Methods of Selective Laser Sintering

Prototyping

Rapid Prototyping or SLS is said to be a free-form manufacturing technology which is developed by 3D systems. SLS is a method of layered manufacturing which creates a solid 3D object by blending powdered substances along with carbon dioxide. In other words SLS is one of the famous mechanisms of Rapid Prototyping in which a laser beam carefully sinters or fuses the powdered substances such as elastomer, nylon etc. A thin layer of that powdered substances is being laid down and the laser sketches on the layer sintering together the elements hit by the laser. SLS can provide a persons manufacturing company with most important perimeter by producing metal or rapid plastic prototyping which narrowly matches their molded complements.  
    
Stereolithography V/S Selective Laser Sintering: One of the foremost benefits of Selective Laser Sintering over Stereolithography is that it constructs prototypes in powered materials such as nylon etc. It is likely to create structurally useful parts like functioning springs, living hinges and snap fit components along with nylon substances by utilizing Selective Laser Sintering. This procedure is actually very easy as there is no need of tooling or molding involved. You will find that the nylon substance that is useding during the SLS process can be machined and drilled just like you can in SLA. These substances are fragile as they are curved with Ultra Violet light and created with liquid photopolymers.  
 
Since it has been introduced by DR Carl Deckard in the year 1989, this SLS technology has become one of the most recognized and utilized procedures for product development and rapid prototyping in most of the manufacturing industries. Rapid Prototyping technology has also become one of the most trusted and reliable forms of rapid prototyping due to its structural importance. SLS is generally helpful when a particular design has to be customized or is complex and requires being short run or functional production. 

Procedure: In the procedure of Selective Laser Sintering or Selective Laser Sintering, three dimensional parts are formed when an infrared laser beam fuses or sinters powdered substances. The ultimate object is being formed by continually sintering or fusing those thin layers by utilizing the infrared laser beam. This particular procedure is also known as additive manufacturing, creating parts which regularly enhances in size until it reaches the arranged size. These rapid prototypes are formed directly from the STL file acquired from three dimensional CAD models.

One of the most important features of Selective Laser Sintering is how functional and durable the substances are. These substances normally include versions of new DuraForm glass-filled, which is a nylon based substance that creates functional and highly durable plastic prototypes. LaserForm, Flex Plastic, and Rubber like parts that create metal prototypes are some of the other substances available with SLS.    

Benefits: Lots of people are trying hard to get some of these new SLS substances into the manufacturing market. Whats nice about thses substances is that after they are created, they need no post processing methods so you get another advantage over SLA. However, this does not mean that these substances cannot be developed. There are good things about the SLS substances we have mentioned because they all can be completed in many methods. They can be machined, painted, tapped, drilled and even plated. This allows for a superior grade of manifestation to these substances therefore giving the users a limitless potential to utilize these substances.

Prototype Zone is a new community website all about Rapid Prototyping. Come by Prototypezone today and join the site for free and you get a free Rapid Prototyping Basics EBook just for signing up! Come by Prototypezone.Com right away to receive your own Ebook on Rapid Prototyping Basics for Free.

3D Scanner, 3D Scanning, and 3D Scanners along with technology for 3D Scanners

Prototyping Design

Prototyping can be defined as the process wherein a device’s, object’s, or system’s technological principles are discovered by analyzing its operation, function, and structure. It often refers to detaching something, say- a software program, electronic equipment, or mechanical device and carrying out the analysis of its workability in detail. This is done in order to manufacture a new program or device which performs the same function without doubling anything from original.

Motivation: Reasons behind the emergence of reverse engineering include interoperability, lost documentation which means loss or non-existence of documentation of the concerned device, product analysis, security auditing, exclusion of protection of copy, circumvention of restrictions regarding access, and fraud.

Prototyping of ‘mechanical devices’ : With the ever-increasing popularity of CAD, ‘reverse engineering’ has proven to be a blessing for creation of ‘3D virtual model’ of the on hand physical part to be used in 3D CAE, CAM, CAD and many other soft wares. The measuring of physical object can be done by making use of ‘#D scanning technologies’ such as computed tomography, ‘structured light digitizers’, laser scanners, and CMMs. The data that is measured usually gets represented as ‘point cloud’. It is devoid of topological information. That’s why, the processing and modelling takes place into usable format like a ‘triangular faced mesh’, CAD model, or a collection of surfaces of NURBS. Applications such as Polyworks, Image ware, Geomagic, or Rapidform are used for processing the ‘point clouds’ into the formats that can be used in applications like 3D CAE, CAM, CAD or visualization.

Reverse Engineering of ‘software’  : The term ‘reverse engineering’ differs from person to person when applied in terms of software. Reverse engineering is a bit complicated but simply it is the process that involved looking at the subject system in order to create its representation at the higher level. There are people out there that will call this level the level of abstraction. As far as software is concerned, reverse engineering can be described as an examination process only. Really if you look at things from the software point of view there is no modification needed. The use of ‘software anti-tamper technology’ takes place in order to deter reengineering and reverse engineering of the software-powered systems and proprietary software.

Two major reverse engineering types exist in the present scenario. In the first type, source code is available, but program’s greater level aspects are poorly documented or invalidated. In the second type, source code does not exist. Any efforts made in this direction would be termed as ‘reverse engineering’. The 2nd use is that which majority of people know. ‘Reverse Engineering of software’ is implied at making use of ‘clean room design’ technique for avoiding infringing copyrights. In today’s world, around 95% of reverse engineering consists of ‘reverse engineering of software’.

On the other hand, ‘black box testing’ in ‘software engineering’ has many similarities to reverse engineering. The tester normally possesses the API. However, their main goal is to locate undocumented features and bugs by smashing the products from the outside. This process is used for customizing the embedded systems as well. 

Prototype Zone is a new community website all about Rapid Prototyping. Visit the website today to sign up for free so you can then download your free book on Basic Rapid Prototyping! Come by Prototypezone.Com right now to get your Free Ebook that is all about Rapid Prototyping and Rapid Prototyping Basics for Free.

Flexible Manufacturing, Rapid Manufacturing, Direct Manufacturing

Flexible Manufacturing

Rapid Manufacturing can be described as an ‘Additive Fabrication Technique’ to manufacture solid objects through the chronological delivery of material and/or energy to precise points in the space for producing that part. At present, the practice of controlling the process of manufacturing with the help of computer by making use of mathematical model that has been created through the computer’s aid is being followed. Rapid manufacturing, if done with the help of Parallel Batch Production is capable of providing a huge advantage in terms of cost and speed in comparison with alternative techniques of manufacturing like die casting or Plastic Injection Molding.

Origin: Prototyping process was first demonstrated at The AUTO FACT show. The venue was Detroit, MI. The year was 1987. A company called 3D Systems Company is who created this technique. The technologies available now are inclusive of processes such as Laminated Object Manufacturing, Shape Deposition Manufacturing, and Selective Laser Sintering. 

The present scenario: Prototyping might involve replacement parts, custom parts, series production, or Short Run Production. This process can be referred to as Rapid Prototyping only if the use of the part is for development. Rapid Manufacturing carried out for big products with Layer-based Manufacturing from composite materials, plastics, or metals is widely used for numerous industrial applications pertaining to aerospace (Boeing) and military (MPH-Optomec) sectors. Micro system applications and small products are well known in medicines, sensor technologies (micro TEC), and diagnostics. Batch production regarding tiny parts by techniques of rapid manufacturing like RMPD give vent to advantages related to time and cost.

Now days, collectibles, consumer products, orthodontics, dentistry, jewelry, motor sports, and automotives are being experimented with rapid manufacturing. Amazing results are expected in future. The world economy is becoming competitive day by day. As customer demands have increase, manufacturers everywhere are tyring to deliver customized products faster than ever before. A late delivery or development might could mean failure of business. Rapid manufacturing has been devised with the objective of shortening the production cycle and design, and promising to revolutionize the age-old manufacturing procedures.

The initial process: Before starting with the construction of product, a prototype or sample is required quite often as a portion of design cycle, for allowing evaluation, testing, or demonstration of proposed product. This process is iterative, as a chain of prototypes gets built up. One way that prototypes can be used is for testing and loking at various options.

