Ductile Iron Lost Foam

Investment Casting Plate Bottom

Material: 70-50-05

Process: Lost foam casting

Gross weight: 4.825 kg

Foam molding

Application field: Construction machinery

Surface treatment: Anti-rust liquid, black powder coating

The product requires heat treatment

Specific application location of the product (see exploded view 9):

(Freight truck suspension system)

Product application: Trucks

The applications of evaporative pattern casting (also known as full mold casting or lost foam casting) include:

I. Applicable Casting Materials

Lost foam casting has broad compatibility with various materials, covering almost all metal castings, and is especially suitable for the following materials:

1. Cast Iron

This is the most widely used material type, including gray cast iron, ductile iron, and malleable cast iron.

Advantages: The casting temperature of cast iron (approximately 1300-1450℃) is highly compatible with the vaporization temperature of the foam pattern (EPS, STMMA, etc.), allowing for easy removal of vaporization products and reducing defects such as porosity and slag inclusions.  Furthermore, cast iron parts often require complex internal cavities (such as valve bodies and pump bodies), and the near-net-shape forming capability of the lost foam casting process reduces subsequent machining.

Typical products: Automotive engine blocks, cylinder heads, exhaust manifolds, machine tool beds, and pipe valves.

2. Cast Steel Category

Suitable for medium and low carbon steel and low alloy steel castings; careful process control is required for high carbon steel and high alloy steel.

Points to note: Steel casting involves high pouring temperatures (approximately 1500-1650℃), which can easily lead to excessive thermal decomposition of the foam and the generation of a large amount of carbon black.  Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the permeability of the coating and the gating system (such as using negative pressure extraction) to avoid carbon enrichment defects.

Typical products: Counterweights for construction machinery, wind power flanges, wear-resistant parts for mining machinery.

II. Applicable Casting Structures and Dimensions

1. Applicable Casting Structures

Complex internal cavity/channel castings: No sand cores are required (unlike traditional sand casting which requires core removal), and the casting can be formed directly using a foam pattern, such as engine cylinder blocks with complex oil passages, multi-cavity valve bodies, and irregularly shaped pipe fittings.

Irregular/asymmetrical structure castings: Traditional sand casting is prone to mold misalignment and flash due to parting lines. Lost foam casting has no parting lines, ensuring shape accuracy, such as wind turbine hubs and automotive rear axle housings.

Primarily small and medium-sized parts: Typically weighing 0.1-50kg (e.g., motor end caps, valve parts), with dimensional accuracy reaching CT7-CT9 grades and surface roughness Ra6.3-12.5μm, reducing subsequent machining (machining allowance can be reduced to 1-3mm, compared to 3-5mm for traditional sand casting).

Adaptability to large parts: Capable of producing large parts weighing 100-500kg (e.g., machine tool beds, engineering machinery bases), but requires larger sand boxes, stronger negative pressure systems, and more stable foam molding processes (to avoid foam deformation); very large parts (>500kg) are less common due to the difficulty of foam assembly and the difficulty of exhausting vaporization products during pouring.

III. Main Application Industries

Based on the material and structural suitability mentioned above, the core application industries for lost foam casting include:

Automotive and Parts Industry

This accounts for the largest proportion (approximately 40%-50%), mainly producing engine blocks, cylinder heads, exhaust manifolds, gearbox housings, rear axle housings, brake drums, etc. It is particularly suitable for complex parts made of ductile iron and aluminum alloys, meeting the demands for lightweight and high-precision automotive components.

Construction Machinery Industry

This includes the production of counterweights, track plates, hydraulic valve bodies, pump bodies, etc., mostly made of cast iron or low-alloy steel.  These parts often have complex internal cavities, and lost foam casting simplifies the production process (no sand cores required), reducing costs.

General Machinery Industry

This includes machine tool beds, pump and valve fittings, compressor parts, etc., requiring guaranteed casting strength and sealing performance. The sand-core-free characteristic of lost foam casting reduces defects such as pores and sand inclusions caused by sand cores.

Rail Transit and Wind Power Industries

This includes the production of bogie parts for high-speed trains/subways (aluminum alloy or cast steel) and wind turbine hubs (ductile iron). These require large-sized, high-precision castings with stable mechanical properties. Lost foam casting can improve casting density through negative pressure control.

Why choose us?

● With our one-stop service, our company can integrate casting, machining, and surface treatment processes, eliminating supply chain fragmentation.

● Flexible production planning for urgent orders

● Our professional technical team can handle and provide complex castings.

● A supplier that prioritizes quality, delivering high-quality products.

Q&A：

Q: How can I obtain a quotation from your factory?

A：To provide you with an accurate quote, we require a 3D CAD solid model of your design.

Q: What fomats of the drawings can be accepted?

A: We accept the following file formats:

- Native SolidWorks (.sldprt) or ProE (.prt) files

- Solid 3D CAD models exported in IGES (.igs), STEP (.stp), or Parasolid (x_t ) formats.

By supplying a high-quality 3D CAD model, we can offer specific pricing.

Q: Can you manufacture products based on samples?

A: Yes,We can develop samples by surveying and drawing on the actual samples provided by customers.

Q: Do you test all goods before delivery?

A：Absolutely! All products are 100% inspected before shipment to ensure that you receive reliable parts.

Q: Can I check the products before delivery?

A:Yes. You can pay a visit to our factory by yourself or ask your colleague to come, or entrust a third party inspection company to do the inspection before delivery.