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Handle casting refers to the process of creating metal handles for tools, machines, or other objects using metal casting techniques. During the process, molten metal is poured into a mold that has the desired shape and dimensions of the handle. Once the metal cools and solidifies, the mold is removed, leaving behind a finished metal handle with the desired strength, durability, and shape. The handle casting process is often used to create handles for tools, such as hammers, axes, and wrenches, as well as for industrial machinery and equipment.

There are different handle casting methods, including sand casting, die casting, investment casting, and gravity casting. These methods all have their unique benefits and drawbacks.

1. Sand casting: This is one of the oldest and most common casting methods used to make handles. It involves pouring molten metal into a sand mold. The sand is a mixture of silica, clay, water, and other additives. The sand mold ensures that the handle will have a rough texture compared to handles produced using other methods. Sand casting is suitable for producing large batches of handles.

Advantages:

– Low cost of production

– Suitable for making large batches of handles

– Sand molds can be easily customized to create different handle designs and shapes.

Disadvantages:

– Surface finish is rough compared to other casting methods.

– The process is labor-intensive and time-consuming.

– The risk of sand contamination by the molten metal.

 

2. Die casting: This method involves producing handles by injecting molten metal into a mold under high pressure. The mold is made of two parts, the cavity and the ejector. After the metal solidifies, the ejector pushes the casting out. Die casting is ideal for producing intricate handle designs and shapes that require high precision.

Advantages:

– Accurate dimension and high precision in handling small parts

– Smooth surface finish

– Suitable for mass production of handles

Disadvantages:

– High initial cost of equipment and tooling

– Limited to certain alloys due to the high pressure

– Weaker casting because of the high pressure, which can cause porosity.

 

3. Investment casting: This method is also called lost-wax casting. The model of the handle is made of wax or a similar material that melts, leaving behind an impression in a casting material. The mold is coated with ceramic or other materials, and the wax is melted out. Then the mold is filled with molten metal. Investment casting produces highly accurate and precise handle designs.

Advantages:

– Excellent surface finish and high accuracy

– Can produce complex and intricate handle designs

– Suitable for high-quality production of smaller batches

Disadvantages:

– High setup cost

– Time-consuming

– Limited to smaller handle sizes

 

4. Gravity casting: This method involves pouring molten metal into a mold using gravity to fill the mold. The mold can be made of sand, clay, or other materials. Gravity casting is suitable for producing handles that have simple designs and shapes.

Advantages:

– Compared to sand casting, it produces a better finish

– Suitable for casting a wide range of metals alloys

– Faster production time than sand casting

Disadvantages:

– Lower precision and accuracy

– Limited to producing handles with simple shapes

– Not suitable for large batches of handles.

 

Materials	Detail
Aluminum	Aluminum is a lightweight and durable metal that is commonly used in handle casting. It is corrosion-resistant and can be easily recycled.
Brass	Brass is a copper-zinc alloy that has a distinctive golden color and is easy to cast. It is also corrosion-resistant and has a long life span.
Aluminum	Cast iron is a durable material that is commonly used for pump castings. It is strong, resistant to wear and tear, and has good fluid-carrying capabilities.
Zinc alloy	Zinc is a low-cost metal that is used in handle casting because of its durability and corrosion-resistance. It can be easily molded into complex shapes and has a shiny finish.
Stainless Steel	Stainless steel is a corrosion-resistant alloy that is commonly used in handle casting. It has a unique ability to resist stains and is easy to maintain.
Bronze	Bronze is a copper-tin alloy that is commonly used in handle casting. It has a beautiful brown color and is resistant to corrosion. It is widely used in the casting of decorative handles.

After casting process, there are several post-processes that may be required to achieve the desired final product. These post-processes include:

 

1. Cleaning and Inspection – After casting, the handle needs to be cleaned to remove any dirt, debris, or residuals. The handle will then be inspected for any imperfections or defects that occurred during the casting process.

 

2. Surface Finishing – This process involves improving the appearance and feel of the handle. surface finishing includes processes like sanding, buffing, and polishing.

 

3. Machining – The handle may need to be machined to create a specific shape or to remove any excess material.

 

4. Heat Treatment – Depending on the material used, the handle may need to undergo heat treatment to increase its strength and durability.

 

5. Coating or Plating – In some cases, a handle may require a protective coating or plating to prevent corrosion or enhance its appearance or performance.

 

6. Assembly – For some handles, additional components may need to be added such as screws or fasteners before it is ready for its intended use.

 

7. Quality Control – Lastly, before a handle is released to the market, it will undergo quality control checking to ensure that it meets the required standards and specifications

1. Automotive industry: Casting is widely used in the automotive industry to manufacture engine blocks, cylinder heads, transmission cases, and other critical components.

 

2. Aerospace industry: The aerospace industry uses casting extensively for producing engine components, wing structures, landing gear, and other parts.

 

3. Jewelry industry: Casting is used in the manufacturing of jewelry, such as rings, pendants, and earrings. It is a cost-effective and efficient way of producing large quantities of jewelry.

 

4. Medical industry: The medical industry uses casting for producing various surgical instruments, implants, and prosthetic devices.

 

5. Construction industry: The construction industry uses casting for creating architectural elements such as cornices, columns, and balustrades.

 

6. Marine industry: The marine industry uses casting for manufacturing various marine components, including propellers, anchors, and other accessories.

