Non-ferrous Casting Research Articles

Сорвихинское городище на р. Белая

The article is devoted to the materials of the Sorvikha hillfort which was discovered by N.A.Mazhitov in 1959. He attributed the hillfort to the Pyanobor and Bakhmutin cultures according to the ceramics. The large-scale excavations were conducted at the Sorvikha settlement by the archaeological expedition of the Udmurt Republic’s Museum of Local History (now Kuzebay Gerd National Museum of the Udmurt Republic). The expedition was led by T.I. Ostanina in 1990. The archaeological research resulted in the following conclusions. The ancient settlement was a well-fortified (up to 42 m high, three ramparts, ditches along the ramparts and slopes, a scarp at the edge of the cape built later). Unlike other settlements of the Belaya River basin, the Sorvikha settlement has a large area (132 thousand square meters) which allowed a significant number of people to live there. The Sorvikha ancient settlement occupies a central place, but together with the nearby settlements of Bogorodskoye (Sergeevskoye), Novo-Petrovskoye, located 4.7 and 20 km away from Sorvikha respectively, it constitutes the defensive line of open settlements in the upper reaches of the Bir, Big Izyak and Small Izyak rivers. There are few dating finds (a faience bead of the 3rd–4th centuries, a knife with a groove of the Kharinо time). They make it possible to attribute the monument of the 3rd–4th centuries corresponding to the chronology of the Mazuninо/Bakhmutinо culture. The population was engaged in small-scale animal husbandry producing meat and dairy. Hunting and fishing played a secondary role. There was also non-ferrous casting, although there is still not enough evidence to confirm this idea (a piece of non-ferrous metal slag was found). The excavations discovered a significant number of fragments of hand-made ware. Their general characteristics are as follows: pot-shaped medium-sized vessels made of clay dough composed with sand or sand with small pebbles, very rarely it was composed with crushed seashell. In most cases, the upper part (neck, shoulders, body – less often) of the vessels are ornamented. The patterns are represented by horizontal rows of dimple impressions (imprintы) of different shapes. The neck and the shoulders have a herringbone pattern. The settlement belongs to the Bashkir variant of the Mazunino culture.

Impacts of Covid-19 Pandemic on Nigeria’s Economy: Effective Foundry Technology as a Sustainable Solution

This study considered the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy of Nigeria and investigated the effective application of foundry technology to proffer a sustainable solution to the problem. Domestication of production of motorcycle components, being a significant means of transportation that is required for the development of any society was considered. Aluminium scraps from a waste dump and Belle and Oyun natural moulding sands in Kwara State, Nigeria, which have been previously recommended for non-ferrous casting in previous studies were considered and used for casting of motorcycle/tricycle parts (centre stand and brake pedal) using AFS guidelines. The scraps’ chemical compositions were analysed. Thereafter, some mechanical properties with the microstructure of the aluminium casts and that of commercially obtained imported types were examined using appropriate ASTM standards. Cast aluminium alloy produced using scrap had no casting defects and had some mechanical properties comparable to those available on the markets (imported). Thus, effective usage of naturally available moulding sands in Nigeria for foundry applications would help to proffer sustainable solutions to the nation’s economic problem as a result of the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Application of thermal analysis in ferrous and nonferrous foundries

This paper is devoted to the memory of Professor Ljubomir Nedeljkovic (1933-2020), Head of the Department of Iron and Steel Metallurgy University of Belgrade, Serbia. Assessment of the melt quality is one of the most important casting process parameters, which allowed sound production of intricated cast parts. At the present time, various devices have been applied at foundry floors to control melt quality. Thermal analysis is one of them, widely used for melt quality control in ferrous and non-ferrous casting plants. During solidification, metal and alloys released latent heat, which magnitude is dependent on the type of phases that form during the solidification process. Plotting temperature versus time data during solidification provides useful information related to the actual solidification process. The applied technique is called thermal analysis, whereas the cooling curve is the name of such a plot. The main aim of this paper is to give a short overview of the present thermal analysis application in various foundries and to indicate the future potential use of this technique.

