Developing the inoculation procedure for high-quality cast iron with flake graphite, intended for large-size casting (bottom or distance plates and counterweights) – produced in Krakodlew Foundry S.A.

Abstract

This article presents the first part of the research on the production of large-sizecastings, such as bottom plates and counterweights produced in the KrakodlewS.A. foundry. Castings of this type are not complicated in terms of construction butmust meet certain requirements, namely to be able to withstand the effects of hightemperature and associated stresses, or to have specific dimensions and weight inthe case of counterweights. In both cases, the most common method of formingcastings is horizontal moulding. However, this requires a lot of time for machiningthe finished castings. Forming heavy castings in a vertical orientation, although muchmore problematic, can mean that the amount of time required for machining may bereduced. The research presents the effect of overheating temperature on the effectsof inoculation with the Zircinoc inoculant, in which it was shown that increasing thetemperature by fifty degrees increased the amount of eutectic grains by around11–15%.