As part of its growing portfolio of specially designed products for foundry, casting and heat treatment, IPS Ceramics is now supplying ceramic casting plugs in a range of sizes, shapes and materials. The investment casting technique – also known as the lost wax or precision casting process – offers excellent tolerances and surface finish alongside great design flexibility for complex geometries. It is widely used across the advanced engineering scene and is particularly important in supplying a number of industries, including aerospace, defence, power generation, automotive, oil and gas, space exploration, medical/orthopaedics, and jewellery.
Stability, as well as high temperature resistance, is an important element of the investment casting process and IPS casting plugs ensure that pattern assembly vent holes are effectively covered. They are also used as a mechanical means of closing core supports within the assembly.
The casting plugs can be manufactured in different grades of ceramic material. For instance, where a very smooth, clean finish is required, then typically a 95% alumina material is used (99% alumina is also available). If this feature is less important, then a corundum/mullite mix may be preferred. Either way, IPS Ceramics can supply the necessary components and with the invaluable support of its technical and in-house engineering team can custom design and manufacture a variety of components for the investment casting sector.
Casting plugs are a single-use product, part of the expendable ceramic shell, and so in addition to superior finish and effectiveness in operation, they need to be made available at a competitive cost. IPS Ceramics is meeting the brief in all respects and has already supplied these products in the UK to one of the best known aero engine and industrial gas turbine component manufacturers, and also an internationally renowned producer of nickel-chromium steel alloys.
IPS Ceramics will be exhibiting these and other ranges for advanced manufacturing at the Ceramics UK exhibition (Telford International Centre, England, 10-11 July 2019) on stand 1412.
+44 (0)1782 711 511
