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EXPERTISE YOU CAN RELY UPON
Over the last 35 years, Castings Technology has developed and made available a wide variety of technologies.
Technologies developed by Cti range from ceramic based moulding systems such as Replicast® and Repliwax®, through reactive alloy packages for Titanium and Zirconium to Master Alloy production and Single Crystal/Directionally Solidified, plus a variety of customised rapid casting manufacturing technologies and alloy specific assistance. Technologies are fully tested and in regular use at Castings Technology to give the most practical solutions and ease of implementation for the end user.
These technology packages represent a unique capability to allow customers to accelerate technology and process implementation without having to go back to square one in their development.
Replicast® is a novel moulding and casting process, invented by Castings Technology which allows users to reduce costs and waste, meet demand for tailor made castings and improve quality and dimensional accuracy.
The process can be used to produce high integrity castings, with improved machinability and an excellent surface finish weighing from a few grams up to 3.5 tonnes.
Our technology replaces conventional wooden patterns with dimensionally precise replicas made from expanded polystyrene which can be formed from solid blocks by a CNC machine or produced by injection moulding.
The shell is significantly thinner than a traditional investment casting shell but with the same excellent internal surface finish. In production this gives a less hindered casting contraction and improved dimensional conformity. Inert ceramic shells eliminate the possibility of hydrogen defects, which can be a problem with many high alloy steels and Nickel based alloys.
The use of Replicast® techniques produces castings equivalent to investment castings in terms of accuracy and integrity with wall thicknesses as low as 4mm.
Client and market demand lead to extending the weight range of near net shape investment castings, whilst reducing manufacturing costs has led Castings Technology to develop this process.
The process is related to our Replicast® process but uses wax patterns in the place of expanded polystyrene. As with Replicast®, the pattern is used to make a ceramic shell which is put in a casting box and surrounded with refractory sand. The sand is compacted on a vibrating table and a partial vacuum is applied to the sand to create a firm support for the shell.
The support provided by the compacted sand results in a thinner shell and does not require pre-heating, reducing energy costs and improving safety.
Other benefits include an increase in output and reduced certification costs as well as faster turn-around and improved surface finishes.
Cti has a proven technology package for manufacturing single crystal and directionally solidified castings, ranging from equipment specifications, through mould filling design, through to shell formulation, melting/pouring, plus all associated finishing and inspection techniques.
Through our internal expertise and network of partner organisations our lean manufacturing initiatives are not limited to foundry operations. We can support most manufacturing environments, including machining and processing. We work closely with clients to identify self-sustaining Continuous Improvement programmes.
Manufacturing organisations strive to continuously improve, restructure, reinvent and refinance. The Castings Technology team and our advisors are highly qualified to assist you on the above. Our advisors and their extended networks are ready to understand your needs and help you take your business to the next level.
There are many benefits associated with metal printing, however, restrictions in the build size and possible uncertainties inconsistent mechanical properties present challenges to specifiers. Also, the performance testing and certification of a component present development engineers with challenges when specifying metal printing as a manufacturing route for a component. In addition, some metallic alloys, by virtue of their complex microstructure are physically impossible to print and casting is the only viable manufacturing solution.
Here at Castings Technology, we optimise all the benefits of additive layer manufacturing to produce stereolithographic patterns then subsequent ceramic moulds and/or 3D printed sand moulds. This reduces the risks that can be associated with AM metal products integrity whilst permitting conventional material testing techniques, up to full flightworthy certification where required for highly stressed components
This blend of old and new casting technologies enables the product designer to work well outside the current limitations of ALM in terms of size, materials and Quality Assurance.
