Centrifugal casting is a process that is generally used to create thin-walled cylinders out of metal or other materials. The quality level is very high because of strict control over the metallurgy and structure. Centrifugal casting is typically used for manufacturing symmetric stock materials that will go on to be used in end product creation. The high quality attained with centrifugal casting makes it the preferred casting process for petrochemical furnace tubes, many military components, and specific jet engine parts.
Rotocasting was popularized initially by making steel wheels for trains. Nowadays, it is still used for steel train wheels and so much more. Concrete or steel pipes, engine cylinders, and more are all created using centrifugal casting. The process has gone through years of revisions and improvements, but at its core, centrifugal casting is still the same essential practice as when the original steel train wheels were being made a few hundred years ago.
Adopting the centrifugal casting process to create parts is an excellent way to provide the highest quality materials for the industries that need them. The high level of quality metal designed is due to the removal of any less dense materials such as impurities and oxides to be forced into the inner diameter of the piece, which can then be machined off.
Centrifugal casting, otherwise known as roto casting, has the advantage of creating specific dimensions with any length, diameter, or thickness with no core needed. The parts made are done so with rotational symmetry, all while having no seams and can be of exceptionally large size. Molds are used for specific design requirements and can be made of anything from metal, graphite, cast iron, or in some cases, sand. The molds are coated and baked to prevent sticking, and then they are spun and filled with molten metal. Then, after all the metal has taken form and started to cool, the mold continues to spin. After reaching the proper cooling temperature, it is removed. If the part needs to be cleaned up to have a smooth surface, the piece can then be further machined. It is always possible to remove any impurities via sandblasting as well.
How Does it Work?
Metal is super-heated until it is melted down and poured into a spinning die to start the centrifugal casting process. The spinning die can rotate on a vertical or horizontal axis depending on how the machine was set up. The vertical setup allows for ring shapes and cylinder shapes to be cast. Tubular shapes are created using a horizontal casting.
Once the molten metal is poured into the spinning die, a high centrifugal force is applied. Because the metal is spun in such a forceful and smooth manner, the impurities and oxides in the metal are forced out. Allowing the metal to solidify starts from the outer diameter (O.D.) through to the inner diameter (I.D.), which helps prevent the middle section from shrinking. The resulting cast is a structure free of any gas pockets, cavities, or defects of any kind.
The spinning die that is used is preheated to start the process. Once thoroughly preheated, molten metal is then poured in. It immediately starts spinning the mold it is poured into and is distributed evenly throughout the mold. The process can create pressure equivalent to several times the earth’s gravitational force. The entire process has been designed to produce components that are of incredibly high quality.
High-Quality Centrifugal Casting
Cliffe Metal Products, Inc provides specialized centrifugal castings to our clients for over 30 years. We supply centrifugal castings in aluminum, copper-based alloys, cobalt-based alloys, ductile iron, stainless steels, and nickel-based alloys. Our suppliers provide you with rough-machined or machine finished centrifugal castings, which can be made to the can be developed according to your specifications. Along with the standard centrifugal castings, we also offer aluminum sand castings.
We at Cliffe Metal Products, Inc have been in business since 1979 and are proud to have been able to provide high-quality forged metals and machined parts for all these years to our clients. Our centrifugal casting process is second to none. We truly appreciate that our customers know the quality we deliver and keep coming back year after year. When you need to have parts cast, think of us first. Cliffe Metal Products, Inc will take care of your metal casting needs quickly and with the highest quality standards around. Call us today to discuss your needs.
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