Laser engraving in the smelting industry
In this article we will discuss the casting industry and laser engraving on cast components.
The foundries are the basis of production in almost every industry. They supply virtually all types of factories that produce metal components, of all sizes and types. Let’s go look specifically at what industries they are in and where the laser marking in this important industry.
Automotive
The foundry is definitely the leading player inAutomotive. All structural components of the engine, chassis, transmission parts, and brake system come from foundries. They are made of ferrous alloys (cast iron and steel).
In addition to ferrous alloys, castings of nonferrous alloys are also made. In particular, aluminum and magnesium are among them. They are used to make the structural components of the automobile (engine, gearboxes, steering rails, wheels), but also for the bodywork. In addition, numerous accessories (such as door handles) are made from zamak (an alloy of zinc, aluminum, copper, and magnesium).
The motorcycle industry also cannot do without the use of cast parts, made mainly of nonferrous metal alloys such as aluminum but also cast iron, which are widely used to make the “heart” of the motorcycle: the engine and frame. The use of aluminum and zamak castings is also widespread for numerous accessory components such as, for example, parts of the chassis, linkages, and lights.
All vehicle components have traceability codes. Automotive is probably the industry sector that has this issue most at heart. Every component is marked with an identification code.. This code contains all the relevant information for the manufacturer: lot, date and time of production, place and factory of origin. This is essential for safeguarding quality and for timely intervention in case of failure. The codes we are talking about are usually two-dimensional; in the Foundry they always are. In most cases they are DataMatrix, because of the advantages of these codes, which we will analyze later.
Now let's see what other sectors the smelting industry supplies with basic components
Urban planning
Electricity
Electricity cannot be produced without the use of castings, mainly made from steel or cast iron alloys. Whether it comes from renewable sources (water and wind) or fossil fuels, plants cannot be built without the cast components. It is through the impellers of turbines (steel castings) or the chain of motion transmission (cast iron castings) that the propulsion of water (for hydroelectric power plants), steam (for thermal power plants) or wind (for wind power plants) is transmitted to the power generators.
Home appliance
Stoves, boilers, and bathtubs are indispensable for a cozy home and for relaxing after a long day at work. All these components would not exist without the casting industry, which, albeit indirectly provides for our domestic well-being. Even many of the household appliances in our homes could not be manufactured without using castings, which are found in cooktops, refrigerators, washing machines, and many small appliances that we use every day.
Aerospace Industry
Modern airplanes are powered by powerful propulsion engines within which key components are made from steel alloy castings produced by lost-wax investment casting technology. Other steel alloy, aluminum, and magnesium castings are found in important parts of aircraft and helicopters.
The manufacturing process
of cast components
Now that we understand that spindles are really in every part of our daily lives, let’s delve into this technology. How are these components made? What are the processes involved in them?
Foundries make metal products (called castings or castings) of well-defined shape, size, and chemical and physical characteristics through a simple and efficient production process.
In a foundry, molten metal (consisting of ferrous or nonferrous alloys) is cast directly into sand molds or metal molds (usually steel) that reproduce in negative the geometry of the part to be made, within which the metal solidifies. The materials of which the various parts of the mold are made are always metals with higher melting points than the injected material, such as precisely aluminum. Once cooled, the casting is removed from the mold or die and subjected to finishing operations.
The injection pressure of the melt can vary depending on the weight of the part to be obtained, but also on the type of casting material used. It is important that the pressure is then kept constant throughout the casting process, that is, untilthe part is solidified. Hydraulic presses ensure in the meantime theperfect and complete closure of the mold: once the part is solidified, the presses allow the two half-molds to open so that the die-cast part can be taken out.
Castings can be supplied to the customer raw, as fresh out of the foundry process, or machined.
Foundries that also offer machining deliver to the customer a casting ready to be mounted on other components, such as a piston on a brake disc motor on a brake system.
In some cases, foundries produce catalog castings that can be sold directly to the end consumer: this is the case for radiators, grills, manhole covers, street furniture, smokeware, and cookware.
The casting foundry is also commonly referred to as a second melt foundry, because only remelting operations of products from primary metallurgical industries (cast irons and nonferrous alloys in cakes obtained from the reduction of ores or produced by scrap recovery) as well as, in the case of ferrous metal foundries, from scrap are carried out inside the furnaces. Precisely because of the peculiarity of their production process, foundries are a central element in the transition to the circular economy.
The production of aluminum die-cast components is automated and computerized, so it lends itself to high productivity. Constant control of the casting process ensures the best possible quality of cast parts and maximizes the production efficiency of its plants.
Thanks to the high technological and quality standards achieved by equipment and machinery today, parts produced by casting ensure minimal dimensional tolerances and better surface finishes than other foundry processes.
Register for the event
LASIT LIVE: Laser engraving on cast components
We have decided to offer the following public and our Foundry customers a never-before-seen laser engraving experience. That’s why in May we will open the doors of our laboratory to let you see laser engraving on cast components up close.
The event will last three days and will be run as a virtual one-on-one meeting with one of our salespeople and a trained laser technician. In this way, each Lab visitor will have the opportunity to learn more about what he or she wants.
You’ll be able to ask all the questions you want about laser engraving of cast components, how to achieve permanent engravings. You’ll also find out how not to compromise laser engraving results after invasive processes such as sandblasting and shot peening.
Ecology
In recent years, the percentage of recovered materials used to replace virgin raw material has steadily increased. In Italy, special attention has been paid to this topic and to the ecology of the system. Today, as much as 75 percent of materials in the Italian land industry are recycled, for all those equipped with an electric furnace.
Production waste is also reused in the process: 95 percent of the spent earth produced in the foundry is reused as raw material, replacing sand and earth from mining operations. Finally, 95 percent of the water used to cool the furnaces is recovered and reused. A perfectly circular system, making foundries environmentally friendly enterprises.
Laser marking on cast components
Laser marking today intervenes in the casting process before sandblasting and shot peening. Until then years ago this was impossible, due to the fact that such invasive processes damaged the laser engraving result and the code was unreadable.
The traceability codes most often marked are DataMatrix. They are two-dimensional codes that have countless advantages over their one-dimensional equivalents, namely barcodes.
First of all, DataMatrix codes can contain more than 2000 characters of information. For equivalent performance a barcode would have to be too awkward a size to read, and implementation would be uneconomical.
Writing all this information into the DataMatrix means being able to monitor with one code: the production batch, location, date and time of fulfillment, and customer database information.
The type of datmatrix marked is an ECC 200 that follows the AIM DPM standard. This is because laser-marked codes are called DPM which stands for Direct Part Marking. The laser marking is done in a direct manner on the die cast.
Another advantage of the DataMatrix is its error correction capability. It is readable even when 30% damaged. This feature on cast components takes on special significance since with the invasive processes of shot peening and sandblasting we run this risk.
The DataMatrix can be very small in size when made by laser. Another important piece of information is that the DataMatrix is readable with up to 20 percent contrast. This is critical in the land world, where invasive processes such as sandblasting and shot peening, could damage it.
At LASIT, we have developed a strategy to overcome this problem. Today, after years of R&D, we can mark the 2D code directly on the component as it comes out of the mold. This makes it traceable throughout, and the code remains readable even after sandblasting.
We will delve into this topic and more at our event dedicated to foundries, LASIT LIVE – Marking on Cast Components, to be held May 12-14. For the first time, we will open the doors of our Laser Test Laboratories to show our findings to the public in meetings dedicated to each individual participant.
Did you like this article? Share it on