Rapid Manufacturing is also inclusive of rapid application of tools needed for production on a large scale, like jigs, dies, and specially shaped molds. Several Layer manufacturing Processes are being developed now, by making use of a wide range of materials. These parts are extremely durable and have proved to be strong as well. The size has also been increasing. Due to all these successes, layer manufacturing is the most sought after technique for fabricating the parts for functional prototypes as well as production tools. Rapid Tooling is where you apply layer manufacturing for making components that are used in production. It is being applied to investment casting, injection molding, and many processes related to mold casting.

Prototype Zone is a new community website all about Rapid Prototyping. Stop Around Prototype Zone today to get your free reference guide on Rapid Prototyping just for signing up! Come by Prototypezone.Com Today for your free Ebook on Rapid Prototyping.

Techniques for Additive Fabrication

prototyping

Rapid Prototyping can be defined as an assortment of techniques of making solid objects through the chronological delivery of material and/or energy to specific points in the space for production of that solid. Additive fabrication is also known as solid freeform fabrication, layered manufacturing, rapid manufacturing, and rapid prototyping.

Techniques: Additive fabrication is carried out using a number of techniques. Let some of them be studied in detail.

‘Electron Beam Melting’: EBM (Electronic Beam Melting) can be described as the ‘rapid prototyping’ for metals. It is better known as Additive Fabrication method. The parts are manufactured by having the metal powder melted layer by layer through a beam of electron in high vacuum. The parts produced acquire strength, solidity, and are void-free as well. The electrons have a very high speed; around 5 to 8 times the light speed. The bombardment of these electrons takes place on the work material’s surface. What happens is that this creates a lot of heat that is enough for melting the part's surface and causing it to locatlly vaporize. Vacuum is required for the operation of EBM. This means that the size of work piece is directly proportional to vacuum used. You will find that this technique works not only on metals but also on composites, ceramics, and non-metals.

Fused Deposition Modeling: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) can be described as a kind of rapid manufacturing (RP) or rapid prototyping technology which is generally used in engineering design. S.Scott Crump had founded this technology in 1980s. It caught the commercial market in 1990. Like most of the RP processes, the principle of working of FDM is the ‘additive principle’. The material, in this case, will need to be laid down in layers. The metal wire or plastic filament is then unwound and material is supplied through it to the extrusion nozzle that can turn off and on the flow.

The nozzle’ then is heated for melting the material. It could be moved in vertical and horizontal directions with the help of a mechanism which is numerically controlled. This numerical control is obtained through ‘Computer Aided Design’ software package. Like stereo lithography, the building of the model takes place from layers. This happens because the material starts hardening after getting extruded from nozzle.

Numerous materials are offered with diverse trade-offs between temperature and strength. One can use the Additive Fabrication with polycaprolactone, polycarbonates, polyphenylsulfones, and Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Temporary supports can be made by using a ‘water-soluble’ material. These supports are needed and need to be kept as the manufacturing is still going on. Servo or Stepper Motors are some of the prototypes that are made in commercial applications.

‘Selective Laser Sintering’: Selective Laser Sintering can be defined as an additive type of rapid manufacturing wherein a ‘high power laser’ (like carbon dioxide laser) is used for fusing tiny particles of ceramic, metal, or plastic powders into mass representing the desired three-dimensional object. In comparison to other methods of rapid manufacturing, ‘selective laser sintering’ has the capacity of producing parts from several powder materials available. They include polymers (polystyrene and nylon), metals (composites, alloy mixtures, titanium, steel), and not to forget- green sand. This physical process could be liquid-phase sintering, partial melting, or full melting. 

Prototype Zone is a new community website all about Rapid Prototyping. Come by Prototypezone today and join the site for free and you get a free Rapid Prototyping Basics EBook just for signing up! Come by Prototypezone.Com Today for your free Ebook on Rapid Prototyping.

3D Printer and 3D Printer Technologies discussion on the advances in 3D Prints

3D Rapid Prototyping

3D Printing can be referred to as method of getting virtual 3D model printed onto a 2D object. Prototyping falls in the category of ‘rapid prototyping’ technology. The function typically performed by 3D printers is that of printing consecutive layers on the previous ones for building up a 3D object. It is easier, more affordable, and faster to use 3D printers as compared to other technologies related to additive fabrication.

Technologies: Initially, production of a prototype required a lot of man-hours, tools, and experienced labor. For instance, after designing a novel Street Light Luminaire digitally, drawings used to be sent to accomplished craftsmen where the paper design used to be followed with utmost pains and a Rapid Prototyping used to be formed in wood through the utilization of the entire shop that is full of costly tools and working machinery. One can easily make out that this process consumed a lot of time. Moreover, the skillful labor was not all that cheap. These shortcomings necessitated the need of rapid prototyping.

3D printing has a variation called Inkjet Printing System. It involves binding of fine powder layers (resins, cornstarch, or plaster) by the way of printing a gum from inkjet print head as per the shape of every cross-section as spotted by the CAD file. This is the only technology allowing full color prototypes to be printed. The school of thought is that this is the quickest method.

On the other hand, the liquids are fed by these machines. Photopolymer is one of such kind. These machines make use of UV (ultraviolet) flood lamp. It is mounted in print head for curing each layer on its deposition. A new technology called Fused Deposition Modeling uses a nozzle to deposit molten polymer layer by layer to the supported structure. The other approach is Selective Fusing of Print Media in the granular bed. Here, the media that has been unfused supports thin walls and overhangs in the piece which is being produced, thereby reducing need for temporary auxiliary supports for the work piece.

Ultimately, 3D Micro fabrication technique having a photo polymerization of 2-photons might be used to make ultra small features. Here, the preferred 3D object gets traced out by a completely focused laser in a gel block. The curing of gel into a solid takes place only in places where laser had been focused, owing to photo excitation’s non-linear nature. The gel that is left out gets washed away.

Resolution: Resolution is measured in terms of layer thickness. The X-Y resolution is given in dpi. 100 microns is the characteristic layer thickness. The X-Y resolution is compatible with laser printers. Diameter of the particles, i.e. You can assume that 3D dots is around 50-100 microns.

Applications: Standard applications are inclusive of design visualization, metal casting, CAD/prototyping, architecture, geospatial, education, healthcare, retail/entertainment, etc. Off late, 3D printing technology is being used in artistic expressions. Its biotechnological applications include bio-printing, computer-aided Tissue engineering, and organ printing.

Self-replication: The main purpose behind using 3D printing technology is its ability to replicate itself. RepRap is one such printer. It has the ability to print plastic parts and circuit boards. It is believed to print metals in future.

Prototype Zone is a new community website all about Rapid Prototyping. Come by Prototypezone today and join the site for free and you get a free Rapid Prototyping Basics EBook just for signing up! Come by Prototypezone.Com right now to get your Free Ebook that is all about Rapid Prototyping and Rapid Prototyping Basics for Free.

Invention Prototypes and the process of Invention Prototypes

Invention Prototype

Invention Prototype cannot be ignored because they sought to prove the concept of the inventor to potential customers, suppliers, and investors-and most importantly, to the inventor himself. This has been the opinion of majority of experts. The idea behind creating a prototype is the accomplishment of a lot from the point of view of creativity, that too without having to put on so much of money in the idea of product or going for its commitment early on.

Construction of an ‘invention prototype’ at the appropriate time: It’s essential to construct an ‘invention prototype’ much before buying the tooling for building the product or seeking contract manufacturers. Many a times, it so happens that the inventor might, in reality want to build a prototype much before getting too fancy regarding computer drawings. He is likely to burn up loads of cash on ‘engineering drawings’ when possibly what he needs 1st is the papier-mache clearly showing him what is being tried by him. If that is the case, he is advised to revert to computer-aided drawings. Assessing the proper time for prototype is not all that tough. It just requires a proof of workability of the product invented by the concerned person.

The proper Invention Prototype for proper audience: An ‘invention prototype’ should be aimed towards the proper audience for doing its job. It means that the tailoring should be done in such a way that the requirements of the customers get fulfilled much to their satisfaction. Not only that, the prototype should be able to bear the critics of potential partners, investors, suppliers, and customers. This is a very important point: real appraisals should be done and friendly appraisals are not what you want to happen. The more slicker looking and operable the prototype, the ‘better’. Its always important to not let all of the praises go to your head. It’s better to spend less on this production, as there would be many other places for spending the start up capital.

