Federal State Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education "Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin"

Institute of Materials Science and Metallurgy

Department of "Foundry and hardening technologies"

Abstract of lectures on the discipline "Foundry"

Lecture 1

Basic concepts of foundry production

Lecture plan

1. The concept of foundry.

2. A brief historical review of the development of foundry production. The role of Russian scientists in the development of scientific foundations and organization of the production of castings and ingots.

3. Classification of foundry alloys and areas of their application.

Modern life cannot be imagined without metals. Metals are the basis of technological progress, the foundation of the material culture of all mankind. But metal becomes useful to a person only when products are obtained from it. There are three main types of production of metal products. These are foundry production, metal forming and metal cutting. The course "Foundry" is devoted to the first type of metalworking.

In this abstract of lectures, the theoretical foundations of foundry production are considered in sufficient detail, in addition, the technological processes for obtaining various products and the equipment and tools used in this are described.

The abstract of lectures is devoted to the foundry production of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. It outlines the fundamentals of the theory, technological processes and equipment designed to produce castings in various ways (in disposable sand-clay molds, according to investment models, in a chill mold, under pressure, etc.).

The main attention in the presentation of the material is given to the consideration of the physical and physico-chemical essence of the processes of a particular technology, the features of the design of equipment, the purpose of technological modes, the equipment used and automation tools.

Along with the presentation of specific material for each technological method of obtaining blanks, special attention is paid to the main "bottlenecks", problems of technological processes, analysis of ways and means of solving them to obtain products of a given quality and achieve high production efficiency; on the basis of the same approach, the prospects for the development of each process are also considered.

The concept of foundry

The essence of foundry production is reduced to obtaining liquid, i.e. heated above the melting point, an alloy of the required composition and quality, and pouring it into a pre-prepared form. After cooling, the metal solidifies and retains the configuration of the cavity into which it was poured. Thus, to make a casting, you must:

1) determine the materials that need to be introduced into the charge for melting, calculate them, prepare these materials (cut into pieces, weigh the required amount of each component); load materials into the melting furnace;

2) to carry out melting - to obtain a liquid metal of the required temperature, fluidity, proper chemical composition, without non-metallic inclusions and gases, capable of forming a fine-crystalline structure without defects with sufficiently high mechanical properties upon solidification;

3) before the end of melting, prepare casting molds (for pouring metal into them) that are capable of withstanding the high temperature of the metal, its hydrostatic pressure and the eroding effect of the jet without collapsing, as well as capable of passing gases released from the metal through pores or channels;

4) release the metal from the furnace into the ladle and deliver it to the molds; fill casting molds with liquid metal, avoiding jet breaks and slag entering the mold;

5) after solidification of the metal, open the molds and extract the castings from them; PRODUCTION

6) separate all sprues from the casting (metal frozen in the sprue channels), as well as the tides and burrs formed (due to poor-quality casting or molding);

7) clean the castings from the particles of the molding or core sand;

8) to control the quality and dimensions of the castings.

At present, the largest number of castings are obtained in one-time (sand) molds made from a molding mixture consisting of quartz sand, refractory clay and special additives. After the metal hardens, the mold is destroyed and the casting is removed. In addition to disposable, semi-permanent molds are used, made of highly refractory materials (chamotte, graphite, etc.), they are used for pouring several tens (50–200) castings, and permanent molds are metal, they serve to obtain several hundred, and sometimes thousands castings until mold wear. The choice of a casting mold depends on the nature of production, the type of metal being poured, and the requirements for casting.

A brief historical overview of the development of foundry production. The role of Russian scientists in the development of scientific foundations and organization of the production of castings and ingots

Foundry is one of the most ancient forms of metalworking art known to mankind. Numerous archaeological finds discovered during excavations of mounds in various parts of our country indicate that in Ancient Russia copper and bronze castings were produced in fairly large quantities (bowlers, arrowheads, jewelry - earrings, wrists, rings, hats, etc.). During the excavations, surviving furnaces and furnaces, stone molds were found that served to cast hollow axes, rings, bracelets, metal beads, crosses, etc. However, most of the castings found in Ancient Russia were obtained by casting on a wax model.

The method of making the model is original: a pattern was woven from wired cords, representing a copy of the future product; clay was applied to this wax model until a sufficiently strong form was obtained, after drying, the form was calcined, the wax was melted, and the cords burned out, metal was poured into the cavity formed, after cooling, a casting of complex shapes was obtained.

In the XI century. in Russia, local production centers arose for casting church items (copper crosses, bells, icons, candlesticks, etc.) and household items (kettles, washstands, etc.) use. In addition to Kyiv, Novgorod the Great, Ustyug the Great, Tver became major centers for the production of copper-cast products. The Tatar invasion caused a stagnation that lasted until the middle of the 14th century, after which the foundry industry began to rise. This is explained by the fact that a centralized large state was created, in connection with which cities began to develop and weapons were required, now firearms. From the production of welded cannons, they switched to bronze - cast, they cast bells, created copper-casting workshops for artistic casting. By the middle of the XVI century. Moscow artillery occupied quantitatively the first place among the artillery of European states.

The Petrine era represents a leap in the development of foundry production. Large Tula and Kaluga factories by Nikita Demidov and Ivan Batashov were created. The first steel castings were obtained in the second half of the 19th century. almost simultaneously in different European countries. In Russia, they were made in 1866 from crucible steel at the Obukhov plant. However, the quality of the castings turned out to be low, since the casting properties of steel were significantly inferior to those of cast iron. Thanks to the work of Russian scientists metallurgists A.S. Lavrova and N.V. Kalakutsky, who explained the segregation phenomena and presented the mechanism of the occurrence of shrinkage and gas shells, as well as developed measures to combat them, fully revealed the advantages of steel castings. Therefore, shaped castings obtained by A.A. Iznoskov from open-hearth steel at the Sormovsky plant in 1870, turned out to be such High Quality that were shown at an exhibition in St. Petersburg.

