Misplaced Pages

#245754

88-398: Foundries are one of the largest contributors to the manufacturing recycling movement, melting and recasting millions of tons of scrap metal every year to create new durable goods. Moreover, many foundries use sand in their molding process. These foundries often use, recondition, and reuse sand, which is another form of recycling. In metalworking , casting involves pouring liquid metal into

176-469: A mold , which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowing it to cool and solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process. Casting is most often used for making complex shapes that would be difficult or uneconomical to make by other methods. Melting is performed in a furnace . Virgin material, external scrap, internal scrap, and alloying elements are used to charge

264-509: A tap or die , thread milling, single-point thread cutting, thread rolling, cold root rolling and forming, and thread grinding. A tap is used to cut a female thread on the inside surface of a pre-drilled hole, while a die cuts a male thread on a preformed cylindrical rod. Grinding uses an abrasive process to remove material from the workpiece. A grinding machine is a machine tool used for producing very fine finishes, making very light cuts, or high precision forms using an abrasive wheel as

352-490: A common method of deburring . Broaching is a machining operation used to cut keyways into shafts. Electron beam machining (EBM) is a machining process where high-velocity electrons are directed toward a work piece, creating heat and vaporizing the material. Ultrasonic machining uses ultrasonic vibrations to machine very hard or brittle materials. Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics , by causing coalescence . This

440-411: A different speed on the milling tool and varies in the amount of material that can be removed in one pass of the tool. Harder materials are usually milled at slower speeds with small amounts of material removed. Softer materials vary, but usually are milled with a high bit speed. The use of a milling machine adds costs that are factored into the manufacturing process. Each time the machine is used coolant

528-403: A field failure if not sealed. Powder metallurgy (PM) components are sealed for four main reasons. The first is that PM parts are sealed to prevent fluids or gases from leaking under pressure. PM applications for compressed air, fuel handling or hydraulic housings are common and effective; however, they must be sealed first. If not sealed, then fluids or gases will leak from the part. Sealing

616-404: A lathe include candlestick holders, crankshafts , camshafts , and bearing mounts. Lathes have four main components: the bed, the headstock, the carriage, and the tailstock. The bed is a precise & very strong base which all of the other components rest upon for alignment. The headstock's spindle secures the workpiece with a chuck , whose jaws (usually three or four) are tightened around

704-500: A material. Heat treatment techniques include annealing , case-hardening , precipitation strengthening , tempering , and quenching . Although the term "heat treatment" applies only to processes where the heating and cooling are done for the specific purpose of altering properties intentionally, heating and cooling often occur incidentally during other manufacturing processes such as hot forming or welding. After degating and heat treating, sand or other molding media may remain adhered to

792-438: A mineral-bearing rock , that require heat or some other process to liberate the metal. Another feature of gold is that it is workable as it is found, meaning that no technology beyond a stone hammer and anvil is needed to work the metal. This is a result of gold's properties of malleability and ductility . The earliest tools were stone, bone , wood , and sinew , all of which sufficed to work gold. At some unknown time,

880-430: A mold yields leftover metal — including heads, risers, and sprue (sometimes collectively called sprue) — that can exceed 50% of the metal required to pour a full mold. Since this metal must be remelted as salvage, the yield of a particular gating configuration becomes an important economic consideration when designing various gating schemes, to minimize the cost of excess sprue, and thus overall melting costs. Heat treating

968-424: A production shop, to today's 30000 RPM CNC auto-loading manufacturing cell producing jet turbines, grinding processes vary greatly. Grinders need to be very rigid machines to produce the required finish. Some grinders are even used to produce glass scales for positioning CNC machine axis. The common rule is the machines used to produce scales be 10 times more accurate than the machines the parts are produced for. In

SECTION 10

#1732772695246

1056-410: A round hole. Drilling : Feeding the drill into the workpiece axially. Knurling : Uses a tool to produce a rough surface texture on the work piece. Frequently used to allow grip by hand on a metal part. Modern computer numerical control (CNC) lathes and (CNC) machining centres can do secondary operations like milling by using driven tools. When driven tools are used the work piece stops rotating and

