Ablation Casting Process Update

The ablation casting process is a relatively new precision sand casting process in which the soluble binder for the mold is ablated (eroded) away by water jets prior to the freezing of the liquid metal, thereby solidifying the metal at unprecedented rates as a result of the direct impingement of cooling water (in contrast to most other casting processes whose rates of solidification are largely controlled by heat transfer across the ‘air gap’ between the casting and mold). In addition, environmental acceptability of this water-based process is high, but productivity and cost appear to be keenly competitive. Both magnesium and aluminum castings with high properties have been successfully demonstrated, with a significant number that have resisted all attempts to fail them by normal testing procedures.