After the publication of the scientific works of the founder of metallography D.K. Chernov, who created the science of transformations in alloys, their crystallization, structure and properties, they began to use heat treatment, which improved the quality of steel casting. The theory of metallurgical processes was introduced in the higher school by A.A. Baikov in 1908 at the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute. Between 1927 and 1941 there is an unprecedented growth in industry for the former Russia, the largest mechanized factories are being built. Foundry shops are being built and put into operation, operating in a flow mode, with a high degree of mechanization, with conveyors, with an annual output of up to 100 thousand tons of casting.

At the same time, research work is being carried out, theories of work processes and methods for calculating foundry equipment are being created. The scientific school of the Moscow Higher Technical School is being formed, founded and headed by prof. N.P. Aksenov.

The widespread use of foundry production is explained by its great advantages compared to other methods of producing blanks (forging, stamping). Casting can produce blanks of almost any complexity with minimal processing allowances.

In addition, the production of cast billets is much cheaper than, for example, the production of forgings. The development of foundry production to the present day took place in two directions:

1) development of new casting alloys and metallurgical processes;

2) improvement of technology and mechanization of production.

Great progress has been made in the field of studying and improving the mechanical and technological properties of gray cast irons - the most common and cheap casting alloys. Special types of casting are becoming more widespread and improved: chill casting, under pressure, in shell molds, investment models, etc., which provide accurate castings and, consequently, reduce the cost of machining.

Classification of casting alloys and their areas of application

On average, cast parts account for about 50% of the mass of machines and mechanisms, and their cost reaches 20–25% of the cost of machines. Depending on the method of obtaining cast billets, alloys are divided into cast and deformed. Cast alloys are either prepared from the starting components (charge materials) directly in the foundry, or obtained from metallurgical plants in ready-made and only melted before pouring into molds. Both in the first and in the second case, individual elements during the melting process can oxidize (burn out), volatilize at elevated temperatures (sublimate), enter into chemical interaction with other components or with the furnace lining and turn into slag.

To restore the required composition of the alloy, the loss of individual elements in it is compensated by introducing into the melt special additives (ligatures, ferroalloys) prepared at metallurgical enterprises. Ligatures contain, in addition to the alloying element, also the base metal of the alloy, therefore they are more easily and more fully assimilated by the melt than a pure alloying element. When melting non-ferrous metal alloys, ligatures are used: copper-nickel, copper-aluminum, copper-tin, aluminum-magnesium, etc.

When casting ferrous alloys, ferroalloys (ferrosilicon, ferromanganese, ferrochromium, ferrotungsten, etc.) are widely used to introduce alloying elements, as well as to deoxidize the melt. In the process of deoxidation, the elements contained in ferroalloys act as reducing agents: they combine with the oxygen of the oxide dissolved in the melt, reduce the metal, and, having oxidized themselves, pass into slag. Purification (refining) of the melt by deoxidation contributes to a significant improvement in the quality of the casting metal, increasing its strength and ductility. A number of alloys, as well as non-metallic materials (salts, etc.), are used as modifiers, which, when introduced into a cast alloy in small quantities, significantly affect its structure and properties, for example, refine the grain and increase the strength of the metal. So, to obtain high-strength cast iron, magnesium modification is used.

The main criteria for the quality of cast metal are mechanical properties, indicators of structure, heat resistance, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, etc., specified in the technical requirements.

Alloys are usually divided, like metals, primarily into ferrous and non-ferrous, the latter also including light alloys. Alloys are divided into groups depending on which metal is the basis of the alloy.

The most important groups of alloys are the following:

cast irons and steels - alloys of iron with carbon and other elements;

aluminum alloys with various elements;

magnesium alloys with various elements;

bronzes and brasses are copper alloys with various elements.

At present, alloys of the first group are most widely used, i.e. ferrous alloys: about 70% of all castings by weight are made from cast iron and about 20% from steel. The remaining groups of alloys account for a relatively small part of the total mass of castings.

In the chemical composition of the alloy, the main elements are distinguished (for example, iron and carbon in cast iron and steel), permanent impurities, the presence of which is due to the alloy production process, and random impurities that have entered the alloy due to various reasons. Harmful impurities in steel and cast iron include sulfur, phosphorus, ferrous oxide, hydrogen, nitrogen and non-metallic inclusions. Harmful impurities in copper alloys are cuprous oxide, bismuth and, in some of them, phosphorus. The properties of tin bronze are sharply worsened by impurities of aluminum and iron, and in aluminum bronze, on the contrary, tin. In aluminum alloys, the content of iron should be limited, in magnesium, in addition, copper, nickel and silicon. Gases and non-metallic inclusions in all alloys are harmful impurities.

The requirements for each casting alloy are specific, but there are a number of general requirements:

1. the composition of the alloy must ensure the desired properties of the casting (physical, chemical, physico-chemical, mechanical, etc.);

2. the alloy must have good casting properties - high fluidity, resistance to saturation with gases and the formation of non-metallic inclusions, low and stable shrinkage during solidification and cooling, resistance to segregation and the formation of internal stresses and cracks in castings;

3. the alloy should be as simple as possible in composition, easy to prepare, not contain toxic components, not emit highly polluting substances during melting and pouring. environment products;

4. the alloy must be technological not only in the manufacture of castings, but also in all subsequent operations for obtaining finished parts (for example, during cutting, heat treatment, etc.);

5. The alloy should be economical: contain as few expensive components as possible, have minimal losses during the processing of its waste (sprues, rejects).

Control questions and tasks

1. What is the history of foundry development in Russia?

2. What is the role of Russian scientists in the development of the scientific foundations and organization of the production of castings from ferrous and non-ferrous alloys?

