CENTRIFUGAL CASTING

Centrifugal Castings At Great Lakes Industrial Solutions Inc.

• Centrifugally, tubes are made by spun casting. The advantage of the centrifugally cast tubes is the high purity of the Cr and Ni-containing alloys. A certain amount of molten steel is filled into rotating molds.

• The high centrifugal forces press the liquid metal to the surface of the mold, and thus the tube shape is made.

• Due to the lower density of the impurities, they are concentrated in the inner side of the tubes and can be removed by pull-boring afterward if required.

• Furthermore, by centrifugal casting, the carbon content (0.4-0.5%) can be maintained higher as compared to drawn tubes (up to 0.1%)

Advantages of the Centrifugal Casting Process

There are a number of advantages to using centrifugal casting for the manufacture of cylindrical and circular parts, such as:

Greater strength.

The greater strength of parts produced using centrifugal casting is a result of higher-density grain structures. As the process allows for more control over directional solidification, the grain structure is more uniform, and its mechanical properties are almost equal in all directions. This higher structural density increases the life span of the component and allows for higher stress tolerances. Another factor that contributes to the enhanced part strength is higher product purity, which eliminates internal porosity and improves structural uniformity.

Increased product purity.

During the casting process, the spinning of the mold places extreme pressure on the molten material. This pressure causes lighter contaminants and impurities to separate from the denser metal. These impurities gather in the bore of the component, minimizing the risk of the formation of weak points or areas of porosity within the metal structure. The machining process following casting removes these impurities, leaving a highly pure end-product.

Better production cost-efficiency.

Increased product purity also affects production cost-efficiency. As impurities gather at the interior surface of the part and are machined out, there is a reduction in the number of defective parts and rejects. The lack of porosity produced through the centrifugal casting process also allows manufacturers to use less metal and produce less material waste. In addition, faster setup and shorter production cycle times lead to improved production cost-efficiency.