New Robotic Solidification Technology Improves Casting Quality
The engineering production of mechanical parts, especially in the aerospace and military sectors, places high demands on the quality of the products supplied. MESIT machinery (member of the OMNIPOL Group) is therefore focusing on research and development of new foundry technologies. In 2022, it developed a unique robotic workstation for solidifying aluminium castings, which it is successfully testing this year.
Nowadays, aluminium castings are commonly produced using the commercially known gravity casting method, which does not involve controlling the solidification parameters of the metal. This process produces a coarse-grained structure that adversely affects the mechanical properties of the casting and can cause internal defects.
The robotic system controls the solidification process and results in high-quality castings without internal defects
“If we can control the solidification of the metal over time, we can achieve a fine-grained structure of the casting and thus significantly improve its mechanical properties. This process also minimises internal defects in the casting,” says Patrik Vašt'ák, head of the development team, when explaining the advantages of the new technology. “On the basis of experiments, we have found that the solidification process can be influenced by immersing the product in a special bath with carefully defined parameters with a precisely determined immersion time and speed. This method requires high precision, repeatability and flexibility that only a robotic handling system can provide.”
Research and new trends in metal casting are an advantage for customers
“The results of the new technology are excellent. Controlling the solidification process minimizes porosity, improves mechanical properties, and also reduces post-casting deformation. And these are the properties demanded by the most demanding customers,” said the director of MESIT machinery, o.z. foundry, Dalibor Kníž. “We can thus offer customers an increase in the quality of castings by significantly reducing the number of non-conforming products. This fact ultimately reduces their costs, increases competitiveness and in many cases increases the safety of the final product.”
