Causes and Improvement Measures of Ingot Surface Ripples in Aluminum Ingot Casting Line

Release time:

Mar 02,2023

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In the aluminum ingot casting line, the surface ripples have a huge impact on the quality of the final products. The research on the surface ripples will be greatly helpful to improve the quality of the ingots. Today, we will analyze the causes and improvement measures of ingot surface ripples in the aluminum ingot casting line.

HTGP Aluminum Ingot Casting LineThe ripple is a common defect occurring during the solidifying of the liquid aluminum in the aluminum ingot casting line. It is caused by the unstable operation of the production line. Common surface corrugations of aluminum ingots have three states: concentric circles, bubbles, and grooves at both ends.

Ripple Types and Causes

Concentric Water Ripples

The concentric water ripples are formed after the liquid aluminum enters the aluminum ingot mold through the distributor to cool and solidify. It is a shape centered on a certain place on the surface of the aluminum ingot and spreads to all sides in a corrugated manner.

Causes

The main reason for the concentric water ripples is that liquid aluminum contains a small amount of waste slag during casting.

Bubble Water Ripples

Bubble water ripples are raised or floating block-shaped ripples formed on the surface of the aluminum ingot after the liquid aluminum is cooled and formed. After the ripples are formed, the surface of the aluminum ingot is uneven. From the cross-section, sometimes an interlayer is formed.

Causes

At the beginning of casting, the temperature of the mold is low, and the temperature rises rapidly after the liquid aluminum enters the mold. At this time, if the mold is cooled rapidly, it will cause great damage to the mold. In actual production, the molten aluminum is solidified by direct air cooling on the upper surface and indirect water cooling on other surfaces during casting. In this way, the aluminum is still in a semi-solidified state at a crystallization temperature of about 660°C. Due to the large temperature difference, the surface layer of the aluminum ingot solidifies due to water cooling. Due to the residual moisture in the mold, the high-temperature aluminum liquid is injected into the mold to generate water vapor. During the solidification process of the aluminum liquid, the gas escapes from the inside to the surface and bubbles to form a bubble water ripple. In addition, the aluminum water flowing out of the holding furnace contains a large amount of hydrogen, and a large amount of hydrogen gas escapes to form bubbles during the solidification process of the aluminum water.

Groove-Like Ripples

Groove-like ripples at both ends are caused by the vibration of the mold during the cooling process of the liquid aluminum in the mold, causing ripples on the surface of the formed aluminum ingot. The ends are lighter.

Causes

(1) Design link. The uneven operation caused by the polygonal effect of the conveyor chain has an impact on the surface quality of the aluminum ingot; the rigidity of the casting machine frame can also affect the water ripple; the impact and vibration of the demoulding mechanism and the printer also have a certain impact on the water ripple: The mold shape, mold release agent, and cooling rate all have certain influences on water ripples.

(2) Manufacturing and installation link. The manufacturing and installation accuracy of chains, sprockets, and guide rails have a certain impact on the vibration and operation of the casting machine, thus affecting the "water ripples" on the surface of aluminum ingots.

Improvement Measures

Through analysis, the unstable speed and the shaking of the casting mold are the essential reasons for the sloshing of the aluminum liquid and the "water ripples" on the surface of the aluminum ingot. Therefore, we should try to make the ingot casting conveyor move stably.

Improve the structure of the shaft where the mold shaft and the roller cooperate and the lubrication conditions, and reduce the friction between the two, so as to ensure the smooth operation of the ingot casting conveyor.

By improving the structure and process of rollers, chains, sprockets, and guide rails, by improving the structure and control mode of asynchronous motors, and by increasing the dynamic stiffness of the frame, the vibration of the conveyor chain can be reduced, thereby improving the smooth operation of the ingot casting conveyor.

At Last

The development of advanced manufacturing technology has continuously improved the precision of each component of the casting machine system. And, the development of the conveyor chain system has become increasingly mature. A new structure of the aluminum ingot casting conveyor will be designed to continuously improve the operation stability to eliminate the "water ripple" phenomenon. What’s better, the development of control technology makes the control of each link of the casting machine more accurate and reasonable, reducing and eliminating the "water ripple" phenomenon caused by system failure and control error factors. Luoyang HTGP is a professional manufacturer of aluminum ingot casting lines. Welcome to inquiry if interested.

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