foamcast

LOST FOAM METAL CASTING TECHNOLOGY

 Process Steps

LOST
1. Mould foam (Thermocole) patterns
2. Assemble foam pattern if it is a multiple piece pattern

FOAM CASTING PROCESS

3. Complete assembly by gluing moulded foam runners & risers to pattern
4. Coat pattern / tree of small patterns with ceramic coating multiple times
5. Dry coating in drying owen
6. Burn-off (Shelling / Shell sintering) in heat treatment furnace
7. Compact shell in flask (moulding box) filled with loose silica sand
8. Pour liquid metal in shell under vacuum
9. Extract casting from flask (moulding box)
10. Casting finishing & fettling
 Foam Pattern Moulding
The foam (Thermocole)
pattern is moulded on a

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horizontal moulding press
which injects the

FOAM CASTING PROCESS

polystyrene in the
aluminium tool loaded on
Foam Pattern Moulding on horizontal moulding machine
the machine.
Steam heating of
polystyrene beads converts
into a light pattern form
that is smooth, accurate,
lightweight and looks like
the product to be cast.
Moulded foam (thermocole) Pattern
 Foam Pattern Assembly
The moulded foam pattern
can be a single pattern,

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several small patterns or a
pattern in multiple sections.

FOAM CASTING PROCESS

Pattern sections are glued
Foam Pattern Sections and Pattern Gluing Machine
manually or in a gluing
machine to form a single
pattern. Similarly smaller
patterns are glued to a
sprue to form a tree
Runners & risers are then
glued to the patterns to
complete the methoding.
Gluing of Runners & Risers to foam patterns
 Foam Pattern Coating
Coating parameters are
verified before coating the

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patterns.
The slurry is mixed

FOAM CASTING PROCESS

continuously to maintain
properties.
Cluster may be hand dipped
or by automated robot
station
The foam pattern is coated
with ceramic a slurry to
form a ceramic shell coating
over the foam pattern.
Multiple layers of coating applied to pattern
 Foam Pattern Drying & Burn-off
Coating parameters are
verified before coating the

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patterns.
The slurry is mixed

FOAM CASTING PROCESS

continuously to maintain
properties.
Automated Drying of coated patterns
Cluster may be hand dipped
or by automated robot
station
The foam pattern is coated
with ceramic a slurry to
form a ceramic shell coating
over the foam pattern.
Burn-off & Shell Sintering in furnace
 Sand Compaction & Metal Pouring

LOST
Before compaction the shell
is placed into the flask and
held in position by a fixture

FOAM CASTING PROCESS

or by hand.
The flask is vibrated on a
Shell placed in flask before pouring vibrating table to compact
the sand and provide
packing strength to the
hollow shell.
Metal is poured to fill in the
hollow shell.

Metal Pouring in flask compacted with sand

 Casting Extraction

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Casting is allowed to cool
and solidify in sand for a
predetermined period.

FOAM CASTING PROCESS

The loose sand in the Flask
is then dumped on to a
Sand dumped on conveyor for reuse conveyor for recycling.
Loose sand around the
casting cluster helps protect
the parts from damage.

Casting extraction after solidification

 Final Casting

LOST
FOAM CASTING PROCESS
Non-Ferrous Casting Stainless Steel Casting

Ferrous Casting Ground Engaging Teeth

 Comparison With Green Sand
Property Green Sand Casting foamcast

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Complex Internal Complexity determined by sand Extensive and complex internal features
Features and Part core limitations, geometry, (as thin as 3mm), based on detail
Consolidation. strength, and cost. duplication and pattern assembly in foam.

FOAM CASTING PROCESS

Dimensional +/- 0.030" is typical depending on +/- 0.005"-0.010" is typical depending on
Tolerances part size, complexity, and part size, complexity, and geometry.
geometry
Surface Finish Depends on grain fineness of Depends on bead size and ceramic coating
Capabilities sand. grain fineness.
Feature Accuracy Core movement and shift between No cores or mold halves to shift and
mold halves across the parting line degrade feature accuracy.
limit feature accuracy.
Parting Line and Parting lines and draft angles are No parting lines in the mold and minimal
Draft Angles necessary for molding. draft on tools.
Environmental Sand recovery requires binder Sand is binder free, so it can be easily and
Costs removal rapidly recovered at low cost.
Tool Life Wear on wood and metal tools Low wear and long life with aluminum tool
from sand abrasion
 Comparison With Lost Wax
Property Lost Wax Casting foamcast

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Composition of Microcrystalline Wax Expanded Polystyrene Foam
Pattern
Density of Material
Density of Microcrystalline Density of Expanded Polystyrene

FOAM CASTING PROCESS

used for pattern Wax Patterns - 795 kgs./m³, Patterns - 42 kgs./m³ sufficient for
resulting in heavy delicate strong, sturdy, dimensionally accurate
patterns. and light patterns.
Maximum Weight of Well Below 125 kgs. No limitation of weight of cast part.
Cast Part
Pre-Heating of Required No required, pouring is possible at
Ceramic Shell room temperature of ceramic shell.
Rejection of Shell The ceramic shell has a The ceramic shell does not crack
during process tendency to crack during the during the burn-off process as EPS
autoclave process due to the does not expand but
expansion of Wax evaporates/melts.
Methoding Difficult and has limitations in Flexible, risers are simply glued on
addition to the problem of the pattern to suit the methoding. The
riser backfilling. feeding ability of riser is improved
with the use of exothermic sleeves.
Ceramic Shell Approx. 10-15mm Approx. 5-10mm depending on the
Thickness size of component.
 Casting Process Capability
Casting Alloy:

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Grey Iron, Ferrite/Pearlite Ductile Iron, High-Nickel Ductile Iron, Hi-
Cast Iron
Chrome White Iron
Cast Steel Carbon Steel, Tool Steel, Hi-Manganese Steel, Heat-resistant Steel

FOAM CASTING PROCESS

Non-ferrous Aluminum alloy, Bronze, Brass

Process Capability:
LinearTole
Weight Size Thickness Sharpness Surface Finish
rance

Non-Ferrous,
Ra3.2~6.3μm;
ISO8062,
15~2500kgs. ≦1200mm ≧3mm R0.5
CT6~9
Ferrous,
Ra6.3~12.5μm;