Utilization of fly ash as an alternative to silica sand for green sand mould casting process

The availability of silica sand for Indian foundry industries has been decreasing day by day. The present investigation evaluates the power plant fly ash (F-type) suitability as an alternative material to silica sand for Indian foundry industries. The sand mould properties such as permeability, hardness, compressive and shear strength, and compactibility are evaluated as per the standard (American Foundry Society (AFS)). The fly ash is added to silica sand at a different weight percentage (5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt% and 20 wt%) and made the sand mould specimen. The physical and mechanical properties of fly ash blended silica sand mould is evaluated and compared with plain silica sand mould. The results revealed that up to 15 wt% of fly ash can be added to silica sand mould to meet the desired physical and mechanical properties of green sand mould castings. It is observed that the fusion point of fly ash is below 1350 °C and suitable for nonferrous sand casting. The utilization of power plant fly ash in green sand mould casting reduces environmental pollution and minimizes the scarcity of silica sand in Indian foundry industries.

Minimizing the Casting Defects in High Pressure Die Casting Using Taguchi Analysis

High-Pressure Die Casting (HPDC) is one of the major production processes of automotive industry, widely used to manufacture geometrically complex nonferrous castings. The mechanical strength and microstructure of HPDC-manufactured products changes with variation in several process control parameters such as injection pressure, molten temperature, 1st and 2nd stage plunger velocity, cooling temperature, etc. Since these process parameters directly affect casting quality, their optimum combination is needed to maximize the productivity of process and minimize casting defects such as porosity, pinholes, blowholes, inclusions, etc. Hence, to tackle this problem, an approach is presented in this paper that minimizes the major casting defect, i.e., porosity, in the HPDC process by optimizing controlling parameters through Design of Experiments (DOE) in combination with a Taguchi Analysis. The results obtained showed that cooling time, injection pressure, and 2nd stage plunger velocity have a major influence on the response factor (density of the cast part). It was also concluded that, by using a 178 bar injection pressure, 665 °C molten temperature, 5 second cooling time, 210 °C mold temperature, 0.20 m·s−1 1st stage plunger velocity, and 6.0 m·s−1 2nd stage plunger velocity, the rejection rate of the selected part due to porosity was reduced by 61%.

Urban Casting Tools as Evidence for Transfer of Technology across the Baltic Sea in 13th- to 17th-Century Estonia

PRESENT-DAY ESTONIA WAS INCORPORATED into the Christian world in the early 13th century. This event brought dramatic changes to both its society and landscape, including the establishment of the first towns that soon played an important role in the emerging Hanseatic network, mediating trade between the West and East. These political and cultural changes are also reflected in the influences that reached Estonian towns, with the migration of craftspeople from German-speaking areas and Scandinavia; in particular, these innovations occurred in non-ferrous casting technology. The most important changes included the introduction of refractory crucibles, massive melting furnaces and more complex stone-casting moulds. Residue analysis showed evidence of highly specialised metalworking taking place. The large sample size revealed some unusual alloys, which are explained either by craftspeople's experimentation or by the reuse of scrap metal. By looking at the different crucible types and mould fragments, we are able to demonstrate how the mobile craftspeople were the carriers of both casting tools and knowledge inside the Hanseatic world.

A study of working conditions in the shops of non-ferrous casting

The results of the study of working conditions of workers in non-ferrous casting shops are presented. It is shown that the main production factors of working conditions are noise, vibration, dust, gas, air temperature, the intensity of infrared (thermal) radiation, the severity and intensity of the labor process. The results of the research have shown that all workplaces have exceeded the permissible values for noise, dust content in the air of the working environment, the intensity of infrared (thermal) radiation and air temperature.It is noted that the work performed due to the severity and intensity of the labor process can negatively affect the health of employees.

