A foundry core is fundamentally easy to make. With the right equipment, safety training and a bit of know-how, it can be done in a residential garage. It's amazing what can be achieved with wet sand, a blowtorch and some molten metal. For the hobbyist with no deadlines or production targets to meet, it can be a relaxing and gratifying pastime. If something goes wrong, you can re-use the sand and melt down your mistakes and keep trying until you get the result you are looking for.
If you have a small business casting metal, you don't have time for do-overs. If your foundry guy moves on to greener pastures, it can take a while to find someone with the same skill set and knowledge base. It's time to think about outsourcing your cores.
Approximately 70% of all cast metal objects are made by the sand casting process. There are a number of different approaches to sandcasting cores. These include air set no-bake, shell, isocure and the warm box method. Each one has its own unique advantages.
When the desired outcome is a thin-walled core, it has to be strong enough to hold up to the molten metal without breaking down or eroding. For this, the warm box process is employed. Furan, a simple aromatic hydrocarbon, is mixed with the sand as a fixative. The catalyst in this process is heat. However, the boiling point of furan is uncomfortably close to room temperature; this makes it both flammable and volatile. A very good reason to outsource this work to a company that is used to handling it. Once cast, the cores are heated until the outside of the core is hard. Inside, cooling continues to cool.
The no-bake air set method is ideal when you have a detailed design and want a small to medium volume. A mixture of plastic and sand is tightly packed around a "positive." This method can produce a casing up to 225 pounds in weight. The air set method is adaptable for a variety of materials, including plastic, non-ferrous metals, fiberglass and styrofoam.
In the isocure core-making process, a polyurethane resin is added to the sand. A catalyst, sometimes an amine gas, is injected into the box and superheated air is blown through. This method is fast and economical for large cores.
Sometimes you need a light casting or a fine finish. Here, the shell process is used. In this process, the casting box is heated and pre-treated sand poured into it. In the absence of a catalyst, the exterior is heated to achieve a thin, hard shell. Another cool thing about this method is the sand inside remains uncured and may be poured out and used again.
Sand casting for foundry core production has been around since around 3,500 B. C.; that's way before even Moses walked the Earth. The reason it has stood the test of time is because of its reliability and versatility. Back in Moses' time, things were different and metal smiths had no problem melting down their mistakes. Over the years, the process has evolved in many different directions. It has always been a dangerous process. For many reasons, businesses today often outsource their foundry work.
If you have a small business casting metal, you don't have time for do-overs. If your foundry guy moves on to greener pastures, it can take a while to find someone with the same skill set and knowledge base. It's time to think about outsourcing your cores.
Approximately 70% of all cast metal objects are made by the sand casting process. There are a number of different approaches to sandcasting cores. These include air set no-bake, shell, isocure and the warm box method. Each one has its own unique advantages.
When the desired outcome is a thin-walled core, it has to be strong enough to hold up to the molten metal without breaking down or eroding. For this, the warm box process is employed. Furan, a simple aromatic hydrocarbon, is mixed with the sand as a fixative. The catalyst in this process is heat. However, the boiling point of furan is uncomfortably close to room temperature; this makes it both flammable and volatile. A very good reason to outsource this work to a company that is used to handling it. Once cast, the cores are heated until the outside of the core is hard. Inside, cooling continues to cool.
The no-bake air set method is ideal when you have a detailed design and want a small to medium volume. A mixture of plastic and sand is tightly packed around a "positive." This method can produce a casing up to 225 pounds in weight. The air set method is adaptable for a variety of materials, including plastic, non-ferrous metals, fiberglass and styrofoam.
In the isocure core-making process, a polyurethane resin is added to the sand. A catalyst, sometimes an amine gas, is injected into the box and superheated air is blown through. This method is fast and economical for large cores.
Sometimes you need a light casting or a fine finish. Here, the shell process is used. In this process, the casting box is heated and pre-treated sand poured into it. In the absence of a catalyst, the exterior is heated to achieve a thin, hard shell. Another cool thing about this method is the sand inside remains uncured and may be poured out and used again.
Sand casting for foundry core production has been around since around 3,500 B. C.; that's way before even Moses walked the Earth. The reason it has stood the test of time is because of its reliability and versatility. Back in Moses' time, things were different and metal smiths had no problem melting down their mistakes. Over the years, the process has evolved in many different directions. It has always been a dangerous process. For many reasons, businesses today often outsource their foundry work.
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