Foundry

Since January 1998, ACTech has had its own foundry in order to ensure rapid and high quality execution of prototypes for which production time is critical.

A number of furnaces up to 300 kg capacity enable maximal flexibility in changing casting alloys as quickly as possible and thereby executing different projects in parallel. Sometimes more than ten different alloys are poured per day.

After pouring and cooling, the castings are cut off the gating and risering system and cleaned. Now they are ready for after-treatment or necessary inspections.

In the foundry, demanding parts are cast in series production in parallel to the manufacture of prototypes.

Equipment

Stoves	Junker
	Tandem induction furnace	300 kg capacity
	Junker
	Tandem induction furnace	100 kg capacity
	Hindenlang
	Crucible melting furnace with electric heating	300 kg capacity
	Nabertherm
	Resistance furnace	100 kg capacity
	Nabertherm
	Resistance furnace	50 kg capacity
Further equipment	Grämer - Blast cabinet (hydraulic)	for aluminum
	Sapi - Monorail blast unit	for cast iron materials
	Pferd - Pneumatic tools
	Atlas Copco - Pneumatic tools
	Pehaka - Band saw
	Fein - Electric tools
	BGU - Belt grinder
	Dröwke - Swing conveyor

Molding shop equipment

Equipment	Wöhr - Continuous impeller	for strain hardening molding techniques 8 t/ h with turn table
	Mechanik Taucha - Overhead travel- and post-mounted cranes	max. load 3.2 t
	Bormann - Black wash mixer
	Grämer - adjustable crossbar

Measuring and test equipment

Spectrometer (OBLF)
Thermo-analysis device for aluminum (MK)
Thermo-analysis device for iron materials (Heraeus)
Vacuum density testing device (MK)
Thermometer (Hereaus)
 

Special casting procedures

Directional solidification and cooling of sand casting molds

At ACTech, a forced cooling method we have developed is used with sand casting molds to provide for a better structure than can normally be achieved in conventional sand casting. Mechanical properties are significantly enhanced. Additionally, the intentional cooling procedure means that solidification can be directed, so that casting defects may be avoided.

Today, sand casting with directional solidification has established itself as the method of choice when making prototypes and small batches for demanding castings subjected to high loads in the automotive industry. This superiority is the result of the clearly lower investment costs for small batches in sand casting.

Negative pressure-supported casting procedures for thin-walled castings

Castings with thin walls are realized by using negative pressure supported casting techniques. Here, a negative pressure is generated inside the fully formed mold. During pouring, this negative pressure allows much better filling of the cavity and simultaneously a more efficient suction of casting exhaust.

Thus, wall thickness values of less than 2 millimeters can also be achieved for steel castings.

Post-treatment of castings

• Leak test
• Finishing grinding
• Burring
• Blasting
• Heat treatment
   

Heat treatment

Subsequent heat treatment may be executed in forced-air ovens and box furnaces for aluminum alloys, cast iron and cast steel. In this way, the required mechanical characteristics may be adjusted intentionally.

Procedure

• Heat treatment of aluminum alloys, cast iron and cast steel
• Preheating to prepare for welding
• Stress relief heat treatment
• Annealing to relieve stresses
• Soft annealing
• Air quenching of aluminum alloys
• Densal^®-hip treatment (outsourcing)
   

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