Manufacturing Technology Blog

Challenges to the US Metal Casting Industry

2008-08-25T03:46:00.000-07:00

Metal casting is one of the oldest and most important industrial sector of United States. The industry was first established in 1642 in the US and since then has helped the country to become the world's most admired industrial nation in manufacturing, science, defense, medicine and aerospace. Fundamental to the America's economy, metal casting continues to play an important role in the success of

World Leaders in Casting Production

2008-08-25T00:31:00.000-07:00

According the 41st Census of World casting Production, the world metal casting production reached 91.4 million tons in 2006 – an increase of 7.2% over the previous year. Of this total increase, ferrous

An Introduction to the Casting Molds

2008-08-18T23:52:00.000-07:00

Metal casting is generally a manufacturing process wherein a liquid material is emptied into a mold, which comprises a hollow opening of the desired form or shape and is then allowed to solidify. This solidified casting is then removed and broken out so as to complete the procedure.While sand is used as the primary mold material, there is a metal that is used as the mold. Typically, a cast

Major Cast Metals – Characteristics & Applications

2008-08-14T03:36:00.000-07:00

Although a variety of metals are used in metal casting, the major ones are Grey Iron, Ductile Iron, Aluminum, Steel and Copper Base. These cast metals are listed below, with their percentage usage, characteristics and applications -Grey Iron Use – 54%Characteristics – Heat resistance, damping, economical, low shrinkage and high fluidity.Applications - Automobile cylinder block, clutch plate,

Important Rules to Make Good Castings

2008-08-12T00:44:00.000-07:00

In the recent few years, we have witnessed a considerable improvement in our knowledge of metal casting methods and techniques. With this enhanced understanding, the list of requirements has been consistently corrected as they have become known. Industry experts have identified several rules and

Learn the Basics of Metal Casting Crucibles

2008-08-08T04:08:00.000-07:00

A crucible can be defined as a pot in which a metal is held, while it is melt in a furnace. It is generally made of clay graphite and silicon carbide.Crucibles Shapes:Metal casting crucibles come in two shapes – “A” shape and Bilge shape.Bilge shaped crucibles have the shape of a barrel. The region in the middle part of the crucible is known as bilge, which is the widest part of the crucible and

Recycled Foundry Sand – Uses & Applications

2008-08-06T05:29:00.000-07:00

Recycled Foundry Sand can be defined as a resultant product of the of the ferrous and nonferrous metal casting industry, where sand has been used for centuries as a molding material because of its superior thermal conductivity. In present day foundries, sand is generally recycled and reused through different production cycles. According to industry experts, approximately 100 million tons of sand

Copper – An Introduction to the Versatile Metal

2008-08-04T23:41:00.000-07:00

For around 5 millennia, copper was the only metal known to man, and hence has all the possible metal applications. It was the 1st metal mined and produced by man, and has great significance in older

Aluminum : Facts Behind the Metal

2008-08-04T03:20:00.000-07:00

A metallic element with symbol Al, aluminum is the 3rd most plentiful element of Earth's crust, behind that of oxygen and silicon. The metal has strong affinity towards oxygen and hence is not found in the elemental form but in combined states, such as silicates or oxides.Bauxite is the main mineral ore of aluminum, which is abundantly available in tropical areas, such as - Africa, the West

Metal Casting Applications in Japan

2008-08-02T04:33:00.000-07:00

As like in Germany, the uses and applications of CAD solid modeling are limited in Japan. Again, as enabling technique for rapid prototyping (RP) machines, a CAD solid model should be designed before a component can be fabricated. The applications of 2-D CAD is very common in Japan. Mostly a 2D CAD

Advantages of Die Castings Over Plastic Components

2008-07-31T23:51:00.000-07:00

A highly preferred casting method among manufacturers and designers, die casting is an efficient and economical process that offers several advantages for creating parts and components. Because of these advantages, die casting becomes an obvious choice when selecting a manufacturing process for a

EASTPO 2008 - 10th Shanghai International Machine Tool Fair

2008-07-30T03:05:00.000-07:00

World's largest consumer of machine tools – China, hosted the 10th edition of the premier manufacturing technology show in Shanghai, the eastern city of the country. The event was held from 9th July to 12th July in the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC) and by seeing the overwhelming response of the exhibitors and visitors, experts are considering it has a huge success.The event,

Buying Tips - Cast Metal Components

2008-07-29T22:59:00.000-07:00

Cast metal components are not products, which are generally bought out from market; most often they are custom made objects, designed and engineered to meet the specific requirements of a particular customer. As such, we can say that cast components high value and high volume commodity items, where price is the main buying criterion.Cast components are considered as high-value manufacturing

Improve Induction Melting With Gas Diffusers

2008-07-29T03:44:00.000-07:00

Also known as porous plugs, gas diffusers have been used for many years in ladles to enable gas purging of steel melts before streaming the metal into molds. The purging process degasses the melt and makes cleaner steel that results in a repressed scrap rate in castings.According to experts, the proper use of gas diffusers provides a variety of benefits in induction melting. These include reduced

Rapid Tooling - A Key to Production Improvement & Cost Savings

2008-07-29T01:43:00.000-07:00

Rapid prototyping is fast emerging as a preferred manufacturing method among global manufacturers to bring products faster to the market. As a part of this process, manufacturers are using varied tooling methods to design pre-production models, limited parts of production runs, and even production quality tools of the rapid prototyping process. Die casters are using a variety of rapid tooling

Modern Metals – A Leading Publication for Metal fabricators, Service Centers and OEM's

2008-07-28T23:59:00.000-07:00

A name of trust in the metal casting world, Modern Metals is a monthly publication serving the medical service centers, OEMs and fabricators. Each issue of the magazine presents the different facets of the ever changing process of a metals' journey from the mill to the ORM / end user. The non biased approach of the editorial board of the magazine presents a clear and balanced picture of the

International Journal of Metal casting – Driving the Research & Technology for the Global Metal Casting Industry...