1144-424: A single piece or solid pattern. More complex designs are made in two parts, called split patterns. A split pattern has a top or upper section, called a cope, and a bottom or lower section called a drag. Both solid and split patterns can have cores inserted to complete the final part shape. Cores are used to create hollow areas in the mold that would otherwise be impossible to achieve. Where the cope and drag separates

1232-413: A single point tool on a lathe are: Chamfering: Cutting an angle on the corner of a cylinder. Parting: The tool is fed radially into the workpiece to cut off the end of a part. Threading : A tool is fed along and across the outside or inside surface of rotating parts to produce external or internal threads . Boring : A single-point tool is fed linearly and parallel to the axis of rotation to create

1320-417: A specific form by pouring molten metal into a mold and allowing it to cool, with no mechanical force. Forms of casting include: These forming processes modify metal or workpiece by deforming the object, that is, without removing any material. Forming is done with a system of mechanical forces and, especially for bulk metal forming, with heat. Plastic deformation involves using heat or pressure to make

1408-424: A steel foundry will use an EAF or induction furnace. Bronze or brass foundries use crucible furnaces or induction furnaces. Most aluminium foundries use either electric resistance or gas heated crucible furnaces or reverberatory furnaces. Degassing is a process that may be required to reduce the amount of hydrogen present in a batch of molten metal. Gases can form in metal castings in one of two ways: Hydrogen

1496-445: A wide variety of specialized or general-use machine tools capable of creating highly precise, useful products. Many simpler metalworking techniques, such as blacksmithing , are no longer economically competitive on a large scale in developed countries; some of them are still in use in less developed countries, for artisanal or hobby work, or for historical reenactment. The oldest archaeological evidence of copper mining and working

1584-490: A workpiece more conductive to mechanical force. Historically, this and casting were done by blacksmiths, though today the process has been industrialized. In bulk metal forming, the workpiece is generally heated up. These types of forming process involve the application of mechanical force at room temperature. However, some recent developments involve the heating of dies and/or parts. Advancements in automated metalworking technology have made progressive die stamping possible which

1672-401: Is a common contaminant for most cast metals. It forms as a result of material reactions or from water vapor or machine lubricants. If the hydrogen concentration in the melt is too high, the resulting casting will be porous; the hydrogen will exit the molten solution, leaving minuscule air pockets, as the metal cools and solidifies. Porosity often seriously deteriorates the mechanical properties of

1760-416: Is a group of industrial and metalworking processes used to alter the physical, and sometimes chemical, properties of a material. The most common application is metallurgical. Heat treatments are also used in the manufacture of many other materials, such as glass. Heat treatment involves the use of heating or chilling, normally to extreme temperatures, to achieve a desired result such as hardening or softening of

1848-430: Is a method that can encompass punching, coining, bending and several other ways below that modify metal at less cost while resulting in less scrap. Cutting is a collection of processes wherein material is brought to a specified geometry by removing excess material using various kinds of tooling to leave a finished part that meets specifications. The net result of cutting is two products, the waste or excess material, and

SECTION 20

#1732772695246

1936-407: Is also used, which must be periodically added in order to prevent breaking bits. A milling bit must also be changed as needed in order to prevent damage to the material. Time is the biggest factor for costs. Complex parts can require hours to complete, while very simple parts take only minutes. This in turn varies the production time as well, as each part will require different amounts of time. Safety

2024-412: Is an example of a specialty process that removes excess material by the use of etching chemicals and masking chemicals. There are many technologies available to cut metal, including: Cutting fluid or coolant is used where there is significant friction and heat at the cutting interface between a cutter such as a drill or an end mill and the workpiece. Coolant is generally introduced by a spray across

