Dalian, July 10, 2025 – Upon the conclusion of the national finals of the 2025 China University Student Mechanical Engineering Innovation and Creativity Competition – Casting Process Design Contest in Dalian, the team consisting of SHAO Qizhe, LI Muxuan, ZHAO Yingjie, and RAO Lihao from the School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, under the guidance of instructors ZHAG Hexin and ZHAO Chengzhi, clinched the first prize in the national finals. Their process design for Part D – the hook body – secured a spot among the top four entries in Group D. This year, a total of 155 entries progressed to the national finals, with 69 receiving first prize, 74 second prize, and 12 third prize.

The team selected the challenging hook body casting as their project. They chose phenolic resin self-hardening sand as the molding material, creatively determined the pouring position and parting surface on the back of the hook body, and designed corresponding sand cores. Building on this foundation, the feeding system was designed using the hot spot circle method. Castings produced according to the team's process plan can withstand various complex working environments, providing a reference for forming and manufacturing advanced high-performance components. The team designed this entry to further align with the national call for developing new quality productive forces and to promote high-quality development at the production technology level.

The China University Student Mechanical Engineering Innovation and Creativity Competition is a series of events jointly organized by the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society and the National Teaching Advisory Boards for Materials, Mechanical Engineering, and Industrial Engineering under the Ministry of Education. The Casting Process Design Contest is one of the specialized competitions within this series, hosted by the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society and organized by its Foundry Institution.