Measurement and Control in Liquid Metal Processing

R. J. MOREAU, Professor MADYLAM, Inst. Nat. Poly technique de Grenoble, France The material on which the foundryman 1S focus1ng his attent10n 1S a molten metal, ferrous or not, coming from the melt1ng equipment, Wh1Ch is to be del1vered into a mould where it w1ll solidify. The foundryman 1S the last person 1n th1S process who still has the poss1b1l1 ty of acting to control the quality of the casting. Indeed, most of the respons1bil1ty 1n th1S quality bus1ness is vested 1n him. Bes1des, as anyone involved 1n metals processing, he 1S engaged 1n the ongoing effort to achieve the highest eff1c1ency and the best working condit10ns. To deal w1th th1S metal he needs to know f1rst its physical properties (temperature, composit1on, 1mpur1ties . . . ) and the way they influence 1tS behav10ur (llqU1dus, solidus, structure . . ). He also needs to know how this complex flu1d flows (head losses in gating parts, flow rates, levels in moulds . . . ) and 1S modif1ed by its enV1ronment (heat fluxes, temperature var1at10ns, solidification . . . ). Responding to th1S need requires an important and regularly updated knowledge as well as preC1se measurements and advanced control processes. One may therefore appreciate why the topic "MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL IN LIQUID METAL PROCESSING" was chosen by the CIATF for the 1986 workshop.

Inhalt

1. Measurement Procedures and Equipments.- 1.1. Measurement of Physical Values.- Temperature measurement.- Determination of the Quantity of Liquid Metal Delivered to the Mould.- 1.2. Quality Control on Melts.- Control of Structure in Aluminum Alloys by Thermal Analysis.- Thermal Analysis in Ferrous Foundries.- Microstructural Control by Electrical Resistivity of Strontium Modified Alloys.- Rapid Determination of Oxygen and Oxides in Fe-C Alloy.- 2. Fluid Flow Phenomena.- 2.1. Fusion Equipment.- New ways of running crucible induction furnaces.- Relationship between Impedance and Diameter.- 2.2. Mould Filling.- Thermal Aspects of Mould Filling.- Refining of Melts by Filtration. A water Model Study.- 3D Visualisation of Mould Filling.- Optimal Gating for Thin Wall Parts.- 3 Automation.- Trends in Molten Metal Process Automation Techniques.- Automation of an Induction Meltingshop at Brebach.- Automatic Metal Stream Inoculation.- Illustration of Automation in Metal Processing at Carmagnola Plant.- 4. Discussions.- A Summary of the Discussions.