08 Feb Innovation on Display at the CMF Best of British Cast Metals Industry Awards
Innovation in the castings and foundry industry continues to be strong as typified by the finalists in the 2023 CMF Best of British Casting Industry Awards.
Aluminium diecasters, CastAlum who are based in Welshpool, were awarded a Highly Commended Certificate by the judges for their Innovate UK supported project to investigate the use of metal printed (additively manufactured) inserts in high pressure diecasting tools. The project needed to consider all the technical aspects of using printed inserts (heat checking, soldering effect on shrinkage and the effect on stresses) as well as H&S and a full cost benefit analysis.
Impressing with their systematic approach, which has now resulted in AM tooling being implemented across the site, resulting in maximised design flexibility, with conformal cooling channels to optimise productivity, reduced cycle times, increased die life, reduced use of die release, reduced costs and improved casting quality, with all apprentices now being trained in AM and further metal printing applications being actively pursued.
In awarding Foseco a Highly Commended Certificate for ‘WASCO’ (trade name), the judges noted how this enabling technology allows high pressure diecasting foundries to produce castings with more complex shapes more cost effectively.
‘WASCO’ is the first commercially available soluble sand binder system for use in high pressure die casting. The cores are strong enough to withstand the pressures involved, yet simple to remove after the casting has solidified. Standard hot box core shooters can be used and the binder is water soluble – the water can be reused continuously, and the sand recycled.
Omega Sinto’s Robotic Sand Milling (RSM) Cell was also Highly Commended for offering an efficient cost-effective solution for moving to a patternless mould making system, as a viable alternative to 3D printing of moulds.
Whilst the machining of moulds from solid blocks of bonded sand is not new, the RSM is different as it utilises a relatively low-cost robot with 6 axis multi-position head, which now allows undercuts and overhangs to be produced. With the mould being held virtually, this allows the sand removed to fall away, reducing tool wear, and improving the accuracy of the final casting cavity. With a tilt-table and manipulator, capable of handling moulds of up to 4m x 2m x 1m (extendable through the use of a moving carriage) and incorporating a laser micrometre to monitor tool wear, the RSM cell enables a combination of design flexibility cost savings and speed.
The Award for Innovation was won by Foseco, who were recognised for their development of a novel automated metal treatment and cleaning process for steel melts. ‘ROTOCLENE’ introduces inert gases through a pumping rotor, with the bubbles and stirring motion ensuring that cleaning is optimised and melt homogeneity improved, leading to lower levels of rework and scrap. Rotary treatment and degassing of aluminium is commonplace but for steel is quite different, as the melts require cleaning and stirred, rather than degassed, plus of course the temperatures required for casting steel alloys are significantly higher.
“The innovation and resilience of the foundry industry is impressive”, explained Dr Pam Murrell, Chief Executive of the CMF who organised the dinner, “and any one of these innovations, which span the range of processes used in casting, would have been worthy of the Innovation Award for 2023 according to our judges. The commitment to problem solving and providing solutions to customers remains strong as the industry continue to make all the components upon which a modern economy depends.”
