Process Reliability in Series Casting Thanks to Innovative Additive Concepts
Global player ASK Chemicals has developed a new hybrid additive for use in cold box and PEP SET™ applications and rapidly implemented a successful transition to series production. The new additive, VEINO ULTRA 4618, combines the strengths of organic and inorganic additive technologies and offers a high level of process reliability in series casting.
Oftentimes, additives are required to ensure consistent and reliable high quality production. Even when certain conditions are optimal (e.g.molding material, binder type and coating type) sand expansion defects can occur, leading to rework and rejection. Although applying a thicker coating can help the situation, impl ementation only applies to a limited degree, based on tolerance specifications in production.
Ultimately, additives address the root cause of the problem – sand expansion. Depending on the additive technology, they either comb ust during the casting process or act as a buffer, thereby creating space for sand expansi on during quartz inversion. In conjunction with their ease of control, additives offer a high level of process reliability in series casting in particular.
Organic additives, in particular, are suited to preventing veining defects but are accompanied by a relatively high odor and gas burden. Inorganic additives, on the other hand, offer virtually zero-emissions and, under certain conditions, enable uncoated casting. Furthermore, the use of additives makes it possible for expensive specialty sands to be replaced to some extent, thereby saving on material costs (Fig. 1).
In order to combine the benefits of organic and inorganic ad ditives, researchers at ASK Chemicals focused on developing and testing the new VEINO ULTRA 4618 hybrid additive. They found the additive to effectively assist in preventing casting defects and, in particular, anti-veining. Moreover, VEINO ULTRA 4618 is already being depl oyed successfully in uncoated series production and is helping to achieve good results in the production of housing cores
ASK Chemicals will be presenting its solutions at GIFA in Düsseldorf from June 16 to 20, 2015, at Stand A22 in Hall 12.
Source: ASK Chemicals GmbH
