MODERN CASTING .COM
BLOG ROLL The Foundry Files—An Intern’s Blog
A college student can take two different roads during summer vacation. One is choosing the proof of SPF to apply before going out to the beach; the other winds towards fi nding a job via an internship. For MODERN CASTING’s 2011 summer intern Amanda Zarate, the roadmap pointed towards her future. Within her fi rst week, Zarate learned that metal castings and foundries are in
some way, shape or form involved in creating 90% of the things we encounter in our lives. And as her knowledge of the industry grows, she will report through her blog what she has learned.
Zarate walked into the world of foundries as a novice, but she’s determined to proudly strut out an expert— well maybe not an expert, but closer to it than she is today. Follow along with her into the world of metal castings at www.
moderncasting.com. No sunscreen is required.
POLL QUESTION
The June website question asked:
What is a metalcaster’s most important tool?
This month’s question is available at
www.moderncasting.com.
ONLINE RESOURCE
Wherever you fi nd the “at” sign above, reference the given website for more information.
Oil City’s Energy Boom (p. 20): View a photo gallery featuring
the ferrousmetal- casting facility.
MeltAdditives SupplyTightening (p. 26): Findmore information on rare earth element pricing.
Shopping GIFA, the CastingTechnology Supermarket (p. 36): See videos fromthe show floor and of different products on display during the exhibition.
1.5% CMM SAND LAB 43.5% MOLD MACHINE 23.2% METALLURGICAL LAB 10.1% 21.7%
SIMULATION SOFTWARE
ONLINE ARTICLE Using Multiple Filters
Three fi lters were used on this test casting.
In the fi ltration of granular material, two-piece screens can be up to 20% more effective than single-piece screens. Positioning one fi lter perpen- dicular to the fl ow and the other at an angle can prevent contaminants from passing through both fi lters. In an experiment, this concept was tested for in-mold fi ltering of molten aluminum. Test bars were molded in nobake molds with four fi lter confi gurations, poured with A356 and heat treated to a T6 condition. The four confi gurations included a 10-pore per inch (PPI) reticulated foam fi lter alone, and a 10-PPI fi lter with angled screens, straight 20-PPI fi lters or angled 20-PPI fi lters.
By examining the static tensile re- sults and the fracture surface from the confi gurations, it was demonstrated that improvements in metal cleanli- ness and mechanical properties can be achieved using multiple fi lters, even with an inexpensive secondary fi lter. A better transition gating design to the secondary fi lters can further increase the effective fi ltering area. —Adapted from “Improving Mechanical Properties in Aluminum Through Enhanced Filtering Techniques,” by D. Weiss and K. Weiss
August 2011 MODERN CASTING | 3
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