3. What are the production methods for cast billets?

4. What molds can be used to make shaped castings?

5. How are casting alloys classified?

6. What are the requirements for casting alloys?

7. List the main areas of application of casting alloys.

8. What is the essence of foundry technology?

Foundry is the main base of the machine-building complex and its development depends on the pace of development of machine-building as a whole.
At the XI Congress of foundry workers of Russia in Yekaterinburg in September 2013, the question of the state of the foundry industry, which is inextricably linked with the development of mechanical engineering, was sharply raised.
The production of Russian castings over the years of reform has decreased by 4.5 times from 18.5 million tons to 4.2 million tons and has a tendency to decrease below 4.0 million tons in 2013. The number of foundries has decreased almost three times from 3500 to 1250 enterprises. 10 research institutes of foundry production were liquidated.
The export of casting is insignificant, the export of foundry equipment is practically non-existent. At the same time, imports of foundry equipment, including those for foundry shops of metallurgical plants, have increased by almost 9 times over 10 years since 2003, exceeding 1.0 billion US dollars. USD in 2012.
Urgent measures are needed to revive the Russian foundry industry, for which it is necessary to unite the efforts of foundries, the engineering industry, and scientific potential with real support government organizations and financial institutions for development within the framework of public-private partnership.
The article of the President of the Association of foundry workers of Russia prof. Dibrova I.A.

Fig.1. Casting output by country in 2011

Foundry production in Russia is the main base of the machine-building complex and its development depends on the pace of development of machine-building as a whole. The prospects for the development of foundry production are determined by the need for cast billets, their production dynamics, the authority of foundry technologies and competitiveness among developed foreign countries.

Consider the state of foundry production in Russia.

In 2011, 98.6 million tons of castings from ferrous and non-ferrous alloys were produced in the world, including 4.3 million tons in Russia, which is 4.36%

The output of castings by country is shown in fig. 1, which shows that the leading place in the production of castings is occupied by China, which today produces about half of the world's output of cast billets.

Fig.2. Casting output in BRICS countries in 2011

Russia ranks 6th after China, USA, India, Germany and Japan.

Casting output in the BRICS countries in 2011 amounted to 59.49 million tons, which is 60% of the world production (Fig. 2). Russia ranks third among the BRICS countries and produces 8.22% of the output of castings by these countries.

Foundry production in Russia occupies a leading position among such procurement bases of mechanical engineering as welding and a forge. Metal utilization ratio (from 75 to 95%). On the other hand, foundry production is the most knowledge-intensive, energy-intensive and material-intensive production. For the production of 1 ton of castings, it is required to remelt 1.2-1.7 tons of metal charge materials, ferroalloys and fluxes, process and prepare 3-5 tons of foundry sands (when casting in sand-clay molds), 3-4 kg of binders (with casting in molds from XTS) and paints. In the cost of casting, energy costs and fuel account for 50-60%, the cost of materials 30-35%.

Fig.3. Casting production volumes in Russia from 1990 to 2012

Dynamics of casting production in Russia from 1990 to 2012 shown in fig. 3. The highest production volumes of castings were in 1985 and amounted to 18.5 million tons. After that, a sharp decline in production began, associated with a violation of the general principles of cooperation in engineering products between the republics of the USSR, privatization and liquidation of enterprises. About 20 enterprises were closed in Moscow alone, including AMO ZIL, the Stankolit, Dynamo plants, the plant named after. Voykov, which produced about 500 thousand tons of casting. From 2001 to 2008 casting production stabilized at 7 million tons. In the future, the decline in the production of castings is associated with the economic crisis, the reduction of qualified personnel, primarily pensioners, and the closure of enterprises. In recent years, the production of castings from ferrous and non-ferrous alloys has stabilized at the level of 4.2 - 4.4 million tons.

The total number of foundries in Russia is about 1250, which produce castings, equipment, and related materials.

The output of castings per worker in 2012 amounted to about 14.3 tons per year.

The foundry industry of mechanical engineering and metallurgy (according to expert estimates) employs about 300 thousand people, including 90% of workers, 9.8% of engineers and 0.2% of scientists.

The main number of foundries in Russia (78%) are small foundries with an output of up to 5,000 tons of castings per year.

Data on capacities, output volumes and the number of employees in foundries, according to information available to the association, are given in Table. one.

Table 1. Analysis of the state of production in Russia by capacity, output and number of employees

№	Casting output (t per year)	Number of working people	Number of enterprises	%	Notes
1	50000-100000	2000-3000	12	1	Foundry shops of car factories, power engineering, defense complex
2	10000-50000	500-2000	84	6,7	Foundry shops of large machine-building plants
3	5000-10000	200-500	180	14,4	Workshops of machine-building plants and individual workshops
4	1000-5000	50-200	430	34,4	Shops of machine-building enterprises
5	Less than 1000	50-100	544	43,5	Small workshops for various purposes

According to technological processes, the production of castings is distributed as follows:

Table 2. Production of castings by technological processes, %

78% of castings are produced on mechanized lines and machines and manually. The level of automation and mechanization of foundry production in Russia is presented in Table. 3.

Table 3. The level of automation and mechanization of foundry production

Currently, the export of castings is 30 thousand tons per year to such countries as Germany, England, France, Israel, Sweden, Norway, Finland, imports are about 70 thousand tons.

Casting production volumes significantly depend on the production volumes of domestic foundry equipment for own needs and export supplies.