Let >1 prototype be made

If the overheads are not very much, let the Invention Prototype be made into multiple versions. In the next few desings you will see that the creator will improve the designs. Due to this, the latest product arrived at would fetch more money owing to its modern and sharp design. Some people also have the habit of making two prototypes at a time. The first one would be meant for ‘show’ and the second one for ‘go’, i.e. the 1st one could be made to look like the end product and the 2nd one for demonstrating the functionality.

For instance- Battery Buddy had a ‘looks-like’ and ‘works-like’ prototype. The 1st one was created at ‘University of Michigan’. A box was fashioned to proper exterior dimensions as per the engineering drawings. It was painted with fancy, fine graphics. This version could fit on around 90% of vehicles in market. On the second tirial the outcome was a simple plastic box. It was grey-colored and around 4 times bigger than actual Battery Buddy. Finishing was not the issue then. The workability had to be checked; and it happened! Hence, the two versions made the task simpler from the buyer’s as well as seller’s point of view. 

 
Prototype Zone is a new community website all about Rapid Prototyping. Come by Prototypezone today and join the site for free and you get a free Rapid Prototyping Basics EBook just for signing up! Come by Prototypezone.Com Today for your free Ebook on Rapid Prototyping.

Home Foundry Information

Home Foundry

The most noticeable item in any backyard foundry is the furnace. This is no surprise really, because without the furnace the entire Backyard Foundry operation would be nonexistent. The furnace can take really any size and form depending upon the need and budget of the metal caster. What really makes home DIY Metal Casting furnaces really unique is how many of them come into creation.

Sure there are plenty of companies that will gladly sell furnaces for the hobby metal caster and while this can be a viable solution to your furnace needs many metal casters prefer another method.

Making your own furnace is not as far fetched as it may seem and if you already a Do It Yourselfer, chances are you will have the needed skills and tools in your workshop or garage already. The reasons are endless as to why people decide to make their own casting furnaces. The most common reason is fulfilling a need.

Many hobbyist and metal workers find out, to their dismay, that the local commercial foundries can not make the needed part or if they do, they feel the need to charge an outrageous sum. Not to mention the fact that the traditional methods of DIY Metal Casting is quickly becoming forgotten as the industry turns to electric furnaces. So many hobbyists find that constructing their own furnace is an absolute necessity and a great way to preserve a piece of craftsman history. The artisans who use metal casting to create sculptures and other pieces find that making their own furnace grants them a greater amount of control over the entire process. This is actually how many people get into metal casting to begin with.

Lots of times, your first furnace will be very simple and small as you are just getting started. There is really no need to run before you can walk when it comes to something that will be using intense heat and melting iron which can be rather dangerous.

Home made furnaces have been constructed from coffee cans to trash cans or sheet metal welded together. While there are a few components that really should be bought like the retractor to line the furnace walls which should be resistant to high temperature for a prolonged period of time along with special connectors and regulators, most of the furnace can be created in your own home. You should be able to find most of the components that you can not make at hardware stores or plumbing supply stores for relatively cheap.

The parts for the casting furnace are only part of what you need to get as you also need to get a crucible for holding the metal and all of the tools needed to handle the hot crucible. While you are at it you might as well buy all the safety equipment like gloves, protective eye wear, and leather shoes. There is other safety equipment that you will need depending on the type of work and the type of furnace you are going to make.

Most likely, your first furnace is going to be a simple cupola variation. The cupola furnace which is going to resemble a smoke stack is a simple design and is relatively easy to make for anyone with mild craft skill. This type of furnace will not require a crucible since you will be able to pour the molten metal from the furnace itself into a ladle that can then be poured into the mold.

DIY casting furnaces are a great way to connect yourself with your metal casting work giving you more control. While building the furnace can be complicated at first, once you delve into it you will find the experience enjoyable and fascinating.

Metal Casting Zone is the premiere place to go to discuss everything about Metal Casting, Home Casting and anything else Metal Casting. Come by today and join the site for free and you get a free Metal Casting Basics EBook just for signing up! Come by MetalCastingZone.Com Today for your free Ebook on Metal Casting.

How to Tell if You are Inftected with Spyware

According to most PC magazines 80% of all computers have spyware on them.It's not all bad news, Many of these programs are very inisent.Most of these programs do virtually nothing to wreak your computer.  In fact many of these programs such as games come installed on PCs right from the store.

You still need to make sure you are not infected.Most free virus scanners do nothing to stop spyware.Most free scanners do very little to protect your computer.  Read a bit more about some popular threats at on this Remove Virtumonde site or this Trojan Vundo site.  Both sites provide some good detail on spyware and how it affects your computer.

There are plenty of free ways to see if you are infected with a virus or spyware and that is to use a free trial program.  I’m not talking about using a junk client.  Check out the sites highlighted above for a free trial of Spyware Doctor.We really like this program.  It constantly wins awards and is normally rated 5 out of 5 by most experts.Like everything in life worth value it does cost money but you can get a free 30 day trial.  You really only need one day because the first scan will let you know if you have infections or not.  If not then don’t worry about it.  If you are infected with spyware then you need to take action.

Once the scan is done use your favorite search engine and do some reasearch to see how bad a threat this is.  If you see a cookie as an infection and chances are you will don’t worry about it.You do not have to worry about these at all because they pose no harm to your computer.

Another good resource is this Vundo Removal Software
site.The blog is mostely about Vundo but does describe how many spyware aplications work.  Remember do not purchase any spyware software or virus software without getting some feedback on it.  The other thing to remember is no free client on the market provides enough protection.  Most of these programs do not give you protection.  It’s only after you have been infected that they kick in and by then it’s often too late.

A Look At The Different Internet Connections And Certain Pitfalls That You Might Come Across

The internet is made up of a worldwide network of computers; this can make navigating the internet difficult. Data sharing worldwide is possible through these different internet connections. Some feel that the best resource in the world is the internet. This resource offers both business and pleasure opportunities. Different internet connections that are presently available make organization, communication, and research easier.

We will now learn about the different internet connections that are available. There are many options available, three of the most popular, which are available through the phone lines are: cable, traditional dial-up, and DSL.

As modern technology advances there has been an increase in demand for the wireless varieties of internet connection. With all the different internet connections available, the wireless options are now becoming very popular.

Wireless fidelity or Wi-Fi as the wireless internet is known, allows connecting to a network without being limited to a certain location. Wi-Fi is available in public locations, such as libraries, cafes and many hotels offer this service. Verizon and Sprint also offer wireless network as a long range service.

Of all the all the various internet Connection Set Ups, the wireless option is by far the easiest to set-up. Even people who are not technology "nerds" may understand this technology. It is as easy as going to the computer’s Start menu and click on the Control Panel. This is where the Network and Internet connections options are found. All of the different internet connections available can be managed from here. Next step is to go to network and sharing center, then make sure that you select network option. This allows you to manage internet connections from all wireless sources.

Now that you are in the proper menu, you will see the "Show All" option, click on it and then hit the refresh button. The active network connection that you want to log on to is located here. Choose the option that allows you to connect automatically if you plan on regularly connecting to this network. By checking this option, your computer will be able to find different internet connections and the proper one.

Troubleshooting will be required if you are unable to locate a network. You will first need to find the connect to a network window, next click on network or Set Up a connection. Then click on manually connect to a wireless network, press next. At this time you need to enter the security features and the network’s name.

Problems with Different Internet Connections

Remember if you experience any problems logging in to your wireless internet connection, contacting the service provider is strongly recommended. They will guide you step by step and solve your problem to accessing your internet connection. Overall the wireless option may be the best choice of all of the different kinds of internet connections.

CNC Design

CAD

First we are going to talk about the initial element of CNC.  That element is CNC Design .  Before you begin a CNC project, you need to have a plan of action.  The design is like a blueprint, you know what you are going to build before you ever build it.

Here are some important elements of design that need to be answered:
What size will it be?
What material will it be made of?
Who is the customer?
What will it be used for?

Your design can be anything.  It could be an industrial part or a work of art.  This is only really limited by your imagination.  Many people use CNC every day to manufacture parts.  Many hobbyists use CNC every day to create art and various home projects.

