Experience with the production of cast aluminum alloy engine blocks by low, medium and high pressure casting processes

The horizontally opposed family of engines manufactured by Fuji Heavy Industries in Japan have been mass produced with a variety of cylinder block designs and Aluminum alloy casting techniques. These include closed deck configurations by a semi-permanent mold or low pressure casting technique, open deck configurations by a high pressure diecasting method, and both open and closed deck configurations by a hybrid medium pressure casting process. In this paper we review our experience with each production process/engine design combination. Special attention is paid to cylinder liner technology, coring methods applied to form the water jacket, oil galleries and other cavities, overall casting productivity and the contribution of casting design to end product performance.