Process

Our fully integrated manufacturing system is designed for complete flexibility to meet our customer requirements. 

The Hazleton Casting staff is completely prepared to work with your Total Quality Process and meet your Just In Time Inventory expectations. Complex stainless steel and alloy designs and intricate core work is handled by our experienced workforce and design engineers who have been in the casting industry for many years. As an alloy casting company our expertise with intricate core and mold work is the equal of anyone in the alloy casting industry.

Please contact us if you have any questions concerning our casting process.

Melting Capacity
Medium to high frequency, coreless induction furnaces are used for all melting operations.

1x 600 lb. furnace

2 x 1200 lb. furnace

2 x 3500 lb. furnaces

1x 5500 lb. furnaces

1300 tons per yard total clean casting capacity.

Alloys Produced

Nodular cast irons
High chromium cast irons
High alloy cast irons
Stainless steels to 0.025 minimum carbon (CF3, CF8M, CD4MCu, CN7M, CB7Cu-1, and Hastelloy grades)
Carbon steels (low alloy)
Heat resistant steels

AOD refined steel scrap to produce re-melted steel pig of high purity
AOD refined low carbon (.02%) stainless steel
Aluminum bronze

Pouring Capacity (Guidelines only)
Maximum poured weights including rigging (gathering and risering):

Pattern making
HCC has two patternmakers with the capability of new pattern manufacture and or maintenance, repairs, and rigging. Timber and resin materials are used. Several contract pattern shops are on call, some with CNC capabilities.

Core Making

All core manufacture is accomplished with furan resin, silica or zircon sands. Contract core making is available for high volume shell or cold box cores.

Molding
All mold manufacture is accomplished with furan resin silica or zircon sand. This system produces an air cured silica mold of high rigidity and quality. Most molds are "flow coated" with a zircon refractory coating to give an excellent surface finish.

• The heavy bay mixer has a capacity of 1500 lb. per min of furan sand. This mixer was purchased in 1997, has a R.F. control and is current foundry "best practice".
  Flaskless or flasked molds are manufactured from 48" x 48" to 108" x 108", see casting weight limits above.

• The smaller work is made on a motorized conveyor Kloster line with pattern flow system. Flaskless molds are positioned under a 1000 lb. per min. high intensity continuous mixer then filled with silica sand and allowed to air cure. Finally the pattern is removed  then the mold is flow coated, cores are placed in the mold and the mold halves closed.
  Flaskless molds from 20" x 20" to 40" x 40".

Casting Shakeout

The moulds are knocked out after pouring and cooling on the shakeout deck of a 40,000 lb. per hr. mechanical reclaim system built by IMF in 1997. Sand is reprocessed mechanically or thermally and returned to storage.
The castings have to cleaning methods available;

• Short blast with steel shot. (cleaning envelope, 8' dia. x 4' deep.)

• Grit blast with an iron free medium for Stainless steel.

Laboratory
Spectrographic analysis to assure that the pre-pour chemistry is correct. 
Metallurgic sample preparation for photomicrographs, laboratory heat treatment, mechanical testing and Brinell and Rockwell hardness tests.
Laboratory sand testing for process control of the molding operation.
All castings are date coded for traceability to metal chemistry, heat treatment, and hardness.

Cleaning
Most fettling is done manually using two swing frame cutters and grinders. Air grinders are used for hand cleaning of castings. The plant also has air arc facilities for cutting stainless steel and other high alloy material.

Welding can be done on steel castings that require weld upgrading as part of the process.

Heat Treatment
There are two electric resistance heat treatment furnaces.

• A top hat style furnace 10' x 5' x 4' with a temperature range to 2200 deg. F or 1200 deg. C This furnace also has water quenching facilities and two hearths (cars) for unloading and loading in cycle with the heat treatment process.

• A front load furnace 3' x 3' x 6' with a temperature range to 2000 deg. F or 1093 deg. C.

Other testing
Liquid penetrant, magnetic particle and hydrostatic testing.
Local contract facilities are available for any mechanical on non-destructive testing.