2112-463: Is called the parting line . When making a pattern it is best to taper the edges so that the pattern can be removed without breaking the mold. This is called draft . The opposite of draft is an undercut where there is part of the pattern under the mold material, making it impossible to remove the pattern without damaging the mold. The pattern is made of wax, wood, plastic, or metal. The molds are constructed by several different processes dependent upon

2200-429: Is combination of grinding and saw tooth cutting using a file . Prior to the development of modern machining equipment it provided a relatively accurate means for the production of small parts, especially those with flat surfaces. The skilled use of a file allowed a machinist to work to fine tolerances and was the hallmark of the craft. Today filing is rarely used as a production technique in industry, though it remains as

2288-566: Is common to paint castings to prevent corrosion and improve visual appeal. Some foundries assemble castings into complete machines or sub-assemblies. Other foundries weld multiple castings or wrought metals together to form a finished product. More and more, finishing processes are being performed by robotic machines, which eliminate the need for a human to physically grind or break parting lines, gating material, or feeders. Machines can reduce risk of injury to workers and lower costs for consumables — while also increasing productivity. They also limit

2376-546: Is dependent on the alloy system quantities produced. For ferrous materials EAFs, cupolas, and induction furnaces are commonly used. Reverberatory and crucible furnaces are common for producing aluminium, bronze, and brass castings. Furnace design is a complex process, and the design can be optimized based on multiple factors. Furnaces in foundries can be any size, ranging from small ones used to melt precious metals to furnaces weighing several tons, designed to melt hundreds of pounds of scrap at one time. They are designed according to

2464-427: Is generally localized to the deepest cross-sections of the part and does not extend to the outer skin. However, if the part is also machined, the internal porosity will be exposed and the part will leak if pressurized. Machined die castings that need to hold fluids (intake manifolds, coolant connectors, transmission cases, pump housings and fluid power components) are routinely sealed for life using acrylic resins. Because

2552-566: Is governed by Military Standard MIL-I-17563C and MIL-STD-276A as well as numerous proprietary and customer specifications. MIL-I-17563 tests the impregnation sealant. MIL-I-17563C demonstrates a sealant is compatible with the application and that the sealant will not degrade or fail over the life of the part. MIL-STD-276A tests the impregnation process. MIL-STD-276A provides the standards for processing to seal parts and testing process effectiveness. The vacuum impregnation process seals internal leak paths to make it leak free and suitable for use. In

2640-668: Is happening inside the mold or die during the casting process. Metalworking Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals in order to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term, it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on every scale: from huge ships , buildings, and bridges , down to precise engine parts and delicate jewelry . The historical roots of metalworking predate recorded history; its use spans cultures, civilizations and millennia. It has evolved from shaping soft, native metals like gold with simple hand tools, through

2728-456: Is held at the desired height (usually the middle of the workpiece) by the toolpost. The carriage is then moved around the rotating workpiece, and the cutting tool gradually removes material from the workpiece. The tailstock can be slid along the axis of rotation and then locked in place as necessary. It may hold centers to further secure the workpiece, or cutting tools driven into the end of the workpiece. Other operations that can be performed with

Foundry - Misplaced Pages Continue

2816-440: Is important because it is one indicator of how tightly bound to the ore the metal is likely to be. As can be seen, iron is significantly higher than the other six metals while gold is dramatically lower than the six above it. Gold's low oxidation is one of the main reasons that gold is found in nuggets. These nuggets are relatively pure gold and are workable as they are found. Copper ore, being relatively abundant, and tin ore became

2904-458: Is inherent to most manufacturing processes. Porosity is only considered a defect if it is interconnected and creates a leak path can affect the part's structural integrity and performance. Vacuum impregnation seals porosity and leak paths for the following reasons. This is the main reason why vacuum impregnation is used on any material-die cast, powder metal, plastic, wire harnesses. Vacuum impregnation prevents fluids or gases from leaking by sealing

2992-440: Is key with these machines. The bits are traveling at high speeds and removing pieces of usually scalding hot metal. The advantage of having a CNC milling machine is that it protects the machine operator. Turning is a metal cutting process for producing a cylindrical surface with a single point tool. The workpiece is rotated on a spindle and the cutting tool is fed into it radially, axially or both. Producing surfaces perpendicular to

