Performance Driven Advances in Casting Impregnation for the Advancement of Lightweight Material

Until recently, little change has been seen in the manufacturing systems employed in casting impregnation. Originally developed as a batch process to recover porous metal castings, advancements in casting impregnation manufacturing systems have been limited to increasing throughput by increasing the size of the batch process vessels. Manual valves and sight glasses were replaced with automatic valves and level sensors. Bolt down pressure vessels were replaced with locking ring technology. Systems remained highly labor intensive. Similarly, little attention was paid to the process and science of impregnation, which therefore remained stagnant.

A fresh look and research into the process and science of casting impregnation has brought about new technology enabling single piece flow and greater process effectiveness. These advancements have translated into reduced hours per unit and therefore, reduced manufacturing costs.