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-----Aluminum exhaust manifolds
2000
Hi,
I am making some exhaust manifolds out of aluminium, the problem being the high-cost of press tools to create the pieces to weld together.
I can easily build an aluminium manifold, of the right shape, but too thin to be of service.
Is electro-plating the thin manifold to thicken it a silly idea, and if so, who could do this effectively ?
(it doesn't have to be aluminium based, we currently make them out of steel, and that is highly labour intensive.
Andrew ThompsonNewHert - United Kingdom
2000
I've never heard of anyone using plating for a structural purpose, only for surface properties. Platings are very thin, measured in mils or microns. If you are only looking for a few extra microns, then it may be a possibility. I do not imagine it would be cost effective to try making a super-thick plating.
However, I have a suggestion for you. I just got back from a Society of Manufacturing Engineers' conference on metal injection molding. It may be possible for you to make an exhaust manifold using a more technological manufacturing process than machining. Look into: die-casting, metal injection molding (MIM), powder injection molding (PIM), or powder metals.
These type of manufacturing methods are good for parts that are complicated and costly to machine. But if your part is too big, the high material cost may outweigh the savings from not machining.
Tim Neveau
Rochester Hills, Michigan
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