3080-500: Is often done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint, but sometimes pressure is used in conjunction with heat , or by itself, to produce the weld. Porosity sealing Porosity sealing is done through the process of vacuum impregnation. Vacuum impregnation is a preferred OEM process that seals porosity and leak paths in metal castings, sintered metal parts and electrical castings that form during

3168-423: Is the complex shaping of metal or other materials by removing material to form the final shape. It is generally done on a milling machine , a power-driven machine that in its basic form consists of a milling cutter that rotates about the spindle axis (like a drill ), and a worktable that can move in multiple directions (usually two dimensions [x and y axis] relative to the workpiece). The spindle usually moves in

3256-489: Is the process of transferring a design or pattern to a workpiece and is the first step in the handcraft of metalworking. It is performed in many industries or hobbies, although in industry, the repetition eliminates the need to mark out every individual piece. In the metal trades area, marking out consists of transferring the engineer's plan to the workpiece in preparation for the next step, machining or manufacture. Calipers are hand tools designed to precisely measure

3344-541: Is then removed from its mold. Where the mold is sand based, this can be done by shaking or tumbling. This frees the casting from the sand, which is still attached to the metal runners and gates — which are the channels through which the molten metal traveled to reach the component itself. Degating is the removal of the heads, runners, gates, and risers from the casting. Runners, gates, and risers may be removed using cutting torches , bandsaws , or ceramic cutoff blades. For some metal types, and with some gating system designs,

3432-463: The CNC machine and allow it to complete the tasks required. The milling machine can produce most parts in 3D, but some require the objects to be rotated around the x, y, or z coordinate axis (depending on the need). Tolerances come in a variety of standards, depending on the locale. In countries still using the imperial system, this is usually in the thousandths of an inch (unit known as thou ), depending on

3520-545: The smelting of ores and hot forging of harder metals like iron , up to and including highly technical modern processes such as machining and welding . It has been used as an industry, a driver of trade, individual hobbies, and in the creation of art; it can be regarded as both a science and a craft. Modern metalworking processes, though diverse and specialized, can be categorized into one of three broad areas known as forming, cutting, or joining processes. Modern metalworking workshops, typically known as machine shops , hold

3608-524: The amount of material being removed. These steps are done prior to any final machining. After grinding, any surfaces that require tight dimensional control are machined. Many castings are machined in CNC milling centers. The reason for this is that these processes have better dimensional capability and repeatability than many casting processes. However, it is not uncommon today for castings to be used without machining. A few foundries provide other services before shipping cast products to their customers. It

Foundry - Misplaced Pages Continue

3696-432: The casting or molding process. Vacuum impregnation stops casting porosity (a phenomenon that occurs in the die-cast manufacturing process and allows manufacturers to use parts that would otherwise be scrapped.) Porosity occurs naturally and is found in most materials. In metal castings , porosity is typically considered any void found in the casting. Casting porosity can be caused by gas formation or solidification while

3784-436: The casting surface. Numerous materials may be used to clean cast surfaces, including steel, iron, other metal alloys, aluminium oxides, glass beads, walnut shells, baking powder, and many others. The blasting media is selected to develop the color and reflectance of the cast surface. Terms used to describe this process include cleaning, bead blasting, and sand blasting . Shot peening may be used to further work-harden and finish

3872-423: The casting. To remove any mold remnants, the surface is cleaned using a blasting process. This means a granular media will be propelled against the surface of the casting to mechanically knock away the adhering sand. The media may be blown with compressed air, or may be hurled using a shot wheel. The cleaning media strikes the casting surface at high velocity to dislodge the mold remnants (for example, sand, slag) from

3960-453: The course of sealing castings against porosity, the parts would be processed through the following four stations: Vacuum impregnation should be done prior to final assembly. Specifically for metal castings, vacuum impregnation should be done after final machining. Final machining may expose any porosity, creating a leak path. These paths can cause fluids and gases to leak from the casting, causing it to be non-conforming and unusable. Porosity