A number of major manufacturers of foundry equipment in Russia have retained and expanded their specialization, but they do not meet the needs of foundries and factories. The following equipment is not produced in Russia:

automatic and mechanized lines for the manufacture of flask-free molds from sand-clay and cold-hardening mixtures;
machines for making molds from sand-clay mixtures with flask sizes from 400x500mm to 1200x1500mm;
machines for the manufacture of foundry cores for hot and cold tooling;
equipment for painting molds;
chill machines;
low pressure casting machines;
centrifugal casting machines;
medium-frequency induction furnaces with a capacity of more than 10 tons for iron and steel smelting;
batch and continuous mixers for the preparation of cold hardening mixtures with a capacity of more than 10 tons/hour;
equipment for the regeneration of cold-hardening mixtures with a capacity of more than 10 tons / hour.

An incomplete range of high pressure casting machines is produced.

The foundry equipment fleet has been updated slightly over the past 5 years, its average age is 28 years.

Fig.4. Dynamics of imports of foundry equipment from 2003 to 2012

In this regard, it is expected that in the next 5-10 years the missing equipment will be purchased from foreign companies in Germany, Italy, the USA, Japan, Turkey, Denmark, England, the Czech Republic, France, etc.

Let's evaluate the market for imported equipment.

Dynamics of imports of foundry equipment to Russia from 2003 to 2012 (million US dollars) is presented in Figure 4.

In 2012, imports of equipment, spare parts and fixtures for foundry and related industries from all over the world amounted to about 705 million dollars. USA. Dynamics of imports of foundry equipment from all countries of the world from 2007 to 2012 (million US dollars) is presented in Table. four.

Table 4. Dynamics of imports of foundry equipment from 2007 to 2012

2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
833,1	948,1	632,2	499,15	676,24	1081,5

The highest volumes of deliveries of foundry equipment to Russia from all countries of the world before 2012 were in 2008, but in 2012 the volume of supplies of equipment increased and amounted to more than 1 billion dollars. USA. Deliveries of foundry equipment alone amount to 720 million US dollars, the remaining 259.5 million dollars. The United States supplied Russia with castings, moulds, pallets, various fixtures and fittings, including those for foundry shops in metallurgical production. Deliveries of foundry equipment from the leading countries of the world for the last three years (2010-2012) are presented in Table. 5 (million US dollars).

Table 5. Deliveries of foundry equipment from the leading countries of the world in 2010-2012

Table 5 shows that casting equipment is mainly supplied from Germany and Italy. In general, 72% of foundry equipment is purchased from foreign countries. Therefore, the production of castings for the manufacture of domestic equipment is declining.

Despite the low level of casting production in recent years, many factories are reconstructing their foundry production based on new technological processes and materials, advanced equipment.

The main purpose of the reconstruction is to expand production volumes, improve the quality of products that meet modern requirements customer, improving the environmental situation and working conditions. During the reconstruction, a deep study of the product sales market, analysis of modern technological processes, equipment and materials, development of optimal technological planning and equipment placement, development of a working project are required. For technological and working design, qualified specialists are needed. Unfortunately, today in Russia there is a limited number of organizations that are able to fully undertake the technological and working design of a workshop or site. Therefore, creative groups of specialists and organizations performing this kind of work are being created.

Over the past 3 years, more than 90 foundry shops and sites have been completely or partially reconstructed.

Reconstruction of workshops and factories is carried out on the basis of mechanized lines, replacing manual labor. In the last 4 years alone (2008-2012), 25 automated and mechanized lines for the manufacture of molds have been installed in foundries.

Introduction of promising technologies

For the production of cast iron and steel, technological processes of melting in induction and electric arc furnaces are promising, providing a stable chemical composition and heating temperature of the melt for effective out-of-furnace processing.

For the smelting of casting alloys, the following are promising:

For melting cast iron:

Induction crucible furnaces of medium frequency with a capacity of up to 10-15 tons. Such furnaces are produced by domestic companies: RELTEK LLC, Yekaterinburg, Elektroterm-93 OJSC, Saratov, Novozybkovsky Plant of Electrothermal Equipment OJSC, Kurai LLC, Ufa, Institute of Electrotechnologies NPP CJSC, Yekaterinburg, SODRUGESTVO LLC and others,
as well as foreign firms ABP, Juncker (Germany), Inductotherm, Ajax (USA), EGES, Turkey, which are most widely used in Russia;
DC arc furnaces manufactured by OAO Sibelektroterm, Novosibirsk, OOO NTF EKTA, Moscow, OOO NTF Komterm, Moscow.

For iron smelting, medium-frequency induction crucible furnaces are more technologically flexible.

Fig.5. Increase in production of pig iron smelted in induction furnaces (%)

Unfortunately, in recent years, no work has been carried out to improve the technology of cupola melting of cast iron. No, and there has never been a mass production of cupolas in Russia. In this regard, all operating cupolas are made in a handicraft way without heating the blast and high-quality purification of exhaust gases from dust and harmful components. Gas cupola furnaces have not found proper distribution in our country due to the lack of its reliable design and are used only to obtain low grades of cast iron.

Figure 5 shows data on an increase in the production of castings from cast iron smelted in induction furnaces, and a decrease in the production of castings from cupola iron.

The production of castings from various types of cast iron in 2012 is presented in Table. 6.

Table 6. Production of castings from various types of cast iron in 2012

Fig.6. Growth in the production of castings from aluminum and magnesium alloys (%)

Increasing the production of low-sulfur cast iron in induction furnaces has increased the production of ductile iron castings with nodular and vermicular graphite. Between 2006 and 2012 the output of castings from ductile iron with nodular graphite increased by 12% (Fig. 6) due to a decrease in the production of castings from gray and special cast irons and steel.

For melting steel:

AC and DC electric arc furnaces, medium and high frequency induction furnaces.

Production of castings from various types of steel in 2012. Presented in Table. 7.

Table 7. Production of castings from steel

For melting non-ferrous alloys:

Electric induction, arc and resistance furnaces, gas and oil furnaces.

The production of castings from non-ferrous alloys in 2012 is presented in Table. eight.