An experimental study on the mechanical properties of concrete replacing sand with quarry dust and waste foundry sand

Concrete is the most widely used composite material today. The constituents of concrete are coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, binding material and water. Rapid increase in construction activities leads to shortage of conventional construction materials. It is conventional that sand is being used as fine aggregate in concrete. The river deposits are the most common source of fine aggregate. Now-a-days the natural river sand has become scarce and very costly. Cost of construction can be effectively reduced if quarry dust is available near the site. The Quarry dust may be used in the place of river sand fully or partly. Foundry sand is high quality silica sand with uniform physical characteristics. It is a by-product of ferrous and non-ferrous metal casting industries, where sand has been used for centuries as a material because of its thermal conductivity. It is a by-product from the production of both ferrous and non-ferrous metal castings. In modern foundry practice, sand is typically recycled and reused through many production cycles. The foundry sand is normally of a higher quality than the typical bank run or natural sands used in fill construction sites. The sands form the outer shape of the mould cavity. In this study, an attempt has been made to find the suitability of quarry dust and foundry sand as fine aggregate. To test the hardened properties of concrete by compression test, split tensile test & flexural test for 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, 21 days and 28 days. M20 grade of concrete is designed using IS 10262:2009 provision.

Comparative Study on Marshall Characteristics of Bituminous Mixes by Partial Replacement of Foundry Sand and Ceramic Tile Dust as Fine Aggregate

Bituminous hot mixes for flexible pavement construction are the most widely used throughout the world. Mainly aggregate, sand, bitumen and filler are used for flexible pavement construction. But in case of filler, engineers are divided according to their choice depending on the availability of materials and environmental condition. In this investigation an attempt is made to investigate the properties of bituminous pavement materials by the partial replacement of spent foundry sand and ceramic tile dust individually as fine aggregate with an increment of 10%. Actually Foundry sand is a high quality silica sand and it is used to form molds for ferrous (iron and steel) and non-ferrous (copper, aluminum, brass etc.) metal castings. A huge quantity of foundry sand is used by metal casting industries every year and disposed them after being used. On the other hand two sources are available for ceramic wastes. Ceramic’s industry is the first source and second is the construction sight of ceramic’s work. A huge quantity of ceramic wastes are produced from these sources and if these wastes can be utilized in pavement construction, the disposal and pollution problem can be minimized. The main target of this investigation is to determine optimum bitumen content (OBC) and suitable mix to ensure a durable and cost effective pavement after being partial replacement of foundry sand and ceramic tile dust. The proposed mix design will be conducted in accordance with Marshall Mix design. After performing the experimental investigation it is found that for 30% replacement of waste foundry sand and higher percentage of ceramic tile dust provide superior field performance and better stability than the conventional mixes.

Partial Replacement of Spent Foundry Sand in Bituminous Mix Design

Bituminous mixes for flexible pavement construction are most commonly used all over the world. Mainly aggregate, sand, bitumen etc. are used for pavement construction. In this investigation an attempt is made to study the properties of bituminous pavement materials by the partial replacement of spent foundry sand as fine aggregate with an increment of 10%. Foundry sand is a high quality silica sand that is used to form molds for ferrous (iron and steel) and non-ferrous (copper, aluminum, brass etc.) metal castings. Metal casting industries use huge quantity of foundry sand every year and disposed them after being used. This industrial waste occupies large amount of space of the land. If this sand can be utilized in pavement construction, the disposal and pollution problem can be minimized. The main objective of this study is to determine sufficient bitumen content and mix stability to ensure a durable and cost effective pavement after being partial replacement of foundry sand. The proposed mix design will be conducted in accordance with Marshall Mix design. After performing the experimental investigation it is found that for 30% replacement of waste foundry sand provide superior field performance and better stability than the conventional mixes.

Evaluation of the reheating behavior of the cooling slope cast A356 and A380 aluminum alloys

A356 and A380 alloys are two well-known hypoeutectic Al-Si casting alloys in the non-ferrous casting industry and drew significant attention for semi-solid applications. The cooling slope casting method for producing materials with non-dendritic microstructure is one of the simplest liquid route techniques. In the beginning, microstructural differences of both alloys produced with 30° and 60° tilt angles were examined. It was observed that the angle change has a limited effect on A380 and it is almost non-effective for A356 as-cast structures. The samples were then subjected to the reheating processes for different times and the effects were investigated by measuring the average shape factor and the grain size values. In addition to the natural grain growth, it is understood that the changes in the eutectic are also effective on the properties. The rapid solidification of the melted eutectic by quenching the reheated samples modified the eutectic structure and improved the hardness. On the other hand, grain growth reduces hardness naturally. Additionally, it was observed that the increase in sphericity was supported by the liquid phase formation and it was determined that A356 alloy was more sensitive to reheating and formed larger grains than A380 alloy for the same reheating periods.

