What is Water Glass Casting?
Water glass casting is also known as sodium silicate casting. It is a process like the lost wax investment casting technique. It’s a method that uses water glass as the binding agent for the shell.
Water Glass Casting Benefits
This method is useful and required when intricate or complex designs are in need. It’s a superior approach to using sand casting in the business.
Here’s a list of the benefits of Water Glass Casting:
- Better surface finish than sand casting.
- Better and more precise dimension than sand casting.
- Complex parts are more achievable.
- Larger parts than the usual investment casting method.
- Inexpensive
- Better choice of metals
- Safe for the environment.
Water Glass Casting The Process and steps
Casting process: Water Glass Process
Surface roughness: Ra12.5-50
Wax injection equipment: uses domestic pneumatic equipment
Wax mold material: Water glass process uses domestic low-temperature wax, which is around 700 dollar per ton
Shell sand material: Water glass process uses domestic quartz sand and quartz powder
Dewaxing Equipment: Water glass process uses boiled water to dewax
Roaster: Water glass process generally uses a coal-fired roaster with a temperature of 900 degrees
Casting furnace: The water glass process generally uses a 400KG furnace
Step 1: Injection of Wax
After the creation of the casting’s wax pattern, the molten wax is injected into a mold to produce a wax pattern of the casting. Molds made of Aluminum and sized to accommodate shrinkage in the wax and metal being used. Wax tooling may range from simple two-piece dies to multi-cavity automated dies with water-soluble or ceramic cores.
Step2: Assembly of Wax
The wax patterns are attached to a sprue or tree once they’ve cooled and solidified. The sprue is also composed of wax. It has all the required gates, runners, and supports to feed the component during casting.
Step 3: Making of Shell
The wax sprue has now been “invested” in ceramics, making the mold for metal to be pouring into. The ceramic comprises of two parts: a liquid slurry topped by a dry sand bed. Each sprue is covering many layer of slurry and sand until the ceramic shell is strong enough for the casting process. It takes between two days and two weeks for shells to dry, depending on how they form.
Step 4: Removal of Wax
It is important to melt the wax by immersing it in autoclave to counteract the wax expansion. The ceramics are then fired to remove any remaining wax residue and cure the ceramic shell. The shells are ready for casting once it’s fired.
Step 5: Pouring
Before casting, the shells are pre-heated in the oven. After removing the shells out of the oven, and preparing molten metal, the shells are then removed, and the metal is poured into them.
Step 6: Finishing
To release the casting, the shell may go through hammering. The sprue is then removed and recycled. Finally, remove any evidence of the manufacturing process by cleaning casting.
Water Glass Casting Application
Water Glass Casting is usually used on low-alloy steel, carbon steel, and stainless steel components. It is also used on those with a large casting. Steel castings from 0.05 to 80 kilograms are possible using investment casting with glass. Its application can be found mos in the production of trailers, farming equipment, and the offshore sector.
Water Glass Casting Factory
Looking for Professional Customized Casting Manufacturer? Then you’re in the right place. We, at JC Casting, have been using this method for many years. We are one of the finest investment casting foundries in water glass castings. We make sure that we provide excellent results with better designs and high-quality castings. Contact us now!