1. Introduction

The objective is formulating a suitable solution for a customer for gear housing.

The component will be produced in batches of 500 every two months. The production is a medium production, not a mass production.

Considering all the information given the best solution must be carry out. At the same time the solution must be suitable with all the final characteristics of the piece and economically profitable.

It is already known that the initial geometry of the piece is the result of a casting process.

The most suitable casting process must be selected and all the subsequent process operations must be chosen to obtain a piece with the requested characteristics. But, first of all, the material must be chosen. This choice will strongly influence the manufacturing processes which could be used.

The solution to be economically profitable must reduce the material used and...