Cost Effective Technology of Alunite Ore Processing

Soda-alkaline method of alunite ore processing includes crushing, grinding and enrichment (flotation) of the alunite ore. Enriched alunite ore, containing 50 - 60% of alunite, is roasted at temperatures between 520о – 620о С for 1 – 3 hours. Roasted alunite is further leached with sodium carbonate solution (5–20 %). Proportion of sodium carbonate for binding of SO3 aluminum sulfate in alunite accounts for 100 – 110 % of stoichiometric quantities. Leaching takes place at temperatures around 70 – 100о С for 0.5 – 2.0 hours. Solution of the resulting pulp contains all the potassium sulfate from alunite and sodium sulfate from soda. Solution of sulfates is separated from the insoluble residue and is fed for conversion with potassium chloride. As result of this conversion we obtain quantities of potassium sulfate (fertilizer) and table (common) salt. The remaining insoluble residue contains all the aluminum oxide from alunite and waste rock. Further processing of the insoluble residue based on the Bayer out-of-autoclave process produces alumina and quartz sand. Besides alumina, this method makes it possible to get four times more the amount of potassium sulfate and certain volumes of table salt.
 
 Taking into account the processing capacity of Ganja Alumina Plant (150,000 tons of alumina per year), this method allows the production of fertilizer, potassium sulfate (370,000 tons per year), coagulant for purification of water from mechanical impurities (49,000 tons per year), table salt (NaCl) (126,000 tons per year), and quartz sand for non-ferrous casting and production of construction materials (300,000 tons per year). Approximate yearly financial efficiency of the soda-alkaline technology for processing of 150,000 tons of alumina per year will be around 171,46 million USD.

Operation optimization of holding furnaces in special casting shops

The object of research is the melting and casting system of special casting shops. The process is considered on the basis of simulation modeling of the requirements of chill or melts pressure casting machines and the capabilities of the melting and holding furnaces to meet this need. The modeling is carried out on the basis of typical solutions for the used brands of furnaces for the manufacture of aluminum alloys in non-ferrous casting shops of a machine-building enterprise specializing in the manufacture of casting in metal molds for engineering products.As a result of simulation modeling, a description is obtained of the influence of the intensity of applications on the melt on the part of chill machines or injection molding machines, and the time taken to complete these applications for the total costs of the implementation of the technological process. It is proposed to determine the total costs as the sum of the costs associated with the consumption of technological electricity, and the costs associated with the likely downtime of machines due to lack of metal. Moreover, the second component reflects the requirement for the performance of machines in terms of their actual operation. Therefore, the total cost of the process of chill casting or casting under pressure in terms of the consistency of the elements of the melting and casting system is chosen as the criterion for optimizing its operation.It is proposed to consider the melting and casting system as a queuing system (QS) with failures. Such a presentation is the most stringent in terms of requirements for ensuring a given performance. Using the study of the response surface, the optimization problem is solved according to the consistency of the intensity of requests for the melt and the time of their execution, which minimizes the total costs of the implementation of the technological process. Local optimal technological solutions are obtained that enable technologists to choose the most rational decisions for conducting a melting campaign using transfer furnaces with a capacity of 0.16–0.25 tons. Such solutions will provide the possibility of reducing the cost of manufacturing aluminum casting.

Granulated blast furnace slag – A boon for foundry industry

In the present investigation efforts have been put together to employ Granulated Blast furnace (GBF) slag as mould material for replacement of existing silica sand either full or partial in foundry industry. Nishiyama procedure was assumed for appraising the same. The process factors reflected on for this were the % of sodium silicate, % of Fe-Si powder and mould setting time. A sequence of tests on sand was conducted on sand, slag as per American foundry society standards. Two categories of moulds were built by means of sand and slag independently with optimum process parameters. A356 alloy and grey cast iron castings were executed on these recently built up slag moulds. The outcomes show that the mould’s compression, permeability as well as the shear strength of the GBF slag is an appropriate candidate for either incomplete or complete substitute of moulding sand. At some point in casting, the absence of fusing, dripping or mould wall collapse walls was noticed; this is exact for the ferrous as well as non-ferrous castings. Castings exhibiting high-quality surface finish, absence of surface defects as well as porosity were created by slag moulds.Keywords: Silica sand; Blast Furnace Slag; Mould properties; Ferrous and nonferrous castings.