Table 8. Production of castings from non-ferrous alloys

In recent years, there has been an increase in the production of castings from aluminum and magnesium alloys, which in some cases replace

The production of shaped castings in Russia from aluminum alloys by various methods is presented in Table. 9.

Table 9. Production of shaped castings from aluminum alloys by various methods

At present, the development of the production of high-quality castings based on modern technological processes in various branches of mechanical engineering is uneven. The highest production volumes of castings are observed in the transport (automobile, railway and municipal) engineering, heavy and power engineering and the defense industry.

Fig.7. Production of castings by industry in 2012

Casting production volumes by industry are shown in fig. 7

An analysis of the dynamics of the production of castings and domestic foundry equipment over the past 10 years does not allow us to determine the prospects for the development of foundry production in the coming years. An increase in the production of castings from ferrous and non-ferrous alloys is not expected, as the policy and practice of purchasing engineering products abroad continues. The trend of increasing purchases of castings abroad also continues. The need of the domestic industry for cast billets is decreasing. Cast blanks are not competitive in the world market due to their high cost and in terms of "price-quality" we are inferior to developed foreign countries.

New foundry technologies have not been developed in recent years, as 10 research institutes involved in foundry production have been liquidated by the privatization system. Scientific research only foundry departments of universities are engaged in, the main task of which is to train young specialists. The main number of departments is not equipped with modern instruments and equipment. There is no coordination of scientific activity in Russia. The number of scientific workers over the past 15 years has decreased from 8 to 0.2% of all employees in the foundry. The connection between science and production has been broken, and sectoral science is absent.

In the existing conditions for the further development of foundry production, the reconstruction of old foundry shops and the construction of new ones based on new technological processes and modern environmentally friendly equipment big role plays informational activities that are carried out Russian Association foundry workers. The Association regularly organizes specialized scientific and technical conferences, once every 2 years a foundry congress and an exhibition with the participation of foreign specialists are held, in addition, it organizes trips of specialists to international exhibitions for foundry production and foundries of foreign countries in order to familiarize themselves with innovative technical solutions and exchange experience. Publishes monthly scientific and technical magazine "Founder of Russia".

It should be noted that along with the stabilization of production volumes of castings in the last 4 years, the quality of castings has significantly increased, dimensional accuracy has increased and, accordingly, their weight has decreased, strength and operational characteristics have increased, and presentation has improved.

The technological equipment of a number of enterprises has significantly improved; over the past 15 years, about 350 enterprises have carried out reconstruction, which is constrained by the lack of working capital at many enterprises.

We hope that Team work foundries with scientific and public organizations with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation will allow for the further development of the foundry industry in Russia.

Tags:

Casting is called technological process obtaining parts from liquid metal in casting molds. The casting mold is an element having an internal cavity that forms the part when it is filled with straightened metal. After the solidification of the metal has cooled, the mold is destroyed or opened, and a part with a given configuration and the required dimensions is removed (Fig. 13.1). Products obtained by this method are called castings. The production of products by casting is called foundry.

Foundry is one of the the most important industries in mechanical engineering. Cast blanks are consumed by most sectors of the national economy. The weight of cast parts in machines is

Rice. 13.1. The scheme of the casting mold and casting is on average 40-80%, and the cost and labor intensity of their manufacture is approximately 25% of all costs for the product.

The method of obtaining parts by casting is cheaper compared to forging and stamping, since cast blanks are closest in size and configuration to finished parts, and the volume of their machining is less than on blanks obtained by other methods. Casting is used to make castings of a very complex configuration, especially hollow ones, which cannot be made by forging, stamping or other machining from rolled or pressed material, for example, cylinder blocks, machine beds, turbine blades, gears, gas and water fittings, and much more. The weight of cast parts is not limited - from a few grams to tens of tons. Only by casting it is possible to obtain products from various alloys, of any dimensions, complexity and weight, for relatively a short time, with sufficiently high mechanical and operational properties.

Foundries in which foundry production is carried out are classified depending on the alloy used, the casting technology, the weight of the castings, etc. (Fig. 13.2).

According to the type of alloy (metal) used, shops are distinguished: iron foundry, steel casting and non-ferrous casting.

In iron foundries, castings are made from gray, high-strength, ductile and other types of cast iron.

In the steel casting shops, castings are made from foundry steels: carbon, structural, heat-resistant, special steels, etc.

Non-ferrous casting shops use such metals and alloys as: aluminum, copper, magnesium, zinc, titanium, bronze, brass, etc.

According to the weight and dimensions of the casting, foundry shops can be classified as light, medium, large, heavy and extra heavy weight, or according to another classification - small, medium or large casting shops.

By type of casting, foundry production is classified into sand-clay casting and special casting.

Under special types castings include die casting (permanent metal moulds), centrifugal casting, investment casting (precision casting), burnout casting, pressure casting (high or low pressure), crust casting, etc.

The most widespread in the foundry industry is found casting in sandy-clay molds. Casting molds are made from molding sands. The main components of molding sands are sand and clay, so this type is still

Rice. 13.2. The main groupings of foundry castings are called "casting in the ground". Over 75% of the total output of castings falls on the share of casting in the ground. They belong to one-time forms, since the extraction of the casting requires their destruction. To obtain each subsequent part, it is necessary to manufacture a new casting mold. The process of making a mold is called moulding.

Molding sands are intended for the manufacture of a casting mold, and core sands are designed for cores. Molding and core sands must be plastic to obtain a distinct imprint; refractory - to withstand high temperatures of the poured metal; durable - to withstand the pressure of the poured metal; gas permeable, i.e. capable of passing the emitted gases, as well as non-stick, capable of not sintering with straightened metal.

The rods are in even more difficult conditions. Therefore, core sands have higher property characteristics than molding sands.

When molding, special devices are used, the set of which is called the model kit and flasks.