4048-404: The cutting device. This wheel can be made up of various sizes and types of stones, diamonds or inorganic materials. The simplest grinder is a bench grinder or a hand-held angle grinder, for deburring parts or cutting metal with a zip-disc. Grinders have increased in size and complexity with advances in time and technology. From the old days of a manual toolroom grinder sharpening endmills for

4136-414: The distance between two points. Most calipers have two sets of flat, parallel edges used for inner or outer diameter measurements. These calipers can be accurate to within one-thousandth of an inch (25.4 μm). Different types of calipers have different mechanisms for displaying the distance measured. Where larger objects need to be measured with less precision, a tape measure is often used. Casting achieves

4224-458: The driven tool executes the machining operation with a rotating cutting tool. The CNC machines use x, y, and z coordinates in order to control the turning tools and produce the product. Most modern day CNC lathes are able to produce most turned objects in 3D. Nearly all types of metal can be turned, although more time & specialist cutting tools are needed for harder workpieces. There are many threading processes including: cutting threads with

4312-538: The earth began to evolve, and metalsmiths became more knowledgeable. Metalsmiths became important members of society. Fates and economies of entire civilizations were greatly affected by the availability of metals and metalsmiths. The metalworker depends on the extraction of precious metals to make jewelry , build more efficient electronics , and for industrial and technological applications from construction to shipping containers to rail , and air transport . Without metals, goods and services would cease to move around

4400-472: The edge-durability and stiffness that pure copper lacked. Until the advent of iron, bronze was the most advanced metal for tools and weapons in common use (see Bronze Age for more detail). Outside Southwestern Asia, these same advances and materials were being discovered and used around the world. People in China and Great Britain began using bronze with little time being devoted to copper. Japanese began

4488-491: The entire casting manufacturing route. Casting process simulation was initially developed at universities starting from the early ' 70s , mainly in Europe and in the U.S. , and is regarded as the most important innovation in casting technology over the last 50 years. Since the late ' 80s , commercial programs (such as PoligonSoft, AutoCAST and Magma) are available which make it possible for foundries to gain new insight into what

SECTION 50

#1732772695246

4576-524: The face of the tool and workpiece to decrease friction and temperature at the cutting tool/workpiece interface to prevent excessive tool wear. In practice there are many methods of delivering coolant. The use of an angle grinder in cutting is not preferred as large amounts of harmful sparks and fumes (and particulates ) are generated when compared with using reciprocating saw or band saw . Angle grinders produce sparks when cutting ferrous metals. They also produce shards cutting other materials. Milling

4664-433: The facility. The process includes melting the charge, refining the melt, adjusting the melt chemistry and tapping into a transport vessel. Refining is done to remove harmful gases and elements from the molten metal to avoid casting defects. Material is added during the melting process to bring the final chemistry within a specific range specified by industry and/or internal standards. Certain fluxes may be used to separate

4752-481: The finish by outgassing or bleeding out. Sealing the leak paths before secondary finishes will eliminate any failure mode that could develop from outgassing, chemical compatibility, or bleed out of pretreatments. Vacuum impregnation can be used to part the integrity of additive manufacturing parts. An additive manufacturing part is not as dense — and thus not as strong — as a part made from traditional manufacturing processes. Vacuum impregnation can be used to strengthen

4840-423: The finished part. In woodworking, the waste would be sawdust and excess wood. In cutting metals the waste is chips or swarf and excess metal. Cutting processes fall into one of three major categories: Drilling a hole in a metal part is the most common example of a chip producing process. Using an oxy-fuel cutting torch to separate a plate of steel into smaller pieces is an example of burning. Chemical milling

4928-401: The furnace must be designed for temperatures over 1,600 °C (2,910 °F). The fuel used to reach these high temperatures can be electricity (as employed in electric arc furnaces ) or coke . The majority of foundries specialize in a particular metal and have furnaces dedicated to these metals. For example, an iron foundry (for cast iron) may use a cupola , induction furnace, or EAF, while