Characterisation of direct 3D sand printing process for the production of sand cast mould tools

PurposeMetal casting industry is in recovery phase after the crisis in 2008; customer demand continues to increase, with 98.6 million metric tons cast in 2011. Traditional ferrous and non-ferrous casting techniques require one shot or permanent moulds which require tooling to produce. Tooling particularly for developmental projects can be costly and take valuable time to produce. Additive manufacturing (AM) has been used to manufacture sand patterns for metal sand casting using laser sintering and sand bonding. This research aims to focus on characterising the sand-bonded process developed by ExOne GmbhH Germany.Design/methodology/approachThe approach taken in this research is to evaluate characteristics of parts built in the build volume for dimensional accuracy, tensile and compressive crush strength, density, impact strength and high temperature resistance. These properties are required to compare the 3D sand printing (3DSP) process to direct laser sand sintering (DLSS) and traditional Furan-based casting sand mixtures. The samples were taken from a production machine over a period of 30 days to ensure consistency.FindingsThe 3DSP process has the capability to manufacture sand patterns to an accuracy of ±0.5 mm or error less than 0.3 per cent; it has also demonstrated the best build position to achieve accurate parts. The research has demonstrated the 3DSP patterns are comparable to traditional methods for important casting material characteristics such as tensile, compression and impact strength. It has been shown that the 3DSP process is capable manufacturing significantly larger parts, with build production rates up to 30 times higher compared to similar parts manufactured via the DLSS process.Research limitations/implicationsAs they has been very few 3DSP machines sold in Europe and particular UK, they has been little research into this new technique, and, therefore, they is a reliance on machine manufactures data for assessment. This research into 3DSP has increased the knowledge of this process significantly.Practical implicationsThis research would be of interest to designers and manufacturing engineers wishing to take advantage of the implications of having new design freedom, tool less manufacturing with short lead times in a wide range of materials using fundamentally tried and tested century’s old casting techniques.Originality/valueThe research for this paper revealed very little published academic research in this area; therefore, this work will increase the body of knowledge for this niche AM process.

Optimization of Cutting Parameters on High-Speed CNC Milling for Precision parts of Non-ferrous Castings using RSM

This research paper analyses the cutting parameter optimisation suitable for precision parts manufacturing units, which mainly uses non-ferrous cast blocks for their job orders using Box-Behnken's response surface method. This solution method developed based on case studies conducted from industrial units involved in precision components manufacturing in 100% export oriented units around Coimbatore. The problem is converted into a simultaneous optimisation model for getting better material removal rate (MRR) on high-speed CNC milling process while maintaining the surface roughness requirements less than 20 microns. The experiments were carried out for different alloy materials of non-ferrous group frequently used for manufacturing precision components aluminium 6,061, brass, gunmetal, phosper bronze. The group of materials is of heterogeneous but they share similar mechanical properties required for a precision component, it is generally difficult to machine these material due to either soft ductile/hard brittle characters. However this research is to give an adaptable solution to the small and medium type job order companies, which struggle to maintain the precision at a minimised cost of manufacturing. The results show that MRR could be maximised by optimisation of input parameters while keeping Ra in the range less than 0.25 microns.

Molding and casting behavior of ferro chrome slag as a mold material in ferrous and non-ferrous foundry industries

ABSTRACTIn the present investigation, efforts are made to use Ferro Chrome (Fe-Cr) slag as a mold material for the replacement of silica sand in the foundry industry. The sodium silicate-Fe–Si process is adopted for evaluating the same. The process parameters considered for this investigation are % of sodium silicate, % of Fe–Si powder as a binder, and mold setting time. A series of sand tests are carried out on sand, slag individually, and for various combinations of these two. Three types of molds are made with sand, slag individually, and combination of these two with 6% sodium silicate and 1.5% Fe–Si. Various ferrous and non-ferrous castings are performed on these newly developed slag molds. The results reveal that the Fe-Cr slag with mold permeability, compression, and shear strength is a suitable candidate for either partial or full replacement of silica sand. During casting neither fusing, dripping, nor collapse of the mold walls is observed in slag molds; this is true for both ferrous and non-ferrous castings. Castings with good surface finish and no surface defects are made by slag molds. Faster heat transfer in slag molds enable to obtain castings with enhanced metallurgical and mechanical properties.

