Types of casting of non-ferrous metals

Casting of non-ferrous metals- technological operations for obtaining products and semi-finished products by pouring molten metals or alloys into a mold that corresponds to the outlines of the product. Liquid metal, solidifying in the form, acquires its configuration. Casting of non-ferrous metals includes the following main stages: melting, filling the mold cavity with liquid metal, solidification of the metal in the mold and removal of the cooled casting from the mold. According to the type of products produced, there are two main types of casting of non-ferrous metals: procurement and shaped.

Blank casting- casting of round or rectangular ingots intended for further processing by pressure - pressing, rolling, forging, and sometimes for processing by cutting.

Blank casting of non-ferrous metals can be performed in two ways: by pouring into metal molds or by continuous casting. Pouring into the molds is done directly from furnaces, ladles, mixers or crucibles. In the casting of non-ferrous metals, cast iron, and more often copper or steel water-cooled molds are used.

Note: This type of casting as a rule does not provide for the use of graphite crucibles, they can be used as casting ladles or if the production is small-scale.

Shaped casting -can be it is produced in earthen molds, metal molds (kokili), under pressure, by centrifugal method, as well as by the method of precise (precision casting). Injection molding, that is, filling a metal mold under high hydraulic pressure on a liquid metal, allows you to obtain complex products with such precision that they do not require further machining. Injection molding of non-ferrous metals is carried out in automatic and semi-automatic machines.

The method of precision casting is based on the following. With the help of a melted wax model, an all-in-one ceramic mold is made from a special mass into which molten metal is poured. The resulting casting, as a rule, does not require further processing.

Note: Graphite crucibles are used in the process of manufacturing castings by all the above methods at the initial stage of their manufacture, i.e. the actual melting of metal is the exposure (retention) of metal, its degassing and refining. These processes are carried out in various types and types of furnaces, in which graphite crucibles are installed. 

Further, by the method of scooping or casting, the molten metal is fed into the required form, depending on the method of manufacturing the casting. 

Conclusion: All types of shaped casting are currently being used in foundries of enterprises and factories producing various products. 

At the same time, each enterprise independently determines which type of casting to use, based primarily on its financial capabilities as well as other factors affecting the final cost of the manufactured part. At the same time, there is no one universal casting method that covers all the needs of production, therefore, as a rule, there are different lines in the foundry or workshops, respectively, designed for different tasks.

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