5016-505: The furnace. Virgin material refers to commercially pure forms of the primary metal used to form a particular alloy . Alloying elements are either pure forms of an alloying element, like electrolytic nickel , or alloys of limited composition, such as ferroalloys or master alloys. External scrap is material from other forming processes such as punching , forging , or machining . Internal scrap consists of gates , risers , defective castings, and other extraneous metal oddments produced within

5104-416: The globe on the scale we know today. Metalworking generally is divided into three categories: forming , cutting , and joining . Most metal cutting is done by high speed steel tools or carbide tools. Each of these categories contains various processes. Prior to most operations, the metal must be marked out and/or measured, depending on the desired finished product. Marking out (also known as layout)

5192-438: The globe. For example, the granulation technique was employed by numerous ancient cultures before the historic record shows people traveled to far regions to share this process. Metalsmiths today still use this and many other ancient techniques. As time progressed, metal objects became more common, and ever more complex. The need to further acquire and work metals grew in importance. Skills related to extracting metal ores from

5280-520: The individual powdered metal granules during machining. Vacuum impregnation improves machinability by making it more efficient, eliminating tool chatter, and improving the machined finish. Plating operations submerge the parts in acid solutions. The residual acid can seep into the porosity, which causes corrosion. Sealing the components before plating eliminates corrosion. The porosity may absorb oils, fluids, deburring fluids, pre-plating cleaners, and acids. If not sealed, then any gases or fluids may affect

5368-595: The material. As the vacuum impregnation sealant cures within the perforations, it creates a bond between the part layers. This enhances the part by increasing density. Parts created through the additive manufacturing process are susceptible to the same porosity that plagues those created through more traditional methods. The porosity is inherent to the properties of the material and technology. The two primary materials that vacuum impregnation seals are plastic and sintered metal. Die castings and permanent mold castings commonly contain internal porosity. This porosity

SECTION 60

#1732772695246

5456-497: The metal from slag and/or dross and degassers are used to remove dissolved gas from metals that readily dissolve in gasses. During the tap, final chemistry adjustments are made. Several specialised furnaces are used to heat the metal. Furnaces are refractory-lined vessels that contain the material to be melted and provide the energy to melt it. Modern furnace types include electric arc furnaces (EAF), induction furnaces , cupolas , reverberatory , and crucible furnaces. Furnace choice

5544-443: The metal is being moved from a liquid state to a solid state. This porosity can range in size, from sub-micron to voids greater than 10 mm, depending on the casting. Casting defects caused by porosity can affect the part’s structural integrity, creating a failure point. Porosity can also prevent the part from being pressure tight. This will impact performance if the part is designed to hold gases or fluids. Vacuum impregnation

5632-430: The metal. An efficient way of removing hydrogen from the melt is to bubble a dry, insoluble gas through the melt by purging or agitation. When the bubbles go up in the melt, they catch the dissolved hydrogen and bring it to the surface. Chlorine, nitrogen, helium and argon are often used to degas non-ferrous metals. Carbon monoxide is typically used for iron and steel. There are various types of equipment that can measure

5720-1038: The necessary materials could be assembled for smelting, heating, and working the metal. Iron was beginning to be smelted and began its emergence as an important metal for tools and weapons. The period that followed became known as the Iron Age . By the historical periods of the Pharaohs in Egypt , the Vedic Kings in India , the Tribes of Israel , and the Maya civilization in North America , among other ancient populations, precious metals began to have value attached to them. In some cases rules for ownership, distribution, and trade were created, enforced, and agreed upon by

5808-436: The next important substances in the story of metalworking. Using heat to smelt copper from ore, a great deal of copper was produced. It was used for both jewelry and simple tools. However, copper by itself was too soft for tools requiring edges and stiffness. At some point tin was added into the molten copper and bronze was developed thereby. Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. Bronze was an important advance because it had

