DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF MULTIPLE CASTING MACHINE

Abstract

Design and development of a new casting machine which performs the various casting techniques are presented. It may be noted that during solidification, crystal structures form in every fraction of a second and hence the time taken for solidification, plays an important role in the casting. There should not be any time delay in the transport of molten metal to the mould. Even with a slight delay, solidification may occur before the metal reaches the mould. Due to this, mechanical properties get affected significantly and hence resulting in defects. Therefore, it is necessary to manage time required to transport the molten metal. The complex casting machine has been designed to perform the following techniques: gravity casting, stir casting, squeeze casting, vacuum casting, compocasting and thixoforming. All these casting techniques have been integrated into this complex casting machine as different units which work with the help of automation. Especially this machine designed for Low melting point light metals such as; Al, Cu, and Mg etc. are melted in this furnace by heating up to 1000^°C. The particle preheating chamber (1000^°C) is also integrated in this machine. This machine is newly designed for multipurpose casting methods and is very helpful to improving all the mechanical properties of materials.