Before I design I like to sketch a few ideas out on paper.  I like to toy with different ideas to spark my creativity.   This is the equivalent of brainstorming.  When I really get my juices flowing, that is when my best designs rise to the top.  I generally carry around a notebook with me to note designs that I think of during the day.
After I have a few likely suspects, I try to look through each of the ideas to see if I can merge them somehow.  Some designs have different parts or components to them.  Some of these components are better than others.  Can I take some of these parts and add them to another design to make it better?  Just like writing, editing your designs is a critical step in the process.

When you are designing, you are really trying to describe what you are going to build.  The more accurately you can do that, the better the whole process will go.  Just like a house, if you have a strong foundation, you will have a good house.  If you have a solid design, the rest of the process is easy.

CAD
CAD stands for Computer Aided Design or Drafting.  CAD was developed in the early 60s.  Today it is the premier way to design, develop and optimized products.  People use CAD every day to design virtually every product you see.  Generally, designers use CAD to design a product, and then produce prints to manufacture that product.  A print is a picture of a part or assembly that is very exact.  It includes the dimensions and a parts list used to manufacture a product.

Computer Aided Design (CAD) software packages can generally be broken into two groups.  The groups are 2-D drafting packages or 3-D drafting packages.  Most all software packages are moving to 3-D design.  3-D design is really the next generation of CAD.  Utilizing 3-D design, engineers can make a model of their product.  They can then look over this model for any apparent defects before it is ever made.

3-D Design
Utilizing 3-D design, engineers can cut down on the number of manufacturing mistakes that occur due to fit up and tolerance issues.  This translates into a more efficient operation with less waste for the manufacturer.

Here are some examples of 3-D drafting/design software:
Inventor
TopSolid
SolidWorks
Alibre Design
Rhino3D

2-D Design
2-D design can be very efficient if you need to make a quick part that is not very complex.  You could quickly sketch out a silhouette of an object and convert it into a CAM tool path.  This is an operation where 2-D will really shine.

Here are some examples of 2-D drafting/design software:
AutoCAD
MicroStation

At some point you will need to use CAD.  You will need to take your design and translated it into a print.  The best way to do that is to use CAD.  You will need to purchase a CAD program of some sort if you are serious about CNC.  Many CAD programs have a free or trial period that you can use to evaluate the program.  My suggestion is to try a few and then select one that fits the way you design.

CNC Information Free Community Site:
If you would like to know more about CNC, head on over to http://www.cncinformation.com
You can join for Free and you get two free CNC ebooks. One is a GCode Quick Guide and the other is the CNC Info Site eBook. You also get access to the Free Video Series...Image to CNC Art when you join the community.

How do Metal Casting Patterns Work

Metal Casting

DIY Casting is a useful skill that has its roots in antiquity. Weapons and sculptures were traditionally created using this method but as the DIY movement gained momentum many modern day casters have found a use for Metal Casting to make plumbing fixtures, door knobs, and many other items. Today, small foundries can be found in many backyards, garages, and workshops.

In order to make a casting of metal, you will need a furnace capable of melting metal alloys at high temperatures. Usually, individual metal casters will construct their own furnace. There are companies that will sell small scale furnaces but they are often costly. The most common type of casting is called Sand Casting which uses sand or green sand to make the molds where the molten metal will be poured into to form the finished product. The mold is a handmade item placed in a flask which has two parts, a cope and drag. The mold is usually made of sand, but can also be created using other ingredients like latex or even metal. Most likely, you will set the pattern to form the mold cavity that can be seen in the mold.

The mold cavity will be an impression of the pattern including the fine details which will then be filled with the molten alloy. Pattern casting is an art form in itself, really, but anyone can create a pattern even if you have no artistic skill what so ever. The pattern is an original which will be cast into metal. Common pattern castings include complex engine parts for models, replicas of Civil War era weapons, sculptures, and even jewelry.

The pattern can be made of any material like clay, wood, and wax. The pattern material really depends on a few factors like the casting method and the availability of the material. If you are able to carve wood then you can use this skill to make patterns. There are some casting methods that call for the patterns to be made of certain materials. An example of this is the Lost Wax Metal Casting Method which will use wax as the pattern.

When creating the mold, you will place the original into the drag of the flask and place more molding material on top forming the cope. When the mold is dry you will carefully remove the pattern revealing an impression in the mold.

If you are creating your own pattern you will need to make it with Contraction allowances in mind. This contraction allowance will compensate for the shrinkage that occurs in many casting processes. In order to take out the pattern without disturbing the mold, draft allowances need to be considered as well. The pattern should have tapered edges to allow for easy removal.

Many who make their own patterns will add sprues, gates, and risers to the pattern so that when castled these items will already be in the mold.What these devices do is allow the hot metal make its way into the mold cavity.

If you find it difficult to make your own patterns then you can pay for pattern making services; although many casters in the same situation will just learn how to make patterns to save money. Pattern casting is a valuable skill to have and can be learned rather easily.

 
Metal Casting ZOne is a new community website all about Home and DIY Metal Casting. Come by today and join the site for free and you get a free Metal Casting Basics EBook just for signing up! Visit today at MetalCastingZone.Com right now to get your Free Ebook that is all about Metal Casting and Metal Casting Basics for Free.

Metal Casting Molds

Metal Casting

Casting molds are an essential part of the metal casting process as it will be used to shape the final result. Nearly all metal casting methods will use some type of mold. The standard mold will consist of a cope and drag that when together is called a flask. The mold itself can be constructed of several materials depending upon the DIY Casting method.

Most molds will be made from latex, fiberglass, sand, and even metal. A lot of times you will see Sand being used in DIY Home Foundries and therefore Sand Molds are some of the most popular molds. In Permanent Mold Casting, the mold is created from metal. Most molds can be used over and over again, but not all of them. Certainly the metal molds can be used multiple times without loosing any quality from the finished product. However, molds created using sand or other materials will not have a very long shelf life. This is not generally seen as a huge problem just a minor annoyance since mold making is relatively cheap and easy.

No matter what material the mold is made from, the basic construction is pretty much the same. The molding box is called the flask which has a cope, the top, and drag, the bottom.  You will then fill the flask with the molding material and then place the original into the mold. So, if you want to cast a tiny metal elephant, you will place an original of the elephant usually made from clay, wax, wood, or even metal into the drag of the flask. If this is done in sand you will ram the flask until the sand is packed tightly around the original. The top of the flask, the cope is then placed on and more molding material poured in. The entire flask is then rammed or vibrated making sure everything is packed in nice and tight.

When the molding material is dry, you will remove the flask and carefully split the mold to retrieve the original, in this case the tiny elephant. Now, if you want to make sure that there are some empty spaces in the cast to be finished then you will place cores into the mold. The cores are made of sand or wax.

The type of mold used depends heavily on the type of Metal Casting , alloy, and complexity of the pattern to be cast. Metal molds have little use in small foundries unless you plan on casting a lot of tiny metal elephants.

In some cases, pre-made molds can be found in hobby shops or through company casting companies. Usually, pre-made molds are used in miniature castings. Many individual metal casters prefer to make their own molds since it is inexpensive and allows them greater control over the finished casting.

Metal Casting involves several sets of skills and mold making is one of these skills. Eventually, all metal casters must learn to obtain the skill for making molds as this is very important to the casting process. Not only are molds used in metal casting but in other casting types as well. Resin casting and other plastic casting requires a mold as well. What the flask is made out of can be just about anything that you can imagine including wood or metal. What you are really looking for is something that can hold the mold material until it dries and if the fllask can do this, then it can be used.

Every metal caster should learn how to make a mold instead of relying on others. Really you are looking to save money as well as gaining what we all like, independence. Making your own mold is just cheaper.

 
Metal Casting ZOne is a new community website all about Home and DIY Metal Casting. Come by today and join the site for free and you get a free Metal Casting Basics EBook just for signing up! Stop Around MetalCastingZone.Com Today for your free Ebook on Metal Casting.

Foundry Supplies and Casting Supplies

Metal Casting

You can get metal casting supplies just like different brands of clothing, very inexpensive and very very expensive. Home foundries tend to use supplies that are not too costly or that can be found close at hand. After all, home metal casting is usually a hobby and many get into this hobby since they need a cheaper source of parts and pieces that are either far too expensive or just impossible to find. This reason is actually what draws many people to metal casting in the first place. Given this, metal casting supplies used in smaller backyard foundries are generally cheap and made of items that are available in the garage or can be found at home improvement stores. There are several online resources and stores that offer supplies specially made for metal casting and if you have the money and are unable to create your own, it is encouraged that you purchase already made supplies.