5896-453: The parts will not change the component's dimensional or functional characteristics. PM parts are sealed prior to plating and to reduce internal corrosion . Plating operations typically involve submerging the parts in acid solutions. After plating, residual acid internal to the part can promote corrosion and/or preclude an acceptable plating finish. The solution to this problem is to seal the internal voids prior to plating. As explained above,

5984-593: The past grinders were used for finishing operations only because of limitations of tooling. Modern grinding wheel materials and the use of industrial diamonds or other man-made coatings (cubic boron nitride) on wheel forms have allowed grinders to achieve excellent results in production environments instead of being relegated to the back of the shop. Modern technology has advanced grinding operations to include CNC controls, high material removal rates with high precision, lending itself well to aerospace applications and high volume production runs of precision components. Filing

6072-435: The piece. The spindle rotates at high speed, providing the energy to cut the material. While historically lathes were powered by belts from a line shaft , modern examples uses electric motors. The workpiece extends out of the spindle along the axis of rotation above the flat bed. The carriage is a platform that can be moved, precisely and independently parallel and perpendicular to the axis of rotation. A hardened cutting tool

6160-419: The porosity and leak paths. If the leak paths are not sealed, then fluids or gases may leak from the part. Impregnation is used to improve machinability on powder metallurgy . Secondary machine operations, such as drilling, tapping, or cutting, are only marginally successful because voids between the particles cause tool chatter, reducing tool life and finish quality. Vacuum impregnation stabilizes and supports

6248-493: The porosity is saturated with monomer and is then rinsed completely clear of the surface. The resin cures to a durable polymer. Thus, the exposed surface metal is free to be plated while the interior spaces are sealed dry. Powder metal is also impregnated to enhance maintainability. PM parts are generally difficult to machine and some compositions may not be machinable without ruining the cutting tool. Secondary machine operations, such as drilling, tapping, or cutting, are impaired as

6336-488: The potential for human error and increase repeatability in the quality of grinding. Casting processes simulation uses numerical methods to calculate cast component quality considering mold filling, solidification and cooling, and provides a quantitative prediction of casting mechanical properties, thermal stresses and distortion. Simulation accurately describes a cast component's quality up-front before production starts. The casting rigging can be designed with respect to

6424-400: The presence of hydrogen. Alternatively, the presence of hydrogen can be measured by determining the density of a metal sample. In cases where porosity still remains present after the degassing process, porosity sealing can be accomplished through a process called metal impregnating . In the casting process, a pattern is made in the shape of the desired part. Simple designs can be made in

6512-775: The process of liberating metals from rock by heat became known, and rocks rich in copper, tin , and lead came into demand. These ores were mined wherever they were recognized. Remnants of such ancient mines have been found all over Southwestern Asia . Metalworking was being carried out by the South Asian inhabitants of Mehrgarh between 7000 and 3300 BCE. The end of the beginning of metalworking occurs sometime around 6000 BCE when copper smelting became common in Southwestern Asia. Ancient civilisations knew of seven metals. Here they are arranged in order of their oxidation potential (in volts ): The oxidation potential

6600-413: The required component properties. This has benefits beyond a reduction in pre-production sampling, as the precise layout of the complete casting system also leads to energy , material, and tooling savings. The software supports the user in component design, the determination of melting practice and casting methoding through to pattern and mold making, heat treatment , and finishing. This saves costs along

6688-432: The respective peoples. By the above periods metalworkers were very skilled at creating objects of adornment, religious artifacts, and trade instruments of precious metals (non-ferrous), as well as weaponry usually of ferrous metals and/or alloys . These skills were well executed. The techniques were practiced by artisans, blacksmiths , atharvavedic practitioners, alchemists , and other categories of metalworkers around

6776-413: The sealant is internal to the part, the exterior dimensions and appearance of the part are unchanged. In these parts, metal pins and wires are embedded in the plastic housing. When the parts experience heat during manufacturing or normal use, the plastic and metal expand at different rates. This expansion creates microscopic voids between the materials. While these leak paths are unavoidable, they can cause

