is T6. “Solution heat treatment,” which melts any alloy constituents that have accumulated after casting, is the first step in the majority of heat treatments, while strength and support are provided by the alloys’ ability to redistribute throughout the casting thanks to this solid solution.
Next, the castings are rapidly quenched and chilled after being heated to a little below aluminum’s melting point (1,221°F/660.3°C), with the microstructure that develops during the solid solution phase being solidified by the quenching. If the cooling is uneven during quenching, the casting may be slightly distorted, but the quick cooling also makes the casting considerably stronger. The castings are artificially aged in an aluminum heat treat oven following quenching, also known as “precipitation hardening.” This phrase indicates that they are baked at a temperature close to 310°F/154°C, far below aluminum’s melting point. The alloying ingredients can create chemical bonds within the casting during this aging process, reinforcing and strengthening the item. Baking the product speeds up the natural process of aluminum age hardening.
After the solution heat treatment process, straightening and quality control procedures are carried out to guarantee that the casting’s shape and form will satisfy all requirements. During the T4 heat treatment process, the casting is heated to the solid solution stage. Once it reaches the right temperature, it is quenched and allowed to air cool. Instead of creating fake age through baking, T4 heat treatment offers natural aging.
Although natural aging takes time, it’s better when the aluminum casting is welded later. The heat and strain of welding can cause over-aging at the weld, which increases the chance of failure and makes the weld more brittle. However, over-aging can be reversed by applying heat to the entire item once more—a simple but expensive solution.
Pieces are artificially aged in an aluminum heat treat oven instead of just allowing the casting air to cool, eliminating the possibility of warping and distortion caused by quick quenching, which is a concern associated with conventional heat treatment methods. This is most frequently utilized in aluminum casts that need to be extremely precise, including those found in robotics, electrical, and medical equipment.
The temperature and length of the aging process distinguish T5 and T51 heat treatments. The aluminum casting method uses a variety of alloy ingredients, some of which precipitate at higher temperatures or require longer times to create chemical connections. Certain alloys for age-hardening aluminum may need specific temperatures and durations.
T6, T7, and T71 processes are extremely similar. To lower the temperature, the castings undergo solution heat treatment before being quenched. The temperature at which these three heat treatments are aged is the main distinction between them. T7 castings are aged at a higher temperature of 440°F (227°C), whereas T6 heat treating entails baking the cast at about 310°F (154°C). An even greater 475°F (204°C) is needed for T71. Alloying materials completely precipitate as a result of this high-heat baking.
The most common applications for this high-temperature baking are aluminum cast engine parts, valves, and other components that will be subjected to significant pressure and stress. A far more stable casting for long-term use can be produced via the over-aging procedure. As a result, the cast has improved mechanical qualities and is simpler to finish; however, tensile and yield strength are frequently diminished.
Boose also performs radiography testing, sometimes known as X-ray testing, a nondestructive testing technique that looks into parts’ internal structures using X-rays. Without causing damage or changing the object, the process allows the team to identify internal irregularities such as shrinkage, voids, inclusions, or porosity. Before final inspection and delivery, the company employs radiographic testing as a quality assurance checkpoint to confirm the integrity of crucial aluminum castings, guaranteeing confidence in performance, safety, and compliance.
What can radiography assist with? Internal defect detection can identify internal casting flaws that reduce strength, while decreased failure risk identifies discontinuities early on to help avoid problems like cracking, leakage, and in-field part failures. Finally, radiography helps boost cost-effective quality control to avoid machining defective castings or scrapping finished parts. In short, radiography ensures only good castings advance through production.
Boose Aluminum supports industrial companies that require high-integrity aluminum castings, providing services typically used by defense contractors, heavy machinery manufacturers, automotive and motorsports performance teams, pump, valve, and fluid handling manufacturers, and utilities and infrastructure contractors—customers that often operate in high-pressure environments where failure is not an option. Radiographic inspection guarantees that the company’s parts fulfill their standards and needs.
What if a small, undetectable surface crack had a detrimental effect on the overall performance of an aluminum casting? In critical applications, even the tiniest mistake could eventually lead to costly failures. As a result, liquid penetrant inspection (LPI) is another key component of Boose Aluminum Foundry’s quality assurance process.
To ensure that every casting meets the company’s strict specifications, the in-house LPI inspects it for surface flaws including porosity, laps, and fractures before it leaves the foundry. Available only for Boose-manufactured parts and not provided as a standalone service, Boose’s dimensional inspection and layout services give engineers, quality managers, and production teams the assurance that every casting is checked against the highest standards, whether it’s a First Article Inspection (FAI) or a production requirement. Before parts are put into production, these services, which are supported by skilled specialists, make sure they fulfill important requirements.
Although Boose Aluminum Foundry has faced its share of challenges, these are being resolved with implementation and enforcement of SOPs, a new ERP system, and automated processes, says Sweigart. “We’re currently in the process of implementing a new no-bake sand reclamation system, along with additional sand storage capacity,” he adds. “This will provide additional sand capacity to support future growth in our no-bake molding operations.”
While there are numerous qualities that help set Boose apart within the industry, Sweigart emphasizes the importance of the company’s ability to provide clients with everything they need all under one roof.
“Boose Aluminum is very diverse in the capabilities we offer,” he says. “With production weights ranging from less than one pound to 800 pounds, volumes from one to thousands of parts, and quality ranges from commercial grade to military standards requiring X-ray and liquid dye penetrant inspections, Boose Aluminum is a one-stop shop for all your casting supply needs.”