A model kit is made for each part separately, based on its configuration and dimensions. It consists of a model, elements of the gating system and a model plate. In the event that there are cavities or holes in the design of the part, then core boxes are also included in the kit.

The model is designed to form the outer contour of the part in the mold. It is made with casting slopes, allowances for subsequent processing and shrinkage of the metal.

Gating system is a set of channels that bring molten metal into the mold cavity.

Under-model plate - a device designed to install the model and the gating system.

The core box is intended for the manufacture of cores that form the inner contour of the part cavity.

The flasks are rigid frames in which the casting mold is held during its transportation and pouring with metal.

As for cast alloys, only those metals and alloys are used in foundry production that have good casting properties: high fluidity, low shrinkage and low segregation.

Fluidity is the ability of a metal to fill mold cavities.

Shrinkage is the property of metals to decrease in size when cooled.

Segregation is the heterogeneity in the chemical composition of the various parts of the casting.

Foundry production is one of the most difficult in organizational and technical terms of machine-building redistribution. The organization of foundries, which has a large amount of initial data, is a laborious and complex process. However, standard designs have been developed for the main sections of foundry shops with a set of equipment, standard technology and production organization.

The basis for the design of the workshop and all its departments is the program of the workshop.

Methods for manufacturing castings, their features and scope are shown in table. 13.1.

Foundry shops, as a rule, are located in separate buildings.

For foundries, frame-type buildings are designed. The load-bearing frame consists of columns mounted on foundations and connected by beams and trusses. Column and trusses resting on them form transverse frames, which are connected in the longitudinal direction by foundation strapping beams, crane beams. In such a building, effective mechanical ventilation, aeration and lighting are provided.

The foundation, columns, walls and ceilings form the supporting frame of the building, which takes on all the loads. Roof covering depends on the type of covering of the building, the climatic conditions of the area and the internal regime of the room. The most common are rolled multi-layer roofs made of waterproof materials, which are laid over bituminous mastic on a layer of insulation. Since the buildings have many spans, it is necessary to arrange an internal drainage of water through funnels in the roof and risers to the storm sewer. The roof is built according to the lantern type. The type of lanterns of industrial buildings is assigned in accordance with the technological and sanitary and hygienic requirements and climatic conditions of the construction area. Arranged on the roof of industrial buildings, the lights are divided into light, aeration and light-aeration, according to their location relative to the spans - into tape and spot. For the central climatic zone in rooms with high heat emissions, light-aeration double-sided lanterns with vertical glazing are used.

At the stage of developing a feasibility study and when drawing up a task for the design of a foundry, it is necessary to take into account:

1) availability of access roads, including railway;
2) the presence of significant energy resources;
3) the predominant direction of the winds;
4) availability of treatment facilities and places for storing production waste;
5) remoteness from machining shops, etc.

For right choice type of buildings, heating and ventilation systems, as well as load-bearing and enclosing structures, during technical surveys it is necessary to collect meteorological data: air temperature and humidity, wind speed, rainfall, soil freezing depth, etc.

Table 13.1

Methods for the manufacture of castings, their features and scope 1

Casting manufacturing methods	Casting weight, t	Material
One-time forms
Hand molding: in soil with top			Beds, machine bodies, frames, cylinders, hammers, traverses
by template			Castings in the form of bodies of revolution (gear wheels, rings, disks, pipes, pulleys, flywheels, boilers, cylinders)
in large boxes		Steel, grey, malleable and ductile iron, non-ferrous metals and alloys	Beds, headstocks, gearboxes, cylinder blocks
in detachable flasks with quick-mix cores			Beds GM K, bolt heading machines, scissors; allows to reduce allowances by 25-30% and labor intensity of machining by 20-25%
in soil with an upper flask and a facing layer of a fast-hardening mixture			Chabots, beds, cylinders; allows to reduce the labor intensity of the workpiece manufacturing and machining due to the reduction of allowances by 10-18%
in rods			Castings with a complex ribbed surface (cylinder heads and blocks, guides)
open in soil			Castings that do not require machining (plates, linings)

1 Reference technologist-machine builder. URL: http://stehmash.narod.ru/stmlstrl2tabl.htm

Casting manufacturing methods	Casting weight, t	Material	Scope and feature of the method
in small and medium flasks			Handles, gears, washers, bushings, levers, couplings, covers
Machine molding: in large boxes			Stocks, calipers, cases of small beds
in small and medium flasks			Gears, bearings, couplings, flywheels; allows to obtain high-precision castings with low surface roughness
Shell casting: sand-resin			Responsible shaped castings in large-scale and mass production
chemical hardening thin-walled (10-20 mm)		Steel, cast iron and non-ferrous alloys	Responsible shaped small and medium castings
chemical hardening thick-walled (thickness 50-150 mm)			Large castings (stamping hammer beds, rolling mill chocks)
liquid glass shell		Carbon and corrosion-resistant steels, cobalt, chromium and aluminum alloys, brass	Precision castings with low surface roughness in serial production
investment casting		High-alloy steels and alloys (except for alkali metals that react with the silica of the cladding layer)	Turbine blades, valves, nozzles, gears, cutting tools, instrument parts. Ceramic rods make it possible to produce castings with a thickness of 0.3 mm and holes with a diameter of up to 2 mm
solvent casting		Titanium, heat resistant steels	Turbine blades, instrument parts. Salt patterns reduce surface roughness
freeze casting			Thin-walled castings (minimum machine thickness 0.8 mm, hole diameter up to 1 mm)