6864-532: The specific machine. In many other European countries, standards following the ISO are used instead. In order to keep both the bit and material cool, a high temperature coolant is used. In most cases the coolant is sprayed from a hose directly onto the bit and material. This coolant can either be machine or user controlled, depending on the machine. Materials that can be milled range from aluminum to stainless steel and almost everything in between. Each material requires

6952-444: The sprue, runners, and gates can be removed by breaking them away from the casting with a sledge hammer or specially designed knockout machinery. Risers must usually be removed using a cutting method (see above) but some newer methods of riser removal use knockoff machinery with special designs incorporated into the riser neck geometry that allow the riser to break off at the right place. The gating system required to produce castings in

7040-408: The surface. The final step in the process of casting usually involves grinding, sanding, or machining the component in order to achieve the desired dimensional accuracies, physical shape, and surface finish. Removing the remaining gate material, called a gate stub, is usually done using a grinder or sander . These processes are used because their material removal rates are slow enough to control

7128-482: The type of foundry, metal to be poured, quantity of parts to be produced, size of the casting, and complexity of the casting. These mold processes include: In a foundry, molten metal is poured into molds . Pouring can be accomplished with gravity, or it may be assisted with a vacuum or pressurized gas. Many modern foundries use robots or automatic pouring machines to pour molten metal. Traditionally, molds were poured by hand using ladles . The solidified metal component

7216-414: The type of metals that are to be melted. Furnaces must also be designed based on the fuel being used to produce the desired temperature. For low temperature melting point alloys, such as zinc or tin, melting furnaces may reach around 500 °C (932 °F). Electricity, propane, or natural gas are usually used to achieve these temperatures. For high melting point alloys such as steel or nickel-based alloys,

7304-513: The use of bronze and iron almost simultaneously. In the Americas it was different. Although the peoples of the Americas knew of metals, it was not until the European colonisation that metalworking for tools and weapons became common. Jewelry and art were the principal uses of metals in the Americas prior to European influence. About 2700 BCE, production of bronze was common in locales where

7392-424: The voids between the particles cause tool chatter, reducing tool life and degrading the finish quality. Vacuum impregnation stabilizes and supports the individual powdered metal granules during machining. This improves machinability by making it more efficient, eliminating tool chatter, and improving the machined finish. Powder metal porosity absorbs oils, fluids, deburring fluids, pre-plating cleaners, and acids. If

7480-415: The workpiece axis is called facing. Producing surfaces using both radial and axial feeds is called profiling. A lathe is a machine tool which spins a block or cylinder of material so that when abrasive , cutting, or deformation tools are applied to the workpiece, it can be shaped to produce an object which has rotational symmetry about an axis of rotation . Examples of objects that can be produced on

7568-544: The world come from the Bulgarian Varna Necropolis and date from 4450 BCE. Not all metal required fire to obtain it or work it. Isaac Asimov speculated that gold was the "first metal". His reasoning being, that, by its chemistry , it is found in nature as nuggets of pure gold. In other words, gold, as rare as it is, is sometimes found in nature as a native metal . Some metals can also be found in meteors . Almost all other metals are found in ores ,

7656-495: The z axis. It is possible to raise the table (where the workpiece rests). Milling machines may be operated manually or under computer numerical control (CNC), and can perform a vast number of complex operations, such as slot cutting, planing , drilling and threading , rabbeting , routing , etc. Two common types of mills are the horizontal mill and vertical mill. The pieces produced are usually complex 3D objects that are converted into x, y, and z coordinates that are then fed into

7744-514: Was the discovery of a copper pendant in northern Iraq from 8,700 BCE. The earliest substantiated and dated evidence of metalworking in the Americas was the processing of copper in Wisconsin , near Lake Michigan . Copper was hammered until it became brittle, then heated so it could be worked further. In America, this technology is dated to about 4000–5000 BCE. The oldest gold artifacts in

#245754