Centrifugal Castings
Understanding what you need from your centrifugal casting manufacturer is almost as important as finding the right manufacturer for your job. The centrifugal casting process allows for a variety of materials to be used from glass to metal alloys, so seek out a manufacturer that specializes or has experience working with the material that you desire for your finished product. Finding the right manufacture is the first step to receiving the perfect centrifugal casting for your application.
Quick links to Centrifugal Castings Information
Advantages of Centrifugal Casting
- Create machining of any size, any length, and any diameter—this is one of the biggest advantages of this technique.
- Use the roto-casting method to produce long pipes, thick cylinders, and flywheels.
- Achieve a different and unique thickness within a casting.
- Work without the need for cores—create hollow interiors without cores.
- Achieve a superior surface finish without extensive finishing processes.
- Produce heavy parts easily and quickly.
- Enjoy a very high output, which helps your organization maintain balance between supply and demand.
- Ensure fewer chances of impurities.
- Limit the use of gates and risers—all process points run smoothly.
- Achieve high density products with super fine, high grained structuring.
- These are the ten most attractive benefits of centrifugal casting; however, the process does come with a few disadvantages.
Features of Centrifugal Casting
Once you have your mold made, the material of your choice is poured into the mold. From here the mold begins to rotate, this is where the centrifugal force is applied which pushes the denser liquids to the outside of the mold resulting in an even coat around the entire mold. Once this has been completed, the mold is allowed to cool, and once cooled, the mold is opened revealing the desired product.
As stated before, the resulting product can take any number of forms. Centrifugal casting is even common in the jewelry industry for small scale production, also known as silversmithing. The reason why centrifugal casting is so sought after in the manufacturing world is that, due to the centrifugal force, the finished product has an even thickness throughout the entire product. Centrifugal casting is often used to manufacture boilers, flywheels, industrial pipes, pressure vessels, and so many other industrial products.
Process of Centrifugal Casting
Centrifugal casting is a common technique of producing casts, in which a liquefied metal is poured into a mold, and that mold is moving speedily around a fixed axis. The mold has a hollow cavity, which is the shape that the manufacturing unit is eyeing to produce.
When the hot, flowing metal is poured into the mold, it immediately takes the desired shape. Then, it is allowed to cool down and toughen. After that, the hardened part is taken out by hitting it hard on the outer surface of the mold, or smashing it on the ground. As you can see, this process is most suitable for investment castings that are robust and can bear the shock supplied by the smashing or beating.
Centrifugal casting is typically programmed in a way so that the liquid metal, when it touches the spinning mold, also has to go through heavy pressure. This pressure or force, in the language of physics, is also known as centrifugal force; this is how the process gets its name. Another name for it is “roto-casting,” because it is considered the best method for casting cylindrical materials.
The centrifugal force ensures a better filling into the mold, in addition to a good shape for the final casting. Apart from this, the casting also achieves a high-grain density. The high pressure and grain density zero, in terms of porosity, add to the quality of the product.
The rotor can be programmed to spin either vertically or horizontally. However, the movement of a mold largely depends on the type of material that you are going to produce. For instance, horizontal centrifugal casting could be ideal if you are producing tube-like materials. Still, the vertical casting method is the most preferred one.
Applications of Centrifugal Casting
This type of manufacturing process is commonly used with concrete, resin, plaster or metal and utilizes centrifugal force in order to create a wide range of products that all have a cylindrical shape. Centrifugal castings obviously get their name from the use of centrifugal force within the application, but this casting method can be used to create any number of products, from movie props to mirrors.
Because of this wide range of applications, it is important to do your research on centrifugal castings and centrifugal casting manufacturers before making a purchase. Another form of centrifugal casting is known as semi-centrifugal casting, which has the same process as centrifugal casting except that it is done at much lower speeds. Whatever your need may be, the process all starts with the making of a mold based on your specifications and needs.
Things to Consider When Choosing Centrifugal Casting
- Inaccuracy could surface within the inner surface of the casting. However, it can be reduced by expert handling.
- Manufacturers using this method could handle all metals (including liquefied metals) while producing castings.