Casting manufacturing methods	Casting weight, t	Material	Scope and feature of the method
casting on gasified patterns		Any alloy	Small and medium castings (levers, bushings, cylinders, bodies)
Multiple forms
Mold casting: gypsum			Large and medium castings in serial production
sand-cement
brick
fireclay-quartz
clayey
graphite
stone
cermet and ceramic
Die casting: with horizontal, vertical and combined parting plane	7 (cast iron), 4 (steel), 0.5 (non-ferrous metals and alloys)	Steel, cast iron, non-ferrous metals and alloys	Shape castings in large-scale and mass production (pistons, housings, discs, feed boxes, skids)
casting with lined mold		Austenitic and ferritic grade steel	Turbine impeller blades, crankshafts, axle boxes, axle boxes covers and other large thick-walled castings
Injection molding: on machines with horizontal and vertical balers		Magnesium, aluminium, zinc and lead-tin alloys, steel	Castings of complex configuration (tees, elbows, rings of electric motors, instrument parts, engine block)
using vacuum		copper alloys	Dense castings of a simple shape
centrifugal casting on machines with a rotation axis: vertical			Castings of the type of bodies of revolution (crowns, gears, tires, wheels, flanges, pulleys, flywheels), two-layer blanks (cast iron-bronze, steel-cast iron) at /: d

Casting manufacturing methods	Casting weight, t	Material	Scope and feature of the method
horizontal		Cast iron, steel, bronze, etc.	Pipes, sleeves, bushings, axles with /: d > 1
inclined (angle of inclination 3-6°)			Pipes, shafts, ingots
vertical, not coinciding with the geometric axis of the casting			Molded castings that are not bodies of revolution (levers, forks, brake pads)
Liquid alloy stamping:		Non-ferrous alloys	Ingots, shaped castings with deep cavities (turbine blades, high pressure valve parts)
with crystallization under piston pressure		Cast iron and non-ferrous alloys	Massive and thick-walled castings without gas pockets and porosity; it is possible to obtain compacted blanks from non-cast materials (pure aluminum)
squeeze casting	Panels up to 1000x 2500 mm with thickness	Magnesium and aluminum alloys	Large castings, including ribbed ones
vacuum suction		Copper Based Alloys	Small castings such as bodies of revolution (bushings, sleeves)
successively directed crystallization		Non-ferrous alloys	Castings with a wall thickness of up to 3 mm with a length of up to 3000 mm
low pressure casting		Cast iron, aluminum alloys	Thin-walled castings with a wall thickness of 2 mm at a height of 500-600 mm (cylinder heads, pistons, liners)
continuous	Pipes with a diameter of 300-1000 mm

Foundry is one of the branches of industry, the main products of which are those used in mechanical engineering. There are many factories of this specialization in Russia. Some of these enterprises have small capacities, others can be attributed to real industrial giants. Further in the article, we will consider what the largest foundry and mechanical plants in Russia exist on the market (with addresses and descriptions), and what specific products they produce.

Products manufactured by LMZ

Of course, such enterprises are the most important part of the national economy. Russian foundries produce a huge number of various products. Manufactured in the workshops of such enterprises, for example, castings, ingots, ingots. Finished products are also produced at the enterprises of this industry. These can be, for example, grates, sewer manholes, bells, etc.

The iron foundries of Russia supply their products, as already mentioned, mainly to enterprises in the engineering industry. Up to 50% of the equipment produced by such factories falls on cast billets. Of course, companies of other specializations can also be partners of LMZ.

The main problems of the industry

Unfortunately, the situation with the foundry industry in the Russian Federation today is not simple. After the collapse of the USSR engineering industry The country has almost completely collapsed. Accordingly, the demand for shaped and foundry products has also significantly decreased. Later, the sanctions and the outflow of investments had a negative impact on the development of LMZ. However, despite this, Russian foundries continue to exist, supply quality products to the market and even increase production rates.

The main problem of enterprises of this specialization in the Russian Federation for many years has been the need for modernization. However, the implementation of new technologies requires additional costs. Unfortunately, in most cases, such companies still have to buy the equipment necessary for modernization from abroad for a lot of money.

List of the largest foundries in Russia

About 2,000 enterprises are engaged in the production of shaped products from cast iron, steel, aluminum, etc. today in the Russian Federation. The largest foundries in Russia are:

Balashikhinsky.
Kamensk-Uralsky.
Taganrog.
"KAMAZ".
Cherepovets.
Balezinsky.

COOLZ

This enterprise was founded in Kamensk-Uralsky during the war - in 1942. At that time, the Balashikha foundry was evacuated here. Later, the facilities of this enterprise were returned to their place. In Kamensk-Uralsk, its own foundry began to operate.

In Soviet times, KULZ products were mainly focused on the country's military-industrial complex. In the 1990s, during the conversion period, the enterprise changed its profile to the production of consumer goods.

Today KULZ is engaged in the production of shaped and foundry blanks intended for both military equipment as well as for civilians. In total, the enterprise produces 150 types of products. The plant supplies the market with brake systems and wheels for aviation technology, radio components, blanks made of biometal and cermets, etc. The head office of KULZ is located at the following address: Kamensk-Uralsky, st. Ryabova, 6.

BLMZ

Almost all foundries in Russia, the list of which was provided above, were put into operation in the last century. BLMZ is no exception in this regard. This oldest enterprise in the country was founded in 1932. Its first products were spoked wheels for aircraft. In 1935, the plant mastered the technologies for the production of shaped products from aluminum and in the post-war period, the enterprise specialized mainly in the production of aircraft take-off and landing devices. In 1966, it began to produce products made of titanium alloys.

During the collapse of the USSR, the Balashikha plant managed to maintain the main direction of its activity. In the early 2000s, the enterprise actively upgraded its technical fleet. In 2010, the plant began to develop new production areas in order to expand the range of products.

Since 2015 BLMZ, together with scientific complex"Soyuz", began the implementation of a project for the production of gas turbine units with a capacity of up to 30 MW. The BLMZ office is located at the address: Balashikha, Entuziastov Highway, 4.