 

7. Electrical industry: Casting is widely used in the electrical industry to produce various components such as electrical switchgear, transformers, motor housings, and other parts.

 

8. Sporting goods industry: The sporting goods industry uses casting for manufacturing various sporting goods components such as golf club heads, fishing reels, and other sports equipment.

After pouring carbon steel handles, American standard 200 series, and 400 series stainless steel handles, the surface quality of casting handle parts can be seriously affected by secondary oxidation of the steel liquid. This leads to defects such as decarburization, concave-convex patterns, and pitting, which can compromise the overall quality of the product. To avoid these defects, a number of measures can be taken during the casting process.

One effective solution is to use combustible materials such as waste wax and sawdust to create a reducing atmosphere around the steel liquid. After pouring the steel liquid, a fixed amount of these materials can be placed on the sprue cup of the mold shell. The mold shell can then be quickly covered with an iron box to prevent the steel liquid from contacting the air and producing oxidation.

In this way, an atmosphere of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide can be created from the incomplete combustion of the combustible materials. This allows the steel liquid to slowly cool and solidify in a reducing atmosphere, reducing the thickness of the decarburization layer on the surface of the casting handle parts. It also eliminates concave-convex patterns and pitting defects, which is beneficial for refining the surface of the casting handle parts.

This process is particularly important for casting handles made of steel materials with high chromium content for a steel casting manufacturer, such as the American standard 200 series and 400 series stainless steel handles. When these materials are poured at high temperatures, they are prone to secondary oxidation, which can lead to a range of defects that affect the surface quality of the product.

By using combustible materials to create a reducing atmosphere during the casting process, manufacturers can ensure that the surface of casting handle parts is of high quality and free from defects. This not only enhances the overall appearance of the product but also improves its durability and longevity. As such, it is an important consideration for any manufacturer looking to produce high-quality casting handle parts.

Figure 5-23 shows the component diagram of the handle casting product of the American Standard 200 series. Figure 5-24 shows the process diagram of the product group, with a product number of 201 and chemical composition: C≤0.15%, Si≤1.00%, Mn5.5%~7.5%, P≤0.06%, S≤0.03%, Cr16%~18%, Ni3.50%~5.50%.

This piece uses a full silica sol shell making process, with 4.5 layers of shell. The handle shell is baked at a temperature of 1050-1150℃ for 30 minutes, and the new melting material usage is 60%. The steel material is clean, free of oil stains and corrosion.

Manganese iron 0.2%-0.3% is added at 1520℃, and silicon iron 0.2% is added at 1550-1570℃ for pre-deoxidation. After pre-deoxidation is completed, the temperature is raised to 1630-1650℃, and 0.2% silicon calcium manganese deoxidizer is added in three times with an interval of 5-10 seconds, followed by covering with a slag remover.

The temperature is raised to the pouring temperature and then the power supply is shut off for static settling. The static settling time of the molten steel is extended to over 3 minutes to ensure that inclusions fully float to the top, followed by multiple slag removals. The pouring temperature is 1600-1610℃.

After casting the handle product, due to the high chromium content and strong chemical activity of chromium, many dense circular light brown spots appear on the surface near the inner sprue, which are called pitting defects. The pits are regular hemispherical small pits, about 0.3-0.5mm deep, and filled with slag material before cleaning. Energy spectrum analysis of this material shows that it mainly consists of chromium oxide and silicon oxide. This type of defect often occurs in alloy steel castings with Cr20%, Ni10%. Although this defect does not affect the use of the handle casting, it cannot be repaired and is unacceptable to customers. The pitting defect becomes larger, as shown in Figure 5-25.

The reason is the secondary oxidation of the steel liquid during the cooling and solidification process. The chromium content of the 201 material is relatively high, and chromium reacts easily with oxygen to form inclusions. During pouring, the mold shell pouring temperature is about 900℃, and the pouring temperature of the steel liquid is about 1600-1610℃.

At this time, the temperature contacting the surface of the handle casting is extremely high, and coupled with the steel liquid rushing into the cavity from the inner sprue, it causes overheating near the inner sprue and the metal liquid solidifies slowly. At this time, oxygen in the atmosphere easily reacts with the metal surface through the mold shell to produce oxide, which aggregates with inclusions in the steel liquid to form pitting. By reducing the mold shell pouring temperature of the handle casting, and covering with a box and lid, pitting can be prevented, as shown in Figure 5-26.

1. What is handle casting?

 

Handle casting is a process of creating handles for various objects by pouring molten metal or plastic into a mold. The mold is then cooled, and the resulting handle is removed from the mold and finished as required.

 

2. What are the materials used for handle casting?

 

Materials commonly used for handle casting include metal alloys such as aluminum, copper, brass, and stainless steel, as well as plastics such as polypropylene and polycarbonate.

 

3. What tools and equipment are required for handle casting?

 

The tools and equipment required include a mold, a furnace or melting pot, a ladle for pouring liquid metal or plastic, a crucible for melting the material, and finishing tools such as grinders and sandpaper.

 

4. What are the benefits of handle casting?

 

Handle casting offers many benefits, including the ability to create precise shapes and sizes, excellent durability and strength, and the ability to produce large quantities of handles in a short period of time. Additionally, handle casting is often more cost-effective than other manufacturing methods.

 

5. What are some examples of objects that use handle casting?

 

Objects that commonly use handle casting include cookware such as pots and pans, hand tools such as hammers and wrenches, and various types of equipment and machinery used in various industries.