The Metal Casting supplies you will need ultimately depend upon the type of work you plan to do. If you plan to use lost foam casting you will not need any wax and in that same thought you won't need any foam if you are going to use lost wax casting. The furnace type is also a consideration. Cupola furnaces do not use crucibles. A crucible is where you place the metal which will then pool and collect inside. So it is important to decide what kind of casting process and what kind of furnace that will be used before you rush out to buy supplies.

As for the supplies this will include the fuel source. Fuels sources can range from wood to propane. Metals with a higher melting point will need propane while wood can be used to melt pewter and possibly aluminum. Most home foundries will use propane since it produces a high temperature and is easily available. 

Many of the DIY Casting processes use sand as a way to create molds and help secure those molds during the pouring. The type of sand used does not have to necessarily be specially formulated. Sand has been used in casting since ancient times so it only makes sense that most sand types can be used. Many hobbyists will even use playground sand to meet their needs. Now, there is a special type of sand used in casting called green sand. Green sand packs well and is able to hold its shape far better then common sand. For processes like lost wax you will need to find a healthy supply of wax since many of the steps involve the creation of wax models and molds. Wax and its use in this project is nice because it can be melted and used time and time again. Supplies for lost foam can be found in home improvement stores since foam insulation is suitable to use. You will not be able to reuse the foam but luckily, the foam is cheap.

Perhaps the most important casting supply is the metal itself. The metal used in Metal Casting varies due to need. Aluminum is a common alloy used in casting for a number of reasons, chief among them is availability. Aluminum soda cans are crushed and melted and proves to a good source of the metal. Many casters will find scrap metal in junk yards which tend to be a good source for brass, bronze, and iron. There are places to buy metals in ingots if you want a purer metal to work with.

Metal casting supplies often dictate what the caster can and can not do. Sometimes various adjustments need to be made to your next project or plan so remember to make a note of these so next time you will remember.

 
Metal Casting ZOne is a new community website all about Home and DIY Metal Casting. Come by today and join the site for free and you get a free Metal Casting Basics EBook just for signing up! Come by MetalCastingZone.Com Today for your free Ebook on Metal Casting.

The history of Artistic Casting and the way that you can practice Art Casting.

Metal Casting

Art Casting is an ancient method of creating statues and sculptures that has been in practice in Meso-America, China, and Ancient Egypt since 2000 BC. The Greeks practiced it, so did the Romans, and pretty much any civilization with a strong interest in art.

Tin and Copper are what make up bronze and since its discovery it has been used to make weapons and sculptures. What is nice about bronze is that it can fill in even the tiniest detail so it is extremely desirable for artists. When art casting, bronze is the alloy of choice since it is both beautiful and easy to work with. There are few examples of bronze statues left from antiquity since the alloy became scarce and many of the statues were melted down for weapons and other sculptures usually for new emperors or victors.

The Lost Wax Casting process is the preferred method used when art casting. This process was used in ancient times to create bronze items. Small foundries like the type found in backyards, personnel workshops, and garages are able to use the Lost Wax Casting process with a certain amount of professionalism. Commercial foundries and professional art companies use the Lost Wax Casting process as well to create custom items and monuments. The process remains, essentially, the same since the ancient craftsmen who first pioneered the method. Investment Casting is just the same as lost wax casting except its called a different name because its being used for commerical manufacturing or jewelry making.

Metal Casting is one of the more enjoyable reasons to fire up the furnace and get into metal casting. While most think metal casting to be strictly limited to hobbyist and historical re-enactors, casting is a popular skill and craft used by a wide range of people for varying reasons. Artists see the need to have metal casting skills as it allows the artists to have direct control over the process instead of out sourcing it to a commercial foundry. A lot of times, you will pay very high prices to use the services that you will find at a commercial foundry. Art Casting on your own is often times economical and just smart.

Plenty of time should be allocated to the Lost Was Casting process as well as plenty of attention to detail because although it is simple compare to other methods, if you don't have those two items, then you will be in trouble. The artists will start with an original piece sculpted from wax. The original can be made of other substances like clay or even metal but wax seems to be the easiest to work with. The original will be used to make the mold. If the piece to be cast is large, multiple molds will be needed. This is common in art casting and completely possible with the use of shims and keys that will allow placing the pieces together after the casting process easier. Most molds will be made out of latex or other materials to help transfer the fine detail into the mold cavity.

The original is often destroyed during the mold making process upon removal. Molten wax is poured into the mold until the desired thickness is achieved.  When dry, this wax copy is removed and chased which rids the piece of imperfections and is used to combine the pieces.  You will place paths for the molten metal on the wax copy.  You will also place a cup or funnel at the top of the copy. This process is called spruing and is done in wax.

A ceramic shell is placed around the copy. The shell isn't really ceramic but a sand and liquid silica combination.  You will repeat this step until the shell is thick enough for the piece. You will then heat the item which will melt the wax inside. The wax runs out of the shell through the paths placed during spruing. 

Then comes the part for the molten bronze. The bronze is poured into the top of the hollow shell. When cool you are going to remove the shell carefully to reveal the finished product. The bronze sculpture is chased, painted, and finished up however the artists choose.

Art casting can be done with any metal or alloy. If you are going to use the Lost Wax Casting process then you do not have to stick with bronze. In order to get that exact look sometimes you have to try a few other metals to see what works the best.

 
Metal Casting ZOne is a new community website all about Home and DIY Metal Casting. Come by today and join the site for free and you get a free Metal Casting Basics EBook just for signing up! Come by MetalCastingZone.Com Today for your free Ebook on Metal Casting.

Info on How to Aluminum Cast

Metal Casting

Aluminum is the most common alloy used in metal casting. There are a few causes as to why this would happen and the main ones are availability and quality. Many metal casters have access to a large amount of aluminum with soda and beer cans that they crush and melt down. Aluminum has several desirable properties for the metal caster no matter if they are a hobbyist, artist, or are casting needed parts for home repairs. Many who cast aluminum also love the alloy since it can be used in all of the varying casting processes giving it a wide range of possibilities. Aluminum is often used as a practice alloy for the first time metal caster or for casters who are trying out new methods and ideas.

Aluminum is relatively easy to melt so you will see that alot of the DIY home foundries will be able to melt aluminum no problem. It may even be possible to use charcoal though many just use propane since they have it on hand for other alloys. For your first run at casting, charcoal should be fine.

If you do choose to use soda cans for your source of aluminum you are going to need a fair amount depending on the size of the item to be cast. Make sure to crush the cans as much as possible before placing in the crucible or other area that will be used to melt the alloy.

Since any Metal Casting process can be used with aluminum the choice will rest with you. There are three casting methods out of the numerous methods available for aluminum that seems to be preferred by small time metal casters. These methods are sand casting, lost foam casting, and investment casting.

Remember, though, aluminum can be used with any metal casting process so do not be afraid to experiment.

Sand Casting

Sand casting aluminum is very common and is a popular way to break in a new furnace. A sand mix with a bonding agent stirred in is what Casters use to get a mold that goes around the item that is to be cast. The item, or pattern, is removed very carefully revealing the mold. If there will be any empty spaces in the finished product then a core is added to the mold. The core can be made of sand and is placed so that the molten metal fills the area of the mold around it. So, say you're making a picture frame you will place a cone where the glass will go so the molten aluminum will not fill that area.

Many choose not to use sand casting since it does not allow for fine detail whereas other casting does, but it is inexpensive.

Lost Foam Casting

Lost foam casting which is sometimes called evaporative casting. The lost foam casting is a form of sand casting. The entire process is relatively cheap and when used with old soda cans casting aluminum this way is great on the budget. A foam copy of what you want to cast is created and surrounded by a ceramic shell. You will place the copy in loose sand which will help to hold the shape during the pouring process. The molten aluminum is poured into a cup that in inserted into the copy. The foam vaporizes and the aluminum replaces it filling the area in the ceramic shell. Removing the shell will reveal the Metal Casting . This method is great for fine details but the copy is lost to the ages. Luckily, foam is not all that expensive.

