Holy crap lost foam casting is awesome

[MikeMike]

http://is.rely.net/2-55-16158-l-4Rg65UR5QO3zMZvFV6HfrA.jpg
http://is.rely.net/2-55-16157-l-57xpovcwEpUxF468R975mg.jpg


thats insane, it makes the block look like styrofoam though lol.

GM pioneered it and Saturn used it, its an awesome practice, i gotta go read some more on it.

 

[Slacker]

O RLY

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: Slacker
O RLY

quickly what ive learned.

pour molten steel/aluminum etc into the styrene that is set inside sand, and the styrene disappears as the mmolten steel hits it.

hence "lost foam"

 

[JDrake]

Interesting

 

[wedi42]

so how does traditional casting work?

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE

Originally posted by: Slacker
O RLY

quickly what ive learned.

pour molten steel/aluminum etc into the styrene that is set inside sand, and the styrene disappears as the mmolten steel hits it.

hence "lost foam"

that's pretty effin cool

 

[jlee]

Nifty.

 

[DnetMHZ]

And burning styrene is great stuff to breath too!

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: johngute
so how does traditional casting work?

With Iron, molds are made from sand. Once the molten iron poured into them cools, you break it out of the sand and you grind down any imprefections (usually from the ventholes and at seams in the mold) and paint it.

With aluminum, it's similar, but a layer of plastic is vaccu-formed over the inside of the mold before both sides are assembled... I forget why they do this... but once poured, same thing, imperfections are grinded down, but aluminum usually doesn't need painted.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: Injury

Originally posted by: johngute
so how does traditional casting work?

With Iron, molds are made from sand. Once the molten iron poured into them cools, you break it out of the sand and you grind down any imprefections (usually from the ventholes and at seams in the mold) and paint it.

With aluminum, it's similar, but a layer of plastic is vaccu-formed over the inside of the mold before both sides are assembled... I forget why they do this... but once poured, same thing, imperfections are grinded down, but aluminum usually doesn't need painted.

thats one thing that Lost Foam mostly eliminates, the imperfections

 

[DeeKnow]

... and how do you cast the styrene to begin with ???

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: DeeKnow
... and how do you cast the styrene to begin with ???

injection molding.

 

[Farbio]

and what is that first pic of? AFAIK, GM doesn't have a I-6?

or is the trailblazer 4.2 an I-6?

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: Farbio
and what is that first pic of? AFAIK, GM doesn't have a I-6?

or is the trailblazer 4.2 an I-6?

It is, and you are correct. Text

 

[DeeKnow]

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE

Originally posted by: DeeKnow
... and how do you cast the styrene to begin with ???

injection molding.

and the mould for that was made by....?

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: DeeKnow

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE

Originally posted by: DeeKnow
... and how do you cast the styrene to begin with ???

injection molding.

and the mould for that was made by....?

Hold on a minute!

Chicken....

Egg...

Chicken....

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Chicken....

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Chicken....

Egg...

Chicken....

Egg...

 

[Turnpike]

This is basically the "lost wax" pattern that jewlers have been doing for hundreds of years. Create what you want to make (ie a ring) with wax, invest (make a mold of it) it with something that won't melt, heat it so the wax (in this case foam) melts out (because you put a spruce to access the mold) then fill it with molten metal (or gold to make your ring!). Break the investment (the mold) and BAM. Theres a duplicate of what you built with the wax but now made of gold. This is EXACTLY how a dental lab tech makes gold crowns and bridges too. That's cool to see it done on such a large scale like an engine.