What is centrifugal casting?

Understanding centrifugal casting

Wondering how hollow parts like pipes are produced, centrifugal casting is performed. Centrifugal casting is a metal casting process that is carried out vertically or horizontally in the foundry industry. Today you’ll get to know the definition, applications, working, advantages, and disadvantages of centrifugal casting.

Contents

What is centrifugal casting?

Read more: Understanding die casting

What is centrifugal casting?

Centrifugal casting is a metal casting process in which molten metal is poured into a continuous rotating mold, thrown outward from the center with a centrifugal force. It is designed to vertically or horizontally rotate, depending on the type of casting. The horizontal type of centrifugal casting is implied when producing thin cylinder parts. While the vertically mounted machine is used in producing automotive smaller parts.

Applications

Centrifugal casting offers high material soundness and is the metal casting process of choice for jet engine compressor cases, petrochemical furnace tubes, many military and defense components, and other applications requiring high reliability. Centrifugal casting should be performed when the object requires:

  • Symmetrical shapes
  • Sand casting material properties are inadequate
  • Centerline shrink is an issue using other casting processes
  • Limited I.D. features
  • Large parts of up to 135,000 lbs. (61,235 kg) or more are needed
  • Net-shaping: more precise O.D. detail and lower machining costs are desired

Read more: Understanding investment casting

Watch the video below to learn the working of centrifugal casting:

Advantages of centrifugal casting

Advantages:

Centrifugal casting has several advantages over other metal casting processes. it allows mass production of symmetrical products at lower costs. It does not rely on gate and risers, making its offers high production rates. Unlike sand casting, where gate and risers must be employed for proper flow of the molten metal. One of the most advantages of centrifugal casting is that it helps to get rid of defects such as blowholes, shrinkage cavity, and gas pocket. Due to the collection of impurities at the center of the mold. Impurities are easily removed in centrifugal casting than in any other manufacturing process. it also helps economically in terms of low capital, which allows enough flexibility to produce various sizes and shapes of a part. It offers good advantages as it saves time and energy. It requires less temperature of molten metal. finally, It also provides less dense metal with mechanical soundness.

Read more: Understanding evaporative casting 

Disadvantages

Despite the benefits of this casting, some limitations still occur to its applications. The followings are the disadvantages of centrifugal casting.

  1. Incorrect diameter in the inner part of the casting
  2. High investment is a need in tools and machinery
  3. More skilled laborers are needed for the process
  4. Not all type of metal or alloys are compatible with the process
  5. The process can produce few shapes.

Read more: 4 common types of metal casting processes

That is all for this article, where the definition, applications, working, advantages, and disadvantages of centrifugal casting are discussed. I hope you get enough of the post, if so, kindly share with other students. Thanks for reading, see you next time!


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