The CSM capability on Special Alloys and Melting Technologies is supported by a complete set of equipments which allows CSM to study all the cycle of development of a new product whether it is a wrought product, a casting product and a sintered product.
Here below a brief description of the facilities and their most remarkable characteristics is given:
• VACUM INDUCTION MELTING (VIM)
Vacuum Induction Melting (VIM) is a melting technology used to manufacture high quality special steels and superalloys in form of both ingots and near net shape castings. The plant of CSM has a capacity in the range of 5-80 kg and allows to take liquid specimen during melting to check and eventually correct chemical analysis of the melt. Ingots can be manufactured in round or rectangular section depending on their use whereas investment casting is possible using shell mould sized up to 500 mm of diameter.
Fe based, Ni based, Co based, Al based and Cu based alloys can be poured as near net shape castings whereas all but Al alloys can be poured as ingots.
• VACUUM ARC REMELTING (VAR)
Vacuum Arc Remelting (VAR) is a re-melting technology used to increase quality of ingots of steels and alloys in terms of soundness, segregation, impurities, inclusions and grain structure. The process uses an electrical arc between the electrode and the growing ingot to melt the tip of the electrode: as in ESR the melting and solidification modalities allow to run the process having a minimum amount of liquid phase during the whole process and a directional solidification of the ingot from the bottom of the mould upwards its top. The high temperature reached close to the arc allows to have dissociation of undesired compounds and evaporation of high vapour tension elements usually considered impurities. The ingot weight is in the range of 100 kg and ingots size is in the range D=150-200 mm and H=500-1000 mm.