Production drying solutions for investment casting
Investment casting is an industrial process and one of the oldest known metal forming technologies. In the early days, when beeswax formed patterns, to today's high-tech wax, refractory materials, and professional alloys, castings allowed for the production of components with accuracy, repeatability, versatility, and integrity in various metals and high-performance alloys. Investment casting process uses most metals, the most commonly used are aluminum alloy, bronze alloy, magnesium alloy, cast iron, stainless steel and Tool steel
This process is beneficial for casting high melting point metals that cannot be cast with gypsum or metal.
. Components typically manufactured through investment casting include components with complex geometric shapes, such as turbine blades or gun components. High temperature applications are also common, including components in the automotive, aircraft, and military industries
During the casting process, ceramic molds, also known as investment, are produced by three repeated steps:
Coating
Painting
Hardening
The first step is to immerse the clusters in the slurry of fine refractory material, and then allow excess water to drain to produce a uniform surface. In the second step, the clusters are painted with rough ceramic particles, immersed in a fluidized bed, placed in a rainwater grinder, or manually applied. In the final step, harden the coating. Repeat these steps until the investment reaches the required thickness, typically 5 to 15 millimeters (0.2 to 0.6 inches) After these steps, the investment can be completely dried out, which may take 16 to 48 hours. The wax is then melted and/or vaporized upside down in a furnace or Autoclave. Investing in casting dehumidifier/dryer can significantly improve drying speed. In today's fast-paced business world, drying time may affect the supply volume that affects downtime, ultimately leading to a decrease in productivity. Investment in casting Dehumidifier can greatly reduce the use time, thus speeding up the whole process without disturbing the quality of finished products
Moisture issues may affect your final product
Many hygroscopic materials are used in the investment casting process. In the wax loss investment casting process, wax molds of the parts are first manufactured and then immersed in porcelain. Proper humidity control will not cause porcelain to lose its shape due to humidity, ultimately leading to uniformity and consistency of the finished product. Maintaining an appropriate relative humidity level also helps to control the drying of the air and limit the shrinkage of the porcelain, otherwise it can cause mold hair cracks The use of metals is one of the important and common aspects in the casting process. Metals are prone to react with moisture or residual moisture in the mold, resulting in the formulation of hydrogen gas affecting the final product. The reaction can be neutralized by appropriately drying the mold
Humidity control of ceramic shell drying during the casting process:
The drying of ceramic shell is also an important standard in the investment casting process.
. At present, water-based slurries are mainly used, as their low cost actually increases the importance of the drying process. The main task of drying ceramic shells is to extract internal moisture as gently and quickly as possible. The wax part under the slurry must be kept intact, which is crucial for the strength of the shell and should not be affected. The drying process through vacuum is not truly successful, and the shell usually breaks during the impregnation process. dehumidification is considered the best feasible solution for controlling room temperature and shell temperature. The Dehumidifier basically reduces the humidity of the accelerating air to a very low percentage, which is conducive to the preparation of ceramic shellsThe advantages of using Dehumidifier in the investment casting process:
greatly shorten the drying time Reduce downtime and rejection rate Consistency, accuracy, and quality of the final product
Ensure operational process time and energy efficiency
parkoo dehumidifier can be successfully operated in the casting process; By limiting the relative humidity of the mold preparation area, ensure that it is immediately 'online'. No matter what the environmental conditions are, PARKOO drying Dehumidifier can keep the relative humidity at the same level as low as 1% or even lower, so as to maintain the ideal environmental conditions for investment casting process. PARKOO Dehumidifier provides the simplest and most cost-effective solution for humidity/humidity problems
