No-bake systems in modern foundry technology
An innovation in modern foundry technology is the use of no-bake systems for the preparation of sand molds and cores. As the name suggests, a no-bake system consists of two or three chemicals, which cure the sand in molds and cores at room temperature without heating. The sand is cured by a chemical process through the reactions of a binder and a catalyst. The five classes of no-bake systems that have been developed to date are described, and their advantages and shortcomings are compared. The chemical molding method offers several advantages including: improved quality of castings; better dimension control; lower overall casting cost; higher productivity, and more efficient operation of the foundry works with lower skillful laborers, less supervision and greater flexibility. But the use of organic binders involves odor, fumes, toxicity and flammability which are health and safety hazards. The cost of adopting the no-bake system varies from small to large investments, depending upon the degree of automation and mechanization of the no-bake molding plant. The cost of the no-bake foundry can be greatly reduced, however, if sand reclamation becomes successful. Since 1970, many foundries in the U.S., England, France, West Germany, Russia and Japan have applied the no-bake systems. The benefits realized in a medium-size boiler and radiator manufacturer in the U.S. by switching from the oil-sand method to the cold-box process for making cores are cited. As a further example of the current trend to adopt the no-bake system in the U.S., the installation of a massive plant to use the phenol-BSA no-bake system for making 12,000 lb-stools for ingot molds in a U.S. Steel plant is described in details. Special reasons for small foundries to consider the no-bake systems are given.
- Research Organization:
- Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-82
- OSTI ID:
- 6798269
- Report Number(s):
- IS-M-145
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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