Investment Casting

Investment casting is commonly used by jewelers as it allows precise castings with full detail. This form of casting has been around since ancient times under the name of lost wax casting. Investment casting involves creating a wax copy which is then covered in slurry creating a shell, much like the kind of shell in lost foam casting. The molten aluminum replaces the wax which melts out of the shell and can be collected for reuse. Artists and casters that need high precision parts favor this technique.

Given the number of options that aluminum presents to the caster finding the right casting method will involve some time. To help decide which Aluminum Casting process is best consider factors like quality and cost.

Many metal casters use aluminum far more then they use other alloys like brass, bronze, or iron.
 
Metal Casting ZOne is a new community website all about Home and DIY Metal Casting. Come by today and join the site for free and you get a free Metal Casting Basics EBook just for signing up! Come by MetalCastingZone.Com right away to receive your own Ebook on Metal Casting Basics for Free.

Process of Creating Metal Casting Patterns

Metal Casting

A casting pattern is basically a shaped form of either metal or wood where sand is packed around it in the mold. When this pattern is removed, the resulting cavity would be exactly the shape of the pattern object that was to be cast. The casting pattern should however be designed in order to be easily removed without any damage done to the mold. The pattern should be also be perfectly dimensioned and should be very durable for the intended use. The patterns that are used in sand casting can be made of plastic, metal, wood or any other material. The casting patterns are made to the right standards of construction this is basically because they can last for a reasonable time. The durability of the pattern would however depend according to the quality of grade in the casting pattern. If the pattern is made of right quality then they would be constantly providing dimensionally perfect casting patterns.

The process: The process of making Metal Casting is actually called as pattern making which is in fact a skilled trade which is related to the trades of die and tool making and mold making. However this also sometimes incorporates the elements of fine wood making. The makers of casting patterns basically learn their pattern making skills through trade schools and apprenticeships over a number of years of experience. The pattern maker is really the one who carries out the design but sometimes you will see an engineer who many help a few times.

Design: The Metal Casting incorporate proper allowances for the shrinkage and this process is called as contraction allowance. Their accurate values however depend on the alloys that are being used and the accurate sand casting methods that is used. There are a few alloys that have the overall linear shrinkage of nearly 2.5 percent as other alloys might actually experience 0 percent shrinkage or even a light positive shrinkage or it might also increase the size in the casting process. The amount of the shrinkage is also dependant on the sand casting process that is employed for instance chemical bonded sands, clay bonded sands or other bonding materials.

The casting patterns should also include proper allowance for the draft. This means that the sides would be tapered so that when it would be taken out from the sand it will not tend to drag out sand of place along with it. This process can be called a taper, but it is only preformed when the temperature ranges from one to three degrees. The foundry engineers or the pattern maker of the casting patterns actually decide where the gating systems, risers and the sprues are places in terms of casting patterns. In this pattern a hole is desired in the Casting Patterns that uses a core which defines the location and volume of in the casting where the metal would not flow into. Chills are also used sometimes located on the casting patterns surface and these are then formed into sand molds. These casting patterns however continue to be a vital requirement for sand casting of metal.
 
Metal Casting ZOne is a new community website all about Home and DIY Metal Casting. Come by today and join the site for free and you get a free Metal Casting Basics EBook just for signing up! Visit today at MetalCastingZone.Com Today for your free Ebook on Metal Casting.

Learn about Casting Molds

Metal Casting

Metal Casting is basically the manufacturing process through which a liquid material is emptied into a mold that includes a hollow opening of the desired art or shape and is then allowed to harden. This hardened casting is then removed and broken out in order to complete the process. Apart from using sand as the main mold material there is a metal that is used as the mold. Normally, a cast meehanite or an iron is used as the material for mold and the objects are made from the sand or metal. The cavity surface is basically covered with a thin layer of material that is heat resistant which can be either sodium silicate or clay.

Casting Molds: The casting molds are actually pre heated to nearly 392 degree Fahrenheit before the metal is pored in the cavity. The design of cavity for these casting molds does not chase the same principle for shrinkage like in the sand casting molds. This is because of the fact that the metal casting molds heat up and enlarge during the pouring process and so the cavity does not need to be expanded like in the sand castings. Nevertheless, care should be taken in order to ensure a correct thermal balance as you can use external water source for cooling or you can also opt for suitable radiation techniques.

Permanent Metal Casting : Although these permanent casting molds are not as flexible as the sand castings which allow to be used in different metal patterns or designs but these lower the cost of producing the part. When there is a production run of more than 1000 parts the permanent casting molds would produce much lower piece of cost part. Apart from this, the break even point also depends on the density of the part. There are more complex parts that are favored when you use these permanent casting molds. The typical part size would be around 50g to 70 kg and the basic materials used are medium and small parts that are made from magnesium, aluminum and brass and also their alloys.

Slush Casting MOlds : The slush casting molds are actually a special type of permanent casting molds in which the molted metal is not allowed to solidify completely. After gaining the desired wall thickness the still not solidified molted metal is then poured out. This is basically used in order to make void ornamental objects like lamps, candlesticks and statues.

Corthias Casting Molds: This type casting molds is yet another variant of the permanent casting molds in which basically a plunger is used to pack the molted metal through the spure hole. This type of process allows thinner walls and to produce greater details.

Vacuum Permanent Casting Molds: This is also another type of permanent casting molds which is also similar to low pressure permanent casting molds. In this type vacuum is used rather than a pressure. You can make thin wall casting through this type of casting molds like in the other low pressure casting molds. Apart from this the results are high as there are no risers used.
  
Metal Casting Zone is the place to be for your one stop shop for a community about Metal Casting. Come by today and join the site for free and you get a free Metal Casting Basics EBook just for signing up! Stop by the website MetalCastingZone.Com Today for your free Ebook on Metal Casting.

DIY Casting Movement

Metal Casting

People who like to make their own artifacts and are enchanted with the idea of building new and useful things from scratch are sure to enjoy ‘do it yourself casting’ that can be done at home using simple methods and techniques. There are a lot of unique things that one can create with their very own home made DIY Metal Foundry. A good understanding of some basic foundry knowledge and few simple tools can help you make metal casting at home possible. Many people find it difficult to get special parts for their cars or bikes or even find it very costly to modify their cars, house or even bikes. If you develop your hobby of Metal Casting , then you can easily make special parts for your cars and bikes and also will find it easy and save a lot of money. Casting can be used to make many things like, simple ornaments knobs and even handles. Hand wheels and small machinery or tools can also be made. Small articles like brass name plates, statues, vintage motorcycle and car parts, etc can also be made at home.

Furnace Designs that can be made at home:

Coffee Can Metal Casting : This is very easy to build and even a large coffee-can will serve the purpose. This can be used to build a simple gas fired furnace.

The “2 bucks” furnace: Is not as the name suggests, the furnace can’t be built in two bucks.  It refers to the design based on two buckets. It is very useful and a good experienced person can build it with a budget that is below 10 bucks. What you are getting here is that it effectively burns propane which is a plus.

Flowerpot crucible furnace: This furnace can also be built very easily and most importantly, it can be built using the waste material from your back yard. All you need is an old flower pot and a few metal cans. Melt the metal cans and coat the inside of the flower pot with the melted metal and you furnace is ready.

Other types of furnaces that can be built at home are dirt and brick furnace, chimney pipe furnace and breaking metal in barbecue.

Tools and material needed:

Home made Aluminum pulleys: Pulleys of different size and shapes can be made by bending aluminum rods or plates. They are very simple to make and once you get the hang of it, you’ll enjoy making them.

Building steel crucibles: Steel crucibles are a bit difficult to make. You need to cut the steel and weld it using a welder, so it is a bit risky job and can cause injuries. It needs to be done with utmost care and precaution.

Home made ladle: A ladle can be made at home using a small portion of a steel water pipe; you can select the water pipe according to your needs and then cut it in the desired dimensions to create your home made ladle.

After doing all this basic work and gathering all the required information, you can now start your own Casting Furnace and make desired articles. One other thing that needs to be done is to make the molds for the shapes and sizes that you want to make and then you are done. All types of metals and alloys can be used and melted for home casting, only their degree of heat required varies.