2008-07-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

A renowned name in the field of global metal casting industry, International Journal of Metal casting (IJMC) is a quarterly publication of the American Foundry Society (AFS). The publication keeps track of the latest news and issues, technological research and developments, happenings and events of the metal casting industry.Paper Types:The magazine publishes technical papers and reports in 4

Tool to Determine Casting Alloys & Processes

2008-07-14T22:58:00.000-07:00

Casting buyers generally seek professional advice and help to make a decision between different types of casting alloys or processes. Experts cannot make choices for them but can only provide information, which will help the buyers to make an informed decision. However, the information required to make an informed decision is huge and with the variety of ways available to design a casting, the

New Manufacturing Methods : Expected to Cut Down the Cost of Titanium Alloys

2008-07-14T03:02:00.000-07:00

Ever since the introduction of titanium and its alloys in the mid of 20th century, these metals have become critical materials for uses in aerospace, energy and chemical industries. Titanium and its alloys combine properties, such as high strength-to-weight ratio, superior mechanical properties and corrosion resistance that makes them an ideal choice for a multitude of critical

Rising Electronic Waste: Dangers & Solutions

2008-07-11T03:20:00.000-07:00

Majority of people don't know what happens to their old electronic gadgets when they throw them out of their homes. Considering the fact that these waste electronic gadgets contain both the toxic chemicals as well as valuable metals you'd think someone would know this? As a matter of fact, however, the fate of millions of tons of e-waste produced each year is mostly unknown.As the electronic

Reducing Zinc Contaminants is Critical to the Success of Die Castings

2008-07-08T05:57:00.000-07:00

Manufacturers prefer zinc alloys for a variety of applications that range from small electrical connectors to automotive parts and decorative components. According to a research study, the global consumption of zinc casting alloys is more than one million metric tons.Zinc alloys are used in casting applications because of their mechanical characteristics, electrical conductivity, dimensional

Metal Recycling – Fueling the Global Manufacturing Supply Chain

2008-07-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

Metal recycling companies recycle more than 81.4 million tons of iron and steel, 1.8 million tons of copper, 4.5 million tons of aluminum and around 1.4 million tons of stainless steel every year.Companies involved in metal recycling transform these otherwise wasted resources into the raw materials, which fuel the manufacturing supply chain, supporting the world economy, trade and contribute to

11 Effective Design Tips to Improve the Performance of Your Castings

2008-07-02T23:06:00.000-07:00

While designing castings, the most important thing to consider is the effect of shrinkage during cooling. Some other critical factors include the flow of metal and porosity.Some general casting design rules are - Avoid sharp corners - they may result in hot tearing during cooling. Fillets should be used with care – they lead to stresses as they shrink. Radius in the range of 1/8” to 1” is

Best Designs of Cast Expo '08

2008-07-02T03:12:00.000-07:00

The Cast Expo'08 recognized the most effective and innovative cast designs developed during the last year. Nine cast components were selected as the best designs of the year by the 2008 Engineered Casting Solutions and AFS Casting Competition. The AFS nominated an overall winner, 4 Best-in-Class winners, and 4 honorable mentions. An oil tank for Harley Davidson, developed by the Carley Foundry

Metal Prices Expected to Stay Higher for Longer

2008-07-01T23:47:00.000-07:00

The prices of raw materials used in steel making, such as iron ore, coal and scrap metal are expected to keep on rising for many years, keeping pressure on manufacturers and consumers, said the chief of US steel maker Nucor Corp.According to Mr. Dan DiMicco (the chairman, president & CEO of Nucor Corp.), “the bull run for commodities market will continue for decades to come and so the people

5 Ways to Improve Die Performance

2008-07-01T04:05:00.000-07:00

While selecting a die casting, designers generally think that tooling is not reliable or that short die life will affect production. Research & developments over the last decade, however, have proved that a variety of methods are available that can be used to improve die life, enhance the performance of die and reduce the overall cost-per-part.The 5 key factors, which can extend die life are -Die

The Role of Associations & Groups in Metal Casting Industry

2008-06-30T01:27:00.000-07:00

One of the most fundamental industries, metal casting continues to play a key role in manufacturing sector. It is one of the most widely used processes in production and process industries. The process is used in a variety of applications, including the critical components for aircraft and automobiles to home appliances andsurgical equipment, and is critical to the modern human life.The Need for

Increased Competition – Forcing the Foundries to Reduce Running Costs

2008-06-27T02:26:00.001-07:00

During the last decade or so, foundries are facing a big challenge to survive and stay in the business. Companies are striving to find an ever cheaper manufacturing base and are trying to buy the consumables products they require to operate their business as economically as possible.As the customers are looking to buy at ever lower costs, the crucible business is becoming tougher day by day.Some

InterMold Thailand 2008

2008-06-26T03:34:00.000-07:00

Recently I visited the 16th edition of InterMold Thailand 2008, which is the ASEAN's largest trade exposition for mold and die manufacturing industry. The event was held from June 19-22, 2008 in Bangkok - the beautiful capital of Thailand.I must say that, I was truly mesmerized by the seeing the interest and enthusiasm of exhibitors and visitors that come from different parts of the world to

Profile

2008-06-26T03:30:00.000-07:00

Hello! My name is Garry Emerson. I am a graduate in mechanical and materials engineering. I've spent almost 12 years in manufacturing industry with experience in tooling design, casting methods, cast product design, machining initialization, and manufacturing techniques. I've expertise in metal casting, including centrifugal casting, die casting, permanent mold casting, sand casting, and