Ferro Chrome Slag: An Alternative Mould Material in Ferrous and Non-ferrous Foundries

Various efforts are being made to use industrial wastes as an alternate moulding material in the foundry industry. Ferrochrome (Fe–Cr) slag has many of the same attributes of sand. Hence, in this paper, investigations were carried out on the suitability of Fe–Cr slag as mould material for either full or partial replacement of existing silica sand in the foundry industry. Owing to the superiority, sodium silicate–CO2 process was adopted for evaluating the same. The process parameters considered for this investigation were percentage of sodium silicate and CO2 gassing time. A series of sand tests were carried out on silica sand, Fe–Cr slag individually and various combinations of these two. Three types of moulds were made with Fe–Cr slag, silica sand individually and combination of these two with 8 %sodium silicate and 15 S CO2 gassing time. Various ferrous and non-ferrous castings were performed on these newly developed slag moulds. Results reveal that mould permeability, compression and shear strength of Fe–Cr slag are suitable candidates for either partial or full replacement of moulding sand. During casting, no burning, dripping nor collapse of the mould walls was observed in slag moulds; this is true for both ferrous and non-ferrous castings. Castings with good surface finish, no surface defects and without porosity were made by slag moulds. Slag moulds show faster solidification rates than sand moulds. Faster heat transfer in slag moulds enables obtain castings with enhanced metallurgical and mechanical properties like, hardness, compression and tensile with improved elongation.

Structure and properties of aluminium\u2013magnesium casting alloys after heat treatment

Since the forming of the microstructure depends on the specific of the casting method, which directly affects further mechanical and physical properties of the material, it is important to understand how to control the microstructure of the cast to understand changes that taking place during the crystallisation process. For estimating the metallurgical quality of the liquid metal before casting, the thermal-derivative analysis (TDA) is utilised. The TDA has been used for a long time, in both ferrous and non-ferrous industries casting. The Universal Metallurgical Simulator and Analyser (UMSA) platform is a rapid, sensitive and economical method of determining a full range of solidification features. The work focuses on the thermal analysis and heat treatment of aluminium alloys. The liquidus and solidus temperatures and dendrite coherency point (DCP) are then characterised. The research shows that the UMSA platform allows precise determination and calculation of thermal parameters. The influence of the heat treatment on structure and properties of aluminium castings has been determined as well. Heat treatment was carried out to increase the mechanical properties of aluminium alloys. Based on the findings above, the influence of microstructure on properties of the alloys is discussed.

Modeling and Analysis for Hardness and Structure of Nonferrous Alloy Castings Produced Using Zcast Metal Casting Process through Response Surface Methodology

The purpose of this investigation is to develop a mathematical model for predicting the influence of casting parameters on hardness of non ferrous alloy (NFA) castings produces using Zcast process by employing response surface methodology (RSM). An association has been proposed between hardness of castings and shell wall thickness (SWT), weight density (WD) and pouring temperature (PT) of the shell mould fabricated using three dimensional printer (3DP). The experiments were conducted using NFA materials like; aluminium, zinc, lead, copper, brass and bronze. An effective procedure of RSM has been utilized for the optimal values of casting parameters. Mechanical Micro-Vickers hardness was measured in which the indent is produced by applying a known load to the specimen and then measuring the size of the appropriate diagonals optically. Based on experimental data the investigation has led to conclusion as Quadratic model have been established for predicting the response in the form of hardness of castings.Further, the model developed was validated by analysis of variance (ANOVA) which indicated the significance of model. The Model F-value of 2477.66 implies that the model is significant. There is only a 0.01% chance that a Model F-Value could occur due to noise. Values of "Prob > F" less than 0.05 indicate model terms are significant. The statistical analysis of second order quadratic equation results showed that the most significant parameters, favoring the hardness are B, C and A2. The superiority of the quadratic mathematical models were developed in confidence intervals of 99.75% with prediction error sum of squares of 3.6%for the prediction of the harness.Microstructure analysis was also performed for justification of hardness data.