Metal Casting ZOne is a new community website all about Home and DIY Metal Casting. Come by today and join the site for free and you get a free Metal Casting Basics EBook just for signing up! Come by MetalCastingZone.Com Today for your free Ebook on Metal Casting.

The process of Cupola Casting

Metal Casting

A Cupola is a type of furnace that is very much alike to blast furnace. The Cupola furnace is refractory lined, stack of steel that is around 20 to 35 feet high. It rests on a base plate that is made of cast iron and has four legs. The casting that is obtained from the cupola furnace is known as a cupola casting.

Cupola Furnace: The Cupola Metal Casting furnace is one of the oldest forms of furnace that have been used by the iron and metal foundries. The Cupola furnace is well known throughout the casting industry as it is the simplest and easiest furnace to make and utilize. However, the cupola’s use is declining and the furnace is fast being extinct.

Merits of the Cupola Metal Casting Furnace: Though the electric or the blast furnace has started replacing the Cupola Furnace, it has some special benefits of its own. The Cupola furnace is very nice in the fact that its set up so it can remain always in action and working order. The furnace also offers a very high melting rate. The most important merit of the furnace is that it has relatively very low melting cost. The furnace has also permits a lot of ease of operation.

However, due to the invention and development of the electric furnace, the use of Cupola furnaces has substantially declined. The electric furnace melts a much larger amount of metal. The operation cost of the electric furnace is also very low. The electric furnace also emits a much smaller level of smoke heat and also pollutants.

Construction of the Cupola furnace: The Cupola furnace is constructed in a crude and simple manner. The Cupola Metal Casting furnace is a vertical structure like a steel shell. The steel is lined with refractory bricks from the inside. The furnace has an opening half way in the vertical shaft. The charge is introduced through the opening. The charge is divided into different layers. Here is where the metal remains until its time to be melted. The metal is mixed with coke, fuel, and lime stone flux. The fuel is burnt directly into the air and is introduced in to the furnace through the tuyeres which are positioned above the hearth. The hot gases that have been produced ascend and pre heat the charge.

The cupolas in majority of the cases have drop down doors. The bottoms can be dropped down to facilitate the cleaning and the repairs. At bottom in front of the furnace is a tap hole. The molten metal is removed from the tap hole. There are several holes for slag to escape but sometimes there is another one at the rear. On the top of the stag you will find that it is covered with a spark or what is also called a fume arrester.

Usually the cupola has a diameter of 405 to 2000 mm. It is operated on varying fuels for different metal ratios. The molten metal that can be produced in the copula of this size at a speed of 1 to 30 tones per hour.

Continuity of process: After the process of melting has ended, the charging is halted. However, the blast of hot air is always maintained till all the metal has been melted and has been taken out from the tap hole. The left behind residue is removed a while after the air cools down and bit and this residue is usually removed by opening up the doors at the bottom.           

Metal Casting ZOne is a new community website all about Home and DIY Metal Casting. Come by today and join the site for free and you get a free Metal Casting Basics EBook just for signing up! Come by MetalCastingZone.Com right now to get your Free Ebook that is all about Metal Casting and Metal Casting Basics for Free.

Information on Resin Casting and the process of Resin Casting

Metal Casting

Technical Installation is the process that is used to preform Resin Casting. The process of Resin Casting is a complex process that is used in a variety of fields. What is neat about resin casting is that it gives a higher quality and precise look to the product that is casted.

Need for Resin Metal Casting : Resin casting is used to obtain a high level of quality and also precision in the dimensions of the product. Resin casting is basically used in the process of miniaturization i.e. the process of making things small. The process of Resin Casting is also used extensively the field of electronics. The electronics industries today resort to the resin castings to achieve the norms of total quality management.

The process of resin metal casting earned success and also gained popularity in the field of electronics because it facilitated the acute miniaturization process and also at the same time maintained a high level of quality. The electronics industry is a very demanding field in terms of quality and cost. Experts recommend that the process of resin casting is an ideal way to achieve the required quality and it also helps cut down the cost of production. The process is also highly productive and also reliable with respect to speed.          

Industrial Applications of Resin Casting: The process of resin casting is basically used in the electronics industry. Resin Casting is used in the production of transformers, Liquid Crystals Displays more commonly known as the LCD’s. It also used in the manufacture of heavy electronic systems.

Important steps in Resin Casting : The process of resin casting is completed in basically five important steps. The first step is to condition the resin, and then the material is transported. After the transportation of the material the three most important steps are executed. First the material is metered, then the material is mixed and then finally it is dispensed.

Conditioning process: The process of conditioning in the resin casting evenly distributes the fillers ion the mixture. The conditioning also eliminates the moisture and air. It also makes the mixture constant, and also elevates the temperature of the mixture. The process of conditioning also maintains a low viscosity in the mixture. This process is very important for complex combinations as it intensifies the quality of the product.

Process of Material Transportation: In the process of transportation of the materials, the piston pumps, screw pumps, and the gear pumps are used. For the highly viscous substances, instead of gear pumps, follower plate pumps are used.

Mixing Process: This process is very important as it is mean to be used to obtain an equal and stabilized reaction through all the materials. The most commonly used methods in the mixing are the static mixing tube, the dynamic blender, and the dynamic static mixing tube.

Dispensing process: The process of dispensing is the most important process in the Resin Casting . While the dispensing process takes place, the dispensing unit and the movement of the part are relative to one another.

Resin is casted through various dispensing processes like the metering systems, or sometimes the dispensing is done in a vacuum. In the industrial to cut costs and also time multiple dispensing units are used.          

Metal Casting ZOne is a new community website all about Home and DIY Metal Casting. Come by today and join the site for free and you get a free Metal Casting Basics EBook just for signing up! Come by MetalCastingZone.Com Today for your free Ebook on Metal Casting.

Metal Casting Groups

Metal Casting

Metal Casting is one of the most widely used processes that is used in the production and process industry. In the metal industry the process of Casting is the basic and he most essential step in the process of production. At the dawn of the industrial revolution, casting was a very crude process that had not undergone development.

Need for associations and institutes: Though the process of Casting is an important step in  production, it remained underdeveloped for a very long period of time. The basic need for the formation of metal casting related associations was to develop the process of casting. The many associations that are working for the development of metal casting are continuously working for the development of the process. Associations and the groups that have been formed by the companies are constantly experimenting with the proposed reforms in the casting process. Many of them have also come up with sound technical rectifications and an amazing number of proposals.

Aims and Objective of Metal Casting Associations and groups: The basic objective of all the Meat casting Groups and associations that have been working for a few decades remains unchanged. The associations strive to develop the process of casting to the pinnacle. The global market has become demanding and competitive than ever. The associations helps the member companies in maximizing their quality standards. These associations also work for the spread of appropriate technology. Many innovations and inventions are proposed and executed for the technological benefit of the member companies. When you receive this kind of support it really helps the company cut its costs of production. It also helps the companies to increase the quality and also ht performance of their production units.
                       
Work against pollution: Metal Metal Casting companies are often pressurized and also accused of polluting the environment. A lot of information on how to dispose of pollutants is given to these companies by some of these casting associations. A lot of times, companies work together in their respective area's to dispose of waste at the same location. Many of the associations have set up their own norms for the member companies.

Man power safety: Some of the associations also keep a tab on the safety of the workers. A metal casting industry is a very dangerous place to work in. the associations hence have prescribed many safety norms to the member companies.

The norms regarding safety of the environment and the safety of the workers if not followed always invite trouble from the government. If the safety norms of the associations are followed then the intervention of the government reduces considerably.

Spread of Knowledge: To make the people in the industry aware of the ongoing commercial development and technical research the associations arrange international expos and also many exhibitions. The associations also represent their member companies in many seminars organized on the international level.

Commercial Aspects: The metal casting associations work as exchange houses for commercial meetings. Many associations give sound financial information and also explains the market conditions to the member companies.

Metal Casting ZOne is a new community website all about Home and DIY Metal Casting. Come by today and join the site for free and you get a free Metal Casting Basics EBook just for signing up! Stop by the website MetalCastingZone.Com Today for your free Ebook on Metal Casting.

