When it’s time to select an investment casting foundry, you’ll probably visit a few companies to witness their operations first-hand. Whether you’re new to investment casting or a seasoned purchaser, comparing one foundry’s processes to another can be a little confusing – especially with all the noise and activity that’s part of foundry life. But it’s obviously necessary, as a foundry’s process focus can profoundly influence the quality and value you will receive in your casting.
Once set-up is complete, automatic wax pattern molds run with minimal human intervention, which can result in savings of up to 30 percent of the wax pattern cost. These savings can be increased if multi-cavity molds are used.
While automatic molds cost more than manual molds, they repay this investment by delivering thousands more of repeatable patterns at a lower cost . . . as well as ensuring far lower maintenance, rework and replacement costs during future production cycles.
By eliminating the inconsistencies of manual labor, robotic dipping creates a uniform, capable and strong shell that guarantees consistent metallurgical results by maintaining the shell’s heat transfer characteristics.
Less dependency on the labor component facilitates hassle-free repeatability, rather than the rework and scrap problems which increase costs and compromises lead times.
Many foundries melt large quantities of metal, then transfer it to smaller ladles that are used to fill individual shell molds. Because this method does not allow for precise control of both shell mold and molten metal variables, Vestshell melts only the amount of metal that is required to fill one mold and then pours directly from the melting crucible into the shell. This ensures:
By eliminating the avenues by which variability is introduced into the complex casting process, defects are eliminated -- resulting in superior castings of unmatched integrity, quality and inherent repeatability. Costly inspection processes can often be reduced or completely eliminated because of proven quality levels in individual casting productions.
If you recall cut-off operations you’ve witnessed in other foundries, you’ll surely echo our opinion that traditional manual methods are inefficient, labor intensive, unsafe, dirty and often result in parts damaged by operator error. In contrast, by applying hydraulic assists and fixtured hold-downs guided along fixed ways, Vestshell employs a safe, consistent and repeatable cutting process.
By appropriate use and design of tooling, cut-off clamping is done on predetermined points with parts brought past cut-off blades rapidly and without operator hands entering danger zones. Thus, without compromising operator safety, Vestshell can ensure dimensional accuracy of parts as well as the elimination of gate stubs on the final product since the accurate trimming of in-gates makes the final grinding of gate stubs more affordable.
Who wants to pay a foundry to process castings that won’t satisfy their needs or meet their specifications? Surprisingly, this is exactly what takes place in foundries without in-process NDT controls.
At Vestshell, in-process non-destructive testing can be performed as needed during the life of a process, or if process variability needs verification. Only if the process proves capable does the casting proceed downstream. For some complex castings, complete NDT can be performed to qualify all parts that are to be completed.
Have you ever received a casting shipment only to discover gate stubs still in existence? Did you know that the most common area to find casting defects is under the gate area? Many foundries ship castings with gate stubs and heavy grinding marks – flaws that can be much more than cosmetic when the customer discovers hidden defects as the stubs are machined.
Vestshell’s superior finishing methods ensure that all castings have gate stubs completely removed, a uniform finish. In short, castings without flaws -- conforming in every detail to the drawing’s specifications.
When the above operations are performed the results are consistency in performance and a dimensional stability well within the designer's tolerance band.
Address: 10378 Pelletier Ave, Montreal Qc, Canada, H1H 3R3 Email: [email protected] Phone: 514-326-1280 Fax : 514-326-6140