MEE 2014 Metal Casting Technology

Slot: B1 and B2 FALL SEMESTER 2020-21

Melting Technology
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Melting Technology METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY
 Melting furnaces for ferrous and non-ferrous foundries.
 Electric, Fuel Fired and Induction Furnaces.
 Electromagnetic Stirring.
 Power supplies.
 Recent developments in energy considerations.
Melting practice
 Ferrous, non-ferrous metals & alloys and composites.
 Fluxing, Inoculation, Degassing and Grain refinement treatments.
 Control of pouring temperature,
 Heat treatments of castings,
 Shop floor melt quality tests.
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Melting Technology METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY
The melting furnaces commonly used in foundries are:
• Cupola
• Direct fuel-fired furnace

• Electric arc furnace

• Induction furnace

• Crucible furnace

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 METAL CASTING
Electric arc furnace TECHNOLOGY

• Charge is melted by
heat generated from an electric arc.

• High power consumption, but

electric-arc furnaces can be
designed for high melting
capacity.
• Used primarily for melting steel
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 METAL CASTING
Electric arc furnace TECHNOLOGY

These furnaces are used

extensively in foundries and have
such advantages,
• High rate of melting

• Much less pollution

• The ability to hold the
molten metal at a constant
temperature for a period of
time for alloying purposes
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Melting Technology METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY
• Industrial electric arc furnace
temperatures can be up to 1,800 °C
(3,272 °F),
• While laboratory units can exceed
3,000 °C (5,432 °F).

• Arc furnaces differ from induction

furnaces in that the charge material is
directly exposed to an electric arc.

• current in the furnace terminals

passes through the charged material.
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Induction furnace METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY

• Uses alternating current passing through a coil to develop magnetic

field in metal.
• Induced current causes rapid heating and melting.
• Electromagnetic force field also causes mixing action in liquid metal.
• Since metal does not contact heating elements, the environment can be
closely controlled, which results in molten metals of high quality and
purity.
• Melting Steel, Cast Iron, and Aluminium Alloys are common applications
in foundry work.

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Induction furnace METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY

• Used in small foundries and produce

smaller composition of controlled
melts.

• Coreless induction furnace consists of

a crucible completely surrounded
with a water cooled copper coil
through which high frequency
current passes.

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Induction furnace METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY

• Because there is a strong

electromagnetic stirring action
during induction heating, this type
of furnace has excellent mixing
characteristics for alloying and
adding new charge of metal.

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Levitation melting METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY
• An induction coil simultaneously heats a solid
billet and stirs and confines the melt,
eliminating the need for a crucible which could
be a source of contamination with oxide
inclusions.
• The molten metal flows downward into an
investment casting mould placed directly below
the coil.
• Experiments indicated that investment castings
made with this method are free of refractory
inclusions and of gas porosity and have uniform
fine grained structure. 10
Crucible furnaces METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY

• Metal is melted without direct contact with

burning fuel mixture.
• Sometimes called indirect fuel-fired furnaces
• Container (Crucible) is made of refractory
material (or) High-Temperature Steel alloy
• Used for non-ferrous metals such as Bronze,
Brass and alloys of Zinc and Aluminium.

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Crucible furnaces METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY
• Crucible furnaces used extensively
throughout history are heated with
various fuels, such as commercial
gases, fuel oil, fossil fuel, as well as
electricity.
• Many ferrous and non-ferrous metals
are melted.
• Three types used in foundries: Lift-Out
type, Stationary, Tilting.

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Crucible furnaces METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY

(a) lift-out crucible, (b) stationary pot, from which molten metal must be ladled, and (c) tilting-pot furnace

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Direct Fuel-Fired Furnaces METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY

• Small open-hearth in which charge is heated by natural gas fuel burners located on side of furnace.

• Furnace roof assists heating action by reflecting flame down against charge.

• At bottom of hearth is a tap hole to release molten metal.

• Generally used for non-ferrous metals such as copper base alloys and aluminium.
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METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY

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METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY

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METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY

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 METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY
• A furnace or kiln in which the material under
treatment is heated indirectly by means of a
flame deflected downward from the roof.
• Reverberatory furnaces are used in copper, tin,
and nickel production, in the production of
certain concretes and cements, and in
aluminum.
• Reverberatory furnaces heat the metal to
melting temperatures with direct fired wall -
mounted burners.
• The primary mode of heat transfer is through radiation from the refractory brick walls to
the metal, but convective heat transfer also provides additional heating from the burner to
the metal.
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Advantages:
• High volume processing rate, and
• Low operating and
• Maintenance costs.
Disadvantages:
• High metal oxidation rates,
• Low efficiencies, and
• Large floor space requirements.

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Core or Channel Furnace METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY
• Core or Channel furnace uses low
frequency and has a coil that
surrounds only a small portion of the
unit.
• It is commonly used in nonferrous
foundries and is particularly suitable for
superheating (heating above
normal casting temperature
improve fluidity),
• holding (for die casting applications), and
• duplexing (using furnaces for
melting and storing).
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Cupola METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY

• Cupolas are in essence refractory lined

vertical steel vessels charged with
alternating layers of metal, coke and
flux.

• Although they require major

investments and are being replaced by
induction furnaces, cupolas operate
continuously have high melting rates
and produce large amounts of molten
metal.

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Cupola METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY

Used only for cast irons, and although other furnaces are also

used, largest tonnage of cast iron is melted in cupolas .

The “charge” consisting of iron, coke, flux and possible

less than halfway up height of cupola .

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METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY

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METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY

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Furnace Selection METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY

Selection of furnace requires consideration of several factors that can significantly

influence the quality of castings, as well as the economics of casting operations and
selection of a furnace generally depends on the following factors,

• Economic considerations, such as initial cost and operating and maintenance costs.

• The composition and melting point of the alloy to be cast as well as the case of
controlling its chemistry.
• Control of the furnace atmosphere to avoid contamination of the metal.

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 METAL CASTING
TECHNOLOGY

• Capacity and the rate of melting required.

• Environmental considerations, such as air pollution and noise.
• Power supply and its availability and cost of fuels.
• Ease of superheating of metals.
• Type of charge material that can be used.

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