Learn about the basics of Green Sand

Metal Casting

Green Sand: Green sand is also called as foundry sand or molding sand. This is utilized for sand Metal Casting . When this sand is oiled or moistened, it has a tendency to pack well and retain the shape. Pulverized Coal, Water, and Bentonite Clay and Sand are what makes up what we call Green Sand. Out of these four components, the biggest part is that of the sand.  There are several proportions of these four components. The different ratios are used to adjust the surface finish, moldability and capacity of the hot molten metal to degas. The prime use of this sand is in the Metal Casting . The coal is usually called as sea coal in foundries. The Amount of Sea Coal is just about less than five percent. It undergoes partial combustion when there is molten metal present and this causes offgassing of organic vapors.

Green sand is stored in flasks (as the casters call the container). What these boxes are are boxes that don't have a bottom or lit to them. This box is divided into two half parts and these are connected together. These halves are called as the top or cope and bottom or drag flask.

As per its name, green sand is not green in color. The word “green” is used as it is used in the wet state.

Casting Sand: Some Metal Casting sands are oil bonded and foundry mix sand. This is a mixing of oil, resin and sharp fine silica sand. Such a mix can be utilized in sand casting of all varieties of metals. Some casting sands consist of 20 percent more oil and resin as compared to other brands. What you are trying to do is to find the best mix that will have good freen power and a very good finish.

A good sand to use for casting sand is an oil bonded sand and can be used as a substitute for water bonded green sand. The advantage over traditional, older sands is that as water is absent, the sand does not steam like the traditional sands. This sand is more secure to use than green sand. The reason is that potentially explosive quantities of steam are not generated. Due to this dearth of steam generation and the smooth texture of the sand, the oil bonded sand results in a smoother surface finish. The novice can use these sands and get professional results.

Use of casting sand: The same techniques, patterns and tools that are used for water bonded sands can be used for oil bonded casting sands. As the sand has better adhesive properties, there are fewer hassles with loose sand in the impression. The difference is that water cannot be used to manage loose sections. However, as the self adhesion is better, there are fewer problems of crumbling.

When the oil comes in contact with molten metal, it does not burn. When the castings are being shaken out, it is advisable to take off the sand that is burned. This sand that is burned can then be mixed again in the pile of fresh sand. It reabsorbs oil and works very well. After repeated use of this sand, the oil gets depleted. In this case, around 30W of non-detergent motor oil can be used to reload the sand with oil.

Metal Casting Zone is a new community website all about Home and DIY Metal Casting. Come by today and join the site for free and you get a free Metal Casting Basics EBook just for signing up! Come by MetalCastingZone.Com Today for your free Ebook on Metal Casting.

Metal Casting Tools and Definitions of Metal Casting Tools

Metal Casting

There are various types of Metal Casting tools. Provided below are details of some of the casting tools.

Esmarch plaster scissors: These are German stainless steel cast scissors of high quality. The entire length is 20 centimeters or 8 inches. There is a 6 centimeters slanted blade for safety of the patient. The handle for leverage is of 15 centimeters. This is perfect to cut the inner layers of synthetic cast materials or plaster.

Good stainless steel scissors are really what you want for casting and the best ones are Lister Bandage Scissors. The size of the blade is 5.5 centimeters. It resists rust and corrosion. This scissors are perfect to remove QuickCast splints and casts.

Cast scissors for serial finger casts: These are manufactured from German stainless steel of highest quality. Nine Centimeters ends up being tht total length. There is a 1.3 centimeters slant design on the cutting surface. During cast removal, there is good patient safety and the scissors offer excellent force.

Metal Casting spreader: This has a stainless steel construction. There is a spring loaded handle to facilitate use.

Metal Casting breaker: The length of the cast breaker is seven inches. This is an O.R. quality German instrument. This is used for lightweight cast breaking and trimming. This has deep serrated tips and is free of latex. The cast breaker is available in sizes of 9.5 inches also.

Plaster and Utility shears: The length of this instrument is 8 inches. This is a German instrument of O.R. quality. There is a spring loaded handle design that decreases the hand fatigue. This is very efficient in case of cotton or cloth wadding. It is free of latex.

Wire suture scissors: This is a stainless steel scissors of high quality. This is a perfect device to remove finger serial casts and to make tight corner cuts.

Fiskars all purpose snips: This instrument has a positive safety latch, a stainless steel spring and a comfort grip. The design is such that there is maximum power and handling ease. It is important that the blades have a very high quality stainless steel blades so they can cut a variety of materials. Low temperature thermoplastics can be cut at room temperature by this device.

Aviation snips: These snips are of industry quality. Non-heated splinting material can be cut with efficiency. It can be used to cut straight lines as well as wide curves. The handles are coated with plastic to increase the comfort. This device can be used in the left hand as well as right hand.

A good pair of scissors that will work for those with weaker hands or those that have arthritis are called Softtouch Spring Action Scissors as the spring helps to operate the scissors easier. There is a gray cushion grip. This is used to provide relief to the finger and thumb discomfort. It also absorbs squeezing pressure. The handle can be easily gripped and used in the left hand or right hand. There is a gentle spring action to open blades at the end of each cut. This offers relief to the hand and joints. There is a large slide lock for single handed operation. This also maintains the blades closed for portability and safe storage. It is free of latex.

Cast stand: The height can be adjusted. This comprises of a drip bucket. While the limb is being casted, it provides support to the arm or leg of the patient.

Metal Casting ZOne is a new community website all about Home and DIY Metal Casting. Come by today and join the site for free and you get a free Metal Casting Basics EBook just for signing up! Stop by the website MetalCastingZone.Com Today for your free Ebook on Metal Casting.

Learn about Metal Casting Torches and Furnace Torches for Metal Casting

Metal Casting

When one talks about Oxy-Fuel Cutting or Oxy-Fuel Welding, they mean the process when you cut or weld metals by using pxygen and fuel gasses.Really, these two processes are very very different. In the first process, a cutting torch is made use of for heating ferrous metal to a temperature of around 980 degree Celsius. An oxygen stream is being trained on a hot metal that combines with iron chemically which later flows from the kerfs, or cut in the form of slag of iron oxide. In the second process, a ‘welding torch’ is made use of for welding metals.

Oxy-Fuel torches are not torches that take the air and use it to burn the inside fuel. They stand out owing to the use of single tank. Really, this happens because you need two tanks and oxygen and fuel for welding. It’s not possible to melt some of the metals with single-tank torches. Therefore, you can use these torches all you way for brazing and soldering but they should not be used for welding. A metal-cutting torch is better known as hot blue spanner, blue wrench, hot wrench, smoke wrench, and gas-axe.

Types of Metal Casting Torches: The torch can be defined as the part held and manipulated by the welder to get the weld made. It possesses a valve and connection for oxygen and the same things for fuel gas, a handle to obtain the grip, an integrating chamber (angularly set) where there occurs a mixing of oxygen and fuel gas, with a tip where formation of flame takes place. The fuel gases used along with oxygen include propylene, propane, hydrogen gas, MAPP gas, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), and the most widely used is acetylene. 

Injector Metal Casting Torch: It can be defined as an archetypal oxy-fuel torch, also known as an equal-pressure torch. It carries out the mixing of mere two gases. The injector torch operates in such a way that high pressure oxygen comes out of the tiny nozzle present in the torch head, and the fuel gas gets dragged towards it via the venturi effect.

Rose-bud Torch: The use of this torch is to carry out the heating of metals for straightening, bending, etc. It is generally used where a huge area requires heating. It produces a rose-bud shaped flame at the end, hence the name. This torch can carry out the function of heating small areas like rusted bolts and nuts as well. However, here, filler rod won’t be used with torch.

Cutting Metal Casting Torch: The head of the cutting torch is used for cutting metal. Its identification details are as follows: The inside of the torch consists of a combination of oxygen and acetylene. It helps in producing flame of a high temperature. Its 90 degrees where the three pipes are attached to the nozzle. It also contains an oxygen-blast trigger which blasts away the material during its cutting by the way of providing oxygen.

Welding Torch: The welding torch consists of either 1 or 2 pipes running towards the nozzle without oxygen-blast trigger. As the name suggests, it performs the function of welding.

A new Community site called Metal Casting Zone is where you can come to learn everything about Metal Casting and Share your Secrets with Other Members. Come by today and join the site for free and you get a free Metal Casting Basics EBook just for signing up! Stop by the website MetalCastingZone.Com right now to get your Free Ebook that is all about Metal Casting and Metal Casting Basics for Free.