Working within the constraints of standard foundry practice, the German marketplace manufactures a wide variety of casting shapes and sizes ranging from simple to very complex objects. The highest quality standards are achieved but parts such as marine diesel engine components present the need for extra attention as they can be exceptionally complex with casting weights in excess of 100 tonnes and section thicknesses above 250mm. Such components push existing casting technology to its limits. How can a small layer of coating generate the required separation properties between metal and moulding material? MAN Diesel, the worlds leading provider of large-bore diesel engines for marine and power plant applications, has worked closely with Foseco to find a solution. The foundry on site at the MAN Diesel plant in Augsburg, Germany, produces castings of outstanding quality associated with modern coating technology. The two organisations have a joint collaboration to optimise coatings systems for the marine industry. Both organisations have an ongoing commitment to continue this joint-development process and the determination to succeed is still strong, despite inevitable process setbacks along the way. Figure 1 shows a marine diesel engine in detail. Figure 1 Marine diesel engine The problem and the solution The trigger for a need for improvement in the process was the number of severe problems that arose during the application of various water coatings. This was due to the inconsistent rheological properties of the products, in conjunction with unsuitable casting release after pouring. This resulted in uneven coating layers being applied which lead to burn-on and metal penetration defects after casting. To eliminate these deficiencies, both during application and on casting results, comprehensive investigations and development work were started, leading to innovative new thinking in the development and application of coating products. Figure 2 shows the application of zircon silicates. The key feature of the new approach is the tight control of the raw material grading. A further challenge was the combined dip- and over pour-process. Figure 3 shows a crank-case core in order to provide an indication of the size of the problem. Of most importance here is the even coating layer applied in all areas of the core. Coating layer thickness is the key measure of control. Figure 2 Application of zircon silicates H i g h e s t
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c a s t i n g s 06 Figure 3 Crank-case core Figure 4 Coating immediately after application The outcome of the successful joint-development was a coating named SEMCO* Zir 7300 B, the application of which delivered the following benefits: consistent layer across the whole surface uniform coating on mould material, chills and pre-coated areas long coating application times (long mat time) application by dipping and over pouring compliance to no bake and PU ColdBox process very limited sedimentation stability vs. external influences usage on medium to large cores suitable for highest thermal demands Figure 5 Flawless result of core assembly In this application, a layer thickness of 0,300 - 0,350 mm provides a very good separation between the liquid metal and the moulding material. This even layer is replicated on both horizontal and vertical faces. Partially pressurised air is applied to remove excess coating from horizontal surfaces and pockets. Before trials were conducted on several castings, comprehensive test procedures were used. In addition to vein block and hexagon block tests, the MAN through pouring test was also applied, which correlates very closely with subsequent casting performance. Figure 4 shows a detailed view providing evidence of the consistent layer whilst the coating is in its glossy phase immediately after application. Figure 5 shows the result of the core assembly. The flawless outcome speaks for itself. 07 Method It is known from practice that not all areas of the moulding material are compacted to the same extent. This is unfortunately unavoidable and increases the risk of metal penetration in the areas of lower compaction. An example of the problem is shown in Figure 6 where large cavities between the sand grains can be clearly seen. Figure 6 Shows cavities between sand grains In order to overcome this problem the coating is designed to penetrate the core surface and deposit sufficient quantities of zirconium silicate particles in these cavities, effectively sealing them thereby eliminating or reducing significantly subsequent metal penetration. How this looks under a microscope is shown in Figure 7. The SEM image illustrates the penetrated coating particles beside the silica grains. Figure 7 Penetrated coating particles beside the silica grains To improve this effect even further, specially developed penetration coatings like SEMCO Coating 9223 are used. These are normally applied by brush or spray directly onto areas prone to penetration. Figures 8 and 9 show examples of the application of penetration coatings, primarily on crank cases and pull anchors. Figure 8 Example of penetration coatings Figure 9 Example of penetration coatings Quality control As discussed, the most critical and key criteria for the coating control is the layer thickness. This has delivered optimum results in both theoretical and practical tests and should be applied as a minimum reference. H i g h e s t
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c a s t i n g s 08 To control layer thickness in an easy and efficient way, the Foseco wet layer thickness comb has proven to be a very good tool. The functionality is shown on Figure 10. Figure 10 Foseco wet layer thickness comb Further control criteria are listed in Table 1. These measures are established as quality controls in the laboratory as well as process controls during manufacturing. A comparison with a competitive product clearly shows the benefits of SEMCO Zir 7300B. These advantages are directly related to the discussed application properties, and it is only possible to consistently satisfy performance requirements in this way. Conclusion This improved coating development process has lead to a product that meets the foundries requirements. Besides the improved application of the coating system, the clear benefit is seen in the cleaning and fettling room. Reduced metal penetration and hence reduced cleaning efforts are the results of this development. The coating system can also claim to be applicable in other areas across the foundry: optimised application characteristics consistent layer build up partial penetration of coating in the moulding material additional use of penetration coatings as appropriate dipping and over pouring as application variants application of different layer thicknesses utilisation on different moulding materials resists highest thermal demands suitable for steel and cast iron very low gas development high gas permeability prevention of moulding material metal reactions Overall this development represents an ideal text book example of how a successful supplier-customer cooperation can produce outstanding results to the benefit of all working in the foundry industry. Table 1 Coating comparison with competitor product 1. Comparison Competitor Product SEMCO Zir 7300 B Coating Information Name of coating Competitor Product SEMCO Zir 7300 B Liquid carrier water water Colour white white Viscosity (DIN 4mm) (s) 13.0 dilution 12.9 dilution Solids content (%) 71.6 68.6 Baum ( B) 80 78 Density (g/cm 3 ) 2.23 2.12 Sedimentation (24h / %) 17 1 Flow Length (mm) 190 180 Flow properties very long very long Matt time (FH, s) 33 222 Ring Test (s) 84 176 Layer thickness after 5s dip coating (FH/ m) 260 140 Core penetration after 5s dip coating (FH/ m) 0.2 0.3 0.5 1.0 Bacteria negative negative