9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Foundry 4.0 – Shell Room Experience with SlurryTrack Inline Viscosity Monitoring and Control System Dr. Sunil Kumar and Dr. Joe Goodbread, Rheonics GmbH Booth 506 Last year, we presented an introduction to the use of
real-time slurry viscosity measurement directly in the slurry tank. This year, we will focus on the practical application of real time slurry viscosity measurement, including the basic principles, the installation and operation of an inline viscosity monitoring and control system, and our learning from the year’s customer experience with the Slurry Track viscosity monitoring and control system (VMCS). In addition, we will present on real-time density measurement for slurry weight monitoring. The online density and viscosity sensor, together
with the VMCS enables real time density and viscosity measurement directly in the slurry tank, during actual shell building operations. The sensors patented symmetric- resonator measurement probe is set into torsional vibrations by the electronics system. Its mechanical damping value is converted into viscosity values and frequency is converted to slurry weight, which are then processed by the measurement, logging and control system of the VMCS. The sensor probe is installed in the slurry tank by means
of a quick-release connector that enables fast, secure insertion and removal of the probe. This facilitates removal of deposits or dried-on slurry from the sensing element. A self-checking feature detects formation of deposits on the viscosity probe, and alerts the operator that cleaning is needed. No recalibration is needed during the estimated 25+ year lifetime of the sensor. Continuous, stable viscosity values, together with the
VMCS’s advanced predictive tracking controller, enables automatic viscosity correction. The controller can actuate pneumatic or solenoid valves to add diluent to slurry as viscosity changes dues to evaporation and depletion of slurry during coating operations. Viscosity control is optional, alarms can also be set to signal to operator that adjustments should be made. A system like Slurry Track enables continuous process
optimization using its accumulated large datasets over long periods of operation. This permits quality control engineers to correlate slurry weight and viscosity trends with overall process quality – shells, cast parts, and slurry stability – for continuous process improvement. We will present in addition a roadmap on future
prospects for continuous slurry viscosity measurement including ongoing development of large data set analysis tools for correlation of data trends with shell and cast part yields. Machine learning algorithms are being utilized to provide more accurate automatic compensation for slurry composition drift.
10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. BREAK
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10:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Improved Process and Material Properties in Air Casting Applications by Means of Vacuum CAP (VAP) Furnace Process Iñaki Vicario, Consarc Engineering Ltd. Booth 316 Conventional air melting processes can suffer from a
limited control on the alloy cleanliness, composition, and other metallurgical issues: • Oxygen and Nitrogen levels vary from batch to batch. • Current preferred practice to decrease gas values is to add expensive virgin materials, without necessarily providing the best result (deoxidation with only aluminum could result in non-metallic inclusions).
• Additionally, it is common practice to reduce low vapor pressure tramp elements (Pb, Cd, Bi, Zn, etc.) also via dilution using new virgin materials.
• The reduction of C is also a significant challenge in air melting. In order to address those challenges, a VCAP furnace
can be considered as a viable path as it provides a hybrid between vacuum and air melting processes. This technology can produce significant degassing effect, removal of tramp elements, decarburization and other metallurgical benefits for the resulting ingot or casting. These metallurgical advantages translate into major improvement of mechanical properties, technological characteristics like better fluidity, better micro-cleanliness, and also reduction of the variability in product properties and characteristics, ultimately resulting in fewer part rejections. This work shows the main features of Vacuum Cap
(VCAP) technology as a recommended technique to obtain improved process and material properties with a more reliable air casting process.
11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. The Cyclops Ladle Jorge Arelland, POK There is some useful equipment such as pouring ladles
for different types of castings that are not yet adapted to the IC industry. Talking specifically about the bottom pour ladle, it has moving components and seals in its interior that would make it virtually impossible to be used for small pours, mostly because of the proportion of metal volume to surface area; inducing important heat losses. As part of pursuing the benefits of a bottom pour ladle
used to cast small molds it was decided to make some slight modifications in its miniaturization by taking out the insides and seals of the bottom pour ladle. The process takes place by pouring on its side, this causes a choke in the stream of metal to float the slag. This approach was developed while running a job for a 40-gram Casting of IC 17-4 PH alloy and as a result high quality surface were obtained, it is expected to keep working on the development of future ladle innovations.
12:15 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. LUNCH
August 2023 ❘ 25
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