Melting furnaces for foundry casting alloys can take many forms depending on many factors ;
- Alloy to be melted and cast; aluminum, zinc, magnesium.
- Metal demand – volume of molten metal needed every hour.
- Type of charge material and mix.
- Transfer rates, ladle size.
- Holding temperatures.
- Heating system; electric, gas, oil, etc.
- Central melt or “point of Use” melting.
- Working hours ; 8×5 days shift to 24/7 continuous.
Crucible furnaces
- These are the simplest, most flexible and most cost effective melting solution for smaller foundries.
- Simple to operate and maintain.
- Smallest installation footprint allows melt and hold at point of use. Allow for quick alloy changes.
- Suitable for Al alloys, Zn alloys, Mg alloys and lead.
- Flexible melting rates from a few lbs depending on metal and alloys .
- Aluminum to 2,000 lbs/hr (~900 kg/h).
- Magnesium to 3,000 lbs/hr (~1350 kg/h).
- Up to 4,000 lbs of aluminum, 18,000 lbs magnesium.
- Static or tilting versions allow for multi furnace installations combine bulk melt and holding.
- Electric or fuel fired units available (fuel fired with natural gas, propane, town gas, or oil).
Reverberatory furnaces
- Bulk melting and holding furnaces with largest capacity range 3,000 to 300,000 lbs holding capacity.
- Melting achieved on a dry hearth or directly in the bath.
- Dry hearth and wet bath melting possible in the same furnaces.
- Generally fuel fired heating using natural gas or oil.
- Some smaller capacity units can be specified with electric radiant heating.
- Restricted to a single alloy due to the large holding capacity.
- Variable efficiency depending on degree of utilization and melting style specification.
Shaft melting furnaces
- Most efficient fuel fired melting furnaces.
- Melting capacity limited to approx. 5,000 kg/h (11,000 lbs/hr).
- Melt on demand performance separates holding and melting performance.
- Allows for smaller holding capacity and reduced energy consumption Always fuel fired using natural gas, propane or oil.
- Operation can be automated extensively and integrated with material and molten metal handling systems.
- Most complex of all the furnace systems but with best capital payback rates.
Chip melting furnaces
- Purpose designed furnace systems or integrated into conventional melting furnaces or retrofitted to existing furnace installations.
- Requires a purpose built pocket(s) to install a pump and vortex inducing system for chip submergence.
- Options for mechanical or EM style metal pumping systems to circulate metal.
- Melting capacity limited to max 10% of molten bath holding capacity. Burner capacity of holding.
- Bath must be upgraded from holding only.
Custom Melting Furnaces
SINC Thermal can develop and combine furnace designs in unique and innovative ways to suit your particular requirements.
Every foundry and die caster is a unique operation with a variety of requirements that don’t always fit a “standard” furnace design.