Light metal foundry for magnesium and aluminum

[Translate to English:] In der Leichtmetallgießerei des IW werden experimentelle Magnesium- und Aluminiumlegierungen erschmolzen und mittels Schwerkraft- und druckunterstützter Gießverfahren in Form gebracht. Die Bandbreite der verfügbaren Verfahren erstreckt sich von einfachen Kipptiegelöfen mit Schutzgasatmosphäre, mit denen Schmelzen zum Abguss in Sandformen oder Stahlkokillen erzeugt werden, bis hin zu einem Niederdruckgussofen zur Herstellung porenarmer Gussteile.

Beschreibung der Versuchseinrichtungen

Using a special protective gas tilting crucible furnace, up to 3 kg of highly reactive magnesium alloys (e.g., Mg-Li) can be processed via die casting. The complete enclosure of the casting device allows pouring under argon or similar protective or inert gases. Larger quantities of Mg and Al alloys (up to approximately 20 kg) can be melted using a mobile crucible furnace (with protective gas for Mg) and processed in dies or sand casting. Additionally, for larger quantities, a low-pressure die casting furnace is available, capable of producing extrusion billets with a maximum diameter of 130 mm. Other tilting crucible furnaces offer flexible use of different crucible sizes (e.g., 5 or 10 kg for Mg) and allow for the adjustment of an appropriate protective gas atmosphere using a gas mixing system. Typically, this is used for manufacturing sand and die-cast components, such as sample rod dies, which, due to directional solidification, facilitate the simplified production of flawless tensile test specimens.

Technical equipment:

Protective gas tilting crucible furnace 'oL-GA' for die casting (Mg)
Protective gas laboratory tilting crucible furnace for small quantities of reactive metal melts (Mg)
Various Nabertherm crucible furnaces (resistance-heated, each 3.6 kW) with protective gas mixer and mechanical stirrer (Mg, Al)
Low-pressure die casting furnace (Mg)
Moulding press, various resistance furnaces for preheating