FOUNDRY DIVISION
Led by our passion for ceramic improvement, we established a specific production department for the metallurgic sector, suitable to satisfy the requirements of foundries working in various fields: ferrous and nonferrous industry, steel precision casting, metallic annealing, drawing mill and rolling mill in general. Starting from the selection of raw materials, the production run is based on a specialized casting department. Specific dies, vibrating tables and mixers suitable for a first dry compound, then transformed in a liquid mixture studied for the casting, give life to the following productive lines: SIM.CAST (lightened ceramic for the manufacture of billet), melted silica, stabilized zirconium and silicon carbide.
For all the mixtures we make, the Company’s strength lies in our ability to work totally on customer’s drawing, planning the manufacturing of the most suitable die in cooperation with the customer, so as to produce any kind of shaped item our customer could require.
The firing in proper furnaces allows and assures the production of sintered elements totally free from water of combination. Moreover, we produce a wide range of mastics and dies repellent to melted metal, useful for ceramic repairs.
Our last studies allowed us to make two alternative mixtures to titanate alumina, namely the stabilized zirconium vacuum-made and the silicon carbide slipped with a 99% alumina mixture. Besides showing much more resistant to mechanic stress, these two mixtures guarantee an excellent economic competitiveness.
Even in the foundry industry, SIM S.r.l. stands out for the technical support to the customer and the possibility to offer revamping works for systems that need modernization. Our team cooperates with the caster daily, to help him in the choice of the parts and the products needed for a proper and long-lasting operation of the furnaces.
In the event of systems damaged by the leakage of molten metal, SIM not only can offer the reset, but provides also the waste disposal in approved collection centers, specialized in the field, with which it has special contracts.
Industry: BILLETS MANUFACTURERS
INSULATING CERAMICS (SIM.CAST)
Excellent heat insulating material, metal repellent,
suitable for the impact with nonferrous alloys melted
metal. It is used by foundries producing billets
or die-casting in general.
The mixtures differentiate on the basis of the kind
of product to be created (SIM.CAST 120 for nozzles,
floats, hot boxes and rings – SIM.CAST 140
for runners, casting boxes and transfer cups, – SIM.
CAST 170 for ladles).
Industry: DIECASTING
MELTED SILCIA AND STABILIZED ZIRCONIUM
MELTED SILICA
Traditional mixture, particularly resistant to the erosion caused by the passage of melted metal. It is used for ceramic cups, “T” runners and nonferrous alloys.
STABILIZED ZIRCONIUM
High weight-volume mixture (83% of stabilized zirconium). It is used in steel mills for the production of crucibles, sprues or gates and low-pressure tubes. With this mixture, you can also produce special sprues for steel precision casting and nozzles for the petrochemical industry.
SPECIAL MIXTURES: “VACUUM TECHNOLOGY”
To counter the problem of the unceasing consumption of ceramic elements employed by the user, caused by the strong destructive action of melted metal, we have invested into a department equipped with nr.2 depressurized tanks for vacuum casting and we have succeeded in creating four innovative and functional mixtures:
- SIM.SiO2 S/V (vacuum fused silica)
- SIM.ZIRK S/V (vacuum zirconium)
- SIM.SICK S/V (silicon carbide + 99% ingobe Al2O3)
- SIM.TDE 90 S/V (vacuum alumina 92%)
These four mixtures are much more resistant than the traditional ones: their porosity is very closed and their surface appears particularly smooth. They are suitably studied for the industries described above, in particular: the first one for nonferrous alloys; the second one for steel and petrochemical industry; the third one to make alternative compounds to titanate alumina and the fourth one purposely for the petrochemical industry.
SILICON CARBIDE AND ADVANCED CERAMICS (SILICON CARBIDE/NITRIDE – ALUMINA)
SILICON CARBIDE
We manufacture protective sheaths for thermocouples in traditional silicon carbide. The sheath we produce, besides having a good resistance to thermal shocks (due to the reticulum composition) and a high and rapid heat measurement precision, is sintered at high temperatures, vitrified with a special flux and then annealed. The tubular part seat inside is in hardened metal, as long as the sheath itself and closed at the bottom with a watertight welding.
SILICON NITRIDE
Mixture composed of a mix of Silicon Nitride and tabular Alumina (aluminum oxide). The same is premixed dry and then kneaded and extruded, using a special depressurized drawbench.
ALUMINA (70 – 80 – 90%)
Thermodielectric refractory material used in the manufacturing of components for high temperature works. Tubes of different diameter and length are used both as electrical resistors support and as insulators of thermocouples and of temperature measuring instruments. The degree of purity is chosen and /or recommended according to the temperature of use and to the specific application.
SILICO/ALUMINOUS MIXTURES WITHADDITION OF METAL NEEDLES
SIM.SiO2 / STEEL
Highly resistant preformed refractory material, thermal insulator with particular resistance to corrosion caused by metal, used to transport and dose liquid aluminum in casting processes. Due to its peculiar features, the product is treated in vibrating tables and special furnaces at special temperatures. During its manufacturing, the product undergoes a complex sintering thermal process and it is added with metal needles in AISI 310/S.
- Alumina mixture (Al2O3 80–82% – CaO 17–19%) not dangerous.
- Aqueous solution colloidal silica not dangerous.
- Silico aluminate magnesium 90–99% not dangerous.
- Amorphous fused crystalline silica (SiO2).
- Crystalline silica (Cristobalite less than 0,7%), electro-fused alumina and steel needles. Mixed with H2O, dried and then fired with a special firing cycle apt to sinter the fused silica in a single body.
Industry: STEEL PRECISION CASTING
VACUUM FUSED SILICA AND ALUMINA 92%
Highly resistant technical refractory ceramics. Preformed thermal insulator for “T” runners, casting vases, pouring cups and shells with special resistance to corrosion caused by metal, used to transport and dose liquid aluminum in casting processes. This product is also used in the production of roller passage bricks for industrial furnaces in the glass, photovoltaic, ceramics and ceramic oxides industries. Due to its peculiar features, this product is treated in vibrating tables and special furnaces at special temperatures. During its manufacturing, the products undergo a complex sintering thermal process. At the end of the production cycle, after the firing, a boron-nitride liquid preparation is added. These kinds of mixtures are produced with vacuum technology in appropriate mixers. Thanks to this production process, we can make mixtures with 86% of fused silica and mixtures with 92% of alumina, providing better resistance to the product. Specific items of this sector are:
- Alumina crucibles;
- casting vases/cups in vacuum fused silica
- filled tubes which give support in the “cluster” preparation
- silicon carbide cuples
- ceramic mastics and putties