Aluminum is widely used in the modern world. This metal is characterized by light weight, ductility and ductility, which allows its use in many industries. Its melting point is 660 ° C. In production, aluminum casting is often used, due to which all kinds of parts are made.
Technological process
People have been melting aluminum for a long time. He easily acquires any
form, therefore, simply indispensable in world industry. Today, many steel mills use high pressure casting technology. It is created in a special chamber using a piston, which is affected by compressed air, emulsion or oil, accelerating the movement. The molten metal enters the high-strength steel mold with a speed of about 50 m / s, which ensures its absolute filling.
Die casting of aluminum has many advantages, among which are not only an increase in productivity, but also high precision of the finished product. The technology is used to produce important parts in instrumentation, engineering and aircraft manufacturing.
Aluminum casting at home
An uncomplicated part from this metal can be made by yourself. Everything you need for this can be found in the home workshop.
First of all, you will need a box with a lid where the molding earth will be stored. Casting of aluminum usually takes place using mixtures of sand and clay. For small parts, you can take ordinary silica. It must be sieved and poured into a prepared wooden box.
In the process, the following tools will be needed: a wooden spatula, tweezers, hooks, scalpels, brushes, brushes and a trowel, made of high-quality steel and having a smooth surface.
Casting aluminum at home involves pouring metal into molds. They can be made from a wooden box.
Mold making
The future part is molded in two flasks. To make them
you need to remove the bottom and the lid of the box and saw it with a longitudinal saw into two different parts in height. In the resulting flasks, it is necessary to drill two vertical holes on opposite walls and insert coke rods into them. When closing the box, cokes sticking out of its lower part should go into the holes drilled in the upper frame. This will accurately fix the flasks relative to each other.
With the correct manufacture of a mold for casting aluminum in the ground, a cavity should be obtained that will completely copy the cast part. It is done by pressing one side of a copy of the product into the ground of the upper flask, and the second into the surface of the lower. Frames should lie on a strong shield. A copy of the part can be made of wood or foam.
Backfill of molding sand should be gradual. Each new layer should be well compacted, otherwise the sifted land will not keep its shape. It remains to make several gas vents and insert the gate, through which molten metal will flow. Now you need to let the earth dry well.
Pouring aluminum into a mold
Before you finally assemble the form, you must carefully examine it and
make sure there are no lumps of earth. Casting aluminum will give an excellent result only if the recess perfectly repeats the product. The joint formed between the lower and upper flasks is recommended to be covered with clay so that the liquid metal does not overflow over the edges of the recesses. After this, the upper flask is superimposed on the lower and fixed by cokes.
Aluminum must be melted in a tin can by placing it on a burning stove. When the metal ceases to adhere to the poker lowered into it, it can be removed from the fire and poured into the mold through the gate.
After cooling, it is necessary to remove the part from the ground. Usually after this, additional processing of the product is carried out, including cutting off excess protruding edges and turning.
Casting aluminum is a very exciting and useful process. Thanks to this technology, small parts can be made independently, which will allow you to get pleasant emotions and save money.