|
|
Special Alloys
In depicting the future scenarios of foundry and special alloys melting technologies it is unavoidable to consider that globalisation is already exerting a greater influence than other factors and that it is destined to grow in the future.
In fact the on-going displacement of technologies in more profitable production sites is obliging its community to further modify its own approach to the product development in order to keep itself ahead in pressuring competition.
Anyway, as in the past at the present time the right strategy to be adopted to correctly reply to this challenge passes through the introduction of innovative methodologies, materials, more refined melting technologies and stricter integration amongst them. More plant capacity, stronger quality and lower costs, tighter environmental requirements and personnel education are expected to become key drivers for competitivity, but they cannot do it alone. In that respect while a lot has been done in the past to increase the quality/cost ratio so gaining competition so far, nowadays other aspects have not yet been properly taken into the right account: if foundry and special alloys melting technologies industry wishes to keep on competing effectively with such other processes as powder metallurgy , thermal materialforming, machining it will have to question itself about its strategical choices. What technological scenario are we then facing to within this world? Casting with better, more predictable and consistent quality will force in aiming improvements on several technological subjects. In pursuing defects casting minimising, quicker job start-ups and least costs more efforts will surely concern, for example, fluid flow and casting simulation to optimise the design of gating and risering systems, and raise the knowledge on the refractory materials used in casting processes. On the side of the semi-product manufacturing, as the production of special alloys and special steels represents a limited part of the total alloy/steel production, the use of special metallurgy processes (VIM + VAR/ESR or VIGA) is not comparable to the use of the conventional metallurgy processes (EAF + VOD/VID) employed for the production of special alloys and special steels. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|