SAF® Cast
Aluminum Parts
Inspired by the Human Bone

Possibly Man’s most Perfect Material

When aspiring for the perfect or most optimal mechanism or device, most searches often lead to the human body.  It is arguable that all aspects of the human body exceed anything that man has been able to create.  The human brain is light years ahead of the best computer and no robot can duplicate the sophisticated and delicate abilities of a human.  The human bone is no exception.

The human bone is a light weight yet very strong.  Hooke’s law explains how the human bone is optimally shaped to bear stress.  It’s composition of a hard outer cortical bone with a less dense cancellous core is no less miraculous.

Individual bones *

Bone is not a uniformly solid material, but rather has some spaces between its hard elements.

Compact bone

The hard outer layer of bones is composed of compact bone tissue, so-called due to its minimal gaps and spaces. This tissue gives bones their smooth, white, and solid appearance, and accounts for 80% of the total bone mass of an adult skeleton. Compact bone may also be referred to as dense bone or cortical bone.

Trabecular bone

Filling the interior of the organ is the trabecular bone tissue (an open cell porous network also called cancellous or spongy bone) which is composed of a network of rod- and plate-like elements that make the overall organ lighter and allowing room for blood vessels and marrow. Trabecular bone accounts for the remaining 20% of total bone mass, but has nearly ten times the surface area of compact bone.

• Reference from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone#Characteristics

A new breakthrough in material science has led to the ability to create aluminum structural parts that mimic the optimum structure of human bone.

Munro & Associates, Inc. of Troy, Michigan is working with Cymat Technologies of Toronto to develop applications for the world’s first SAF® Cast Aluminum Parts.  The structure of this material is modeled directly after the human bone.  SAF® Cast Aluminum Parts are constructed with a solid outer shell or skin (like the cortical wall of bone) and a less dense closed cell Stabilized Aluminum Foam (SAF) aluminum core (like the cancellous bone interior).  The combination come together to create a light weight yet strong material.  Applications for this new material are staggering.

• The solid skin of SAF® Cast Parts can vary from 1mm to 3mm in thickness. 
• The inner core density can range from 30% to 5% density of solid aluminum. 
• Castings can be designed in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on the application.

Example of SAF® Cast Aluminum Part
In addition to its optimal design and composition that closely simulates the human bone, SAF® Cast Aluminum Parts also exhibit these remarkable characteristics.

• Recyclable – As opposed to environmentally challenging plastics and composites, SAF® Cast Aluminum Parts are 100% recyclable.  This is a very desirable trait in today’s goal for green.
• Energy Absorbent – The foamed aluminum core is an efficient energy absorption system.  Pound for pound it is one of the world’s best protection against blast.  A 3” piece of 5% density foam has demonstrated greater than a 60% reduction in transferred blast energy.

 

Blast force with and without Aluminum Foam

• Inserts for Overcastting – SAF® Cast Aluminum Parts can be used as inserts and overcast in a variety of outer material compositions.
• Thermal and Acoustic Insulation – With a generous volume of air to metal, the SAF® Cast material provides great insulation properties.  NVH properties also exhibit advantageous damping results.
• Variable Wall Thicknesses – Just like the human bone, SAF® Cast Aluminum Parts can be developed with variable wall thickness to add strength where you need it and make it lighter where you don’t.

 
The human bone varies the cortical bone thickness based on load requirements.  SAF® Cast Aluminum Parts can be
designed with similar attributes.

Thinner wall for less stress areas

Thicker wall for greater stress areas

In addition to cast foamed aluminum, Cymat is in full production of Stabilized Aluminum Foamed sheets.  These sheets are made in a continuous process, are available in 4 foot wide sheets at any lengths and range from 5% to 30% in density and from ½ inch to 3 inches in thickness. 

Sheets can be made into composite sandwich panels with virtually any outer shell material from titanium to steel to carbon fiber.  Foamed SAF panels are perfect for countless applications requiring lightweight, strong and durable structures.

For more information on SAF® Cast Aluminum Parts or Structural Aluminum Foam sheets contact Joe Feord at 248-362-5110, ext 206.