Taganrog foundry

The main office of this enterprise can be found at the following address: Taganrog, Northern Square, 3. TLMZ was founded quite recently - in 2015. However, today its capacity is already about 13 thousand tons per year. This was made possible by using the latest equipment and innovative technologies. At present, the Taganrog LMZ is the most modern enterprise foundry industry in the country.

The TLMZ was under construction for only a few months. In total, about 500 million rubles were spent during this time. The components for the main production line were purchased from Danish companies. Furnaces at the factory are Turkish. All other equipment is made in Germany. Today, 90% of the products of the Taganrog plant are supplied to the domestic market.

The largest foundries in Russia: ChLMZ

The decision to build the Cherepovets enterprise was made in 1950. Since 1951, the plant began producing spare parts for road-building machines and tractors. All subsequent years, until the restructuring, the company was constantly modernized and expanded. In 2000, the management of the plant chose the following strategic directions of production:

production of furnace rollers for metallurgical plants;
production of furnaces for machine-building enterprises;
pump casting for the chemical industry;
production of radiator heaters for furnaces.

Today ChLMZ is one of the main Russian manufacturers similar products. Its partners are not only machine-building enterprises, but also light industry, housing and communal services. The office of this company is located at: Cherepovets, st. Construction industry, 12.

Balezinsky foundry

it largest enterprise was founded in 1948. Initially, it was called the artel "Founder". In the first years of its existence, the plant specialized mainly in the manufacture of aluminum utensils. A year later, the company began to produce iron castings. The artel was renamed Balezinsky LMZ in 1956. Today, this plant produces about 400 items of a wide variety of products. The main direction of its activity is the production of furnace castings, dishes and bakery molds. Company address: Balezin, st. K. Marx, 77.

Foundry "KamAZ"

This company operates in Naberezhnye Chelny. His production capacity make up 245 thousand castings per year. The KamAZ foundry manufactures products from high-strength cast iron, gray, with vermicular graphite. This plant was built in 1975. The first products of the plant were aluminum castings of 83 items. In 1976, the enterprise mastered the production of iron and steel products. Initially, the plant was part of the well-known joint-stock company"KAMAZ". In 1997, he gained an independent status. However, in 2002, the enterprise again became part of KamAZ OJSC. This plant is located at the address: Naberezhnye Chelny, Avtozavodsky prospect, 2.

Nizhny Novgorod enterprise OJSC LMZ

The main products of OJSC "Foundry and Mechanical Plant" (Russia, Nizhny Novgorod) are cast-iron pipeline fittings. The products manufactured by this enterprise are used in the transportation of gas, steam, oil, water, fuel oil, oils. The plant began its activity in 1969. At that time it was one of the workshops of the Gorky Flax Association. Today, its partners are many enterprises of mechanical engineering, housing and communal services and water supply.

Instead of a conclusion

The well-being of the entire country as a whole largely depends on how smoothly and stably the foundries of Russia described above will function. Without the products manufactured by these companies, domestic enterprises of mechanical engineering, metallurgy, light industry, etc. will not be able to work. Therefore, to pay maximum attention to the development, reconstruction and modernization of these and other foundries, providing them with comprehensive support, including at the state level, of course necessary and very important.

Foundries in Russia are enterprises that produce castings - shaped parts and blanks - by filling molds with liquid alloys. The main consumers of foundry products are enterprises of the machine-building complex (up to 70% of all cast billets produced), and the metallurgical industry (up to 20%). Approximately 10% of products produced by injection molding are sanitary equipment.

Casting is the best way to obtain workpieces of complex geometry, as close as possible in configuration to finished products, which is not always possible to achieve by other methods (forging, welding, etc.). In the casting process, products of the most diverse thickness (from 0.5 to 500 mm), length (from a few cm to 20 m) and weight (from a few grams to 300 tons) are obtained. Small allowances are an advantageous feature of casting blanks, which makes it possible to reduce the cost of finished products by reducing metal consumption and the cost of machining products. Over half of the parts used in modern industrial equipment, made by injection molding.

The main types of raw materials in foundry production are:

gray cast iron (up to 75%);
steel - carbon and alloyed (20%);
malleable iron (3%);
non-ferrous alloys - aluminum, magnesium, zinc copper (2%).

The casting process is carried out in a variety of ways, which are classified:

1) according to the method of filling molds:

ordinary casting;
casting with insulation;
injection molding;
centrifugal casting;

2) according to the method of manufacturing casting molds:

into one-time molds (sand, shell) intended for obtaining only one casting;
in forms of multiple use (ceramic or clay-sand), withstanding up to 150 fills;
into permanent metal molds (for example, chill molds) that can withstand several thousand pours.

The most common method of casting in sand molds (up to 80% by weight of all castings carried out in the world). The technology of this type of casting includes:

preparation of materials;
preparation of molding and core sands;
creation of forms and rods;
suspension of rods and assembly of forms;
melting metal and pouring it into molds;
metal cooling and knockout of the finished casting;
casting cleaning, heat treatment and finishing.

The first Russian foundry (the so-called "cannon hut") appeared in Moscow in 1479. Under Ivan the Terrible, foundries appeared in Kashira, Tula and other cities. During the reign of Peter the Great, the production of castings was mastered in almost the entire state - in the Urals, in the southern and northern parts of the country. In the 17th century, Russia began to export cast iron castings. Remarkable examples of Russian foundry art are the 40-ton Tsar Cannon, cast by A. Chokhov in 1586, the Tsar Bell, weighing over 200 tons, created in 1735 by I.F. and M.I. Matorins. In 1873, the workers of the Perm plant cast a chabot (the lower part that receives the impact) of a steam hammer weighing 650 tons, which is one of the most gigantic castings in the world.

Foundry enterprises. Production of castings from non-ferrous alloys