"Stealth Pilot" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 14 Aug 2007 21:49:49 -0000, Ink Maker
wrote:

We are working on a new aluminum fixture. It is basically an aluminum
spine with many 6061-T6 pins sticking out. Currently we drill the
holes inside the spine and hammer the 5/32" 6061-T6 pins inside. Is
there anyway to cast aluminum with many 6061-T6 pins embedded (they
will stick out after the casting)?


absolutely no practical way possible of doing what you ask.

...which was 'can I cast aluminium with aluminium chaplets'.

absolutely not. aluminium has such a heat transfer that molten
aluminium coming into contact with aluminium pins would soon have them
molten and fluid.

Stealth Pilot

One thing to keep in mind is that you can cast 6061. It's not usually listed
as a casting alloy but, among the wrought alloys, it's least likely to crack
upon cooling. Lots of castings are made with 6061.

So it would be possible to cast the whole thing as one piece. Then you'd
have to figure out how to machine the protruding "pins." g Of course, to
get the hardness back, you'd have to heat treat the whole deal.

That doesn't sound like a practical way to go, but it might lead to some
other solution.

--
Ed Huntress