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ALUMINIUM CASTING
companies of the benefits of impregnation as
a genuine quality enhancement rather than a
rectification process.
The proof of performance and reliability
however, as Ultraseal explains, is best based
on testing of impregnated casting samples and
sealants to international standards and recognised
test procedures (such as US Military
Specification MIL-1-7563C test rings). In this
way, results generated reflect actual practical
product performance, e.g. demonstrating that,
through the Ultraseal process, all microporosity
is sealed and the gross porosity of the sample
is improved by 99%.
Vacuum impregnation equipment
One criticism levelled at the vacuum impregnation
process, and equipment systems offered,
centres on its alleged limited flexibility.
But, as Ultraseal adds, while the concept
of impregnation is simple – based on clean,
dry parts, followed by vacuum impregnation,
draining, thorough washing and then curing
– its level of sophistication and the process parameters
required to produce effective, permanent
results must be carefully considered.
Addressing these considerations, Ultraseal
offers customers not only a standard
Founded in 1967, Ultraseal International
has its world headquarters in Coventry,
UK. The company concentrates its sealant
manufacture and R&D in the UK but provides
customers with the benefit of a global
footprint for impregnation machines. The
company has operations in the USA, India,
China and Japan, along with a network
of more than 20 distributors and agents
around the world.
Ultraseal International is recognised
as the global leader in providing casting
impregnation equipment and sealants as a
solution to the universal problem of porosity
in castings, powered metal components,
and electronic components. It has gained
this global standing through its long history
of over 40 years of specialising in developing
solutions for porosity and by being continually
first to market with such products as
recycling sealants and equipment and front
loading casting impregnation machinery.
Indeed, the company’s advanced products
have enabled casting impregnation to become
established as a vital integrated process
in manufacturing, providing added value
and cost savings whilst focusing on environmentally
friendly materials and processes.
vacuum impregnation
equipment, but on assimilating
a thorough
understanding of the
precise individual requirements
and then
delivers a tailored solution
based on modular
designs from a wide
range of standardised
elements. For example,
the requirements
of a foundry processing
raw castings will be
vastly different to those
of an end user seeking
to impregnate finished
machined components.
Similarly, a sub-contract
operation processing a range of parts in
varying sizes and materials will have differing
expectations from their vacuum impregnation
facility than a manufacturer dedicated to just
one component or family of similar parts.
The extent of Ultraseal’s client base and
the enormous range of components being impregnated
worldwide today using its vacuum
impregnation equipment and technology demands
a unique understanding of the varied
requirements of customers across a diverse
range of industries.
Simple batch machines were the first to be
used for impregnation, and were originally
based on a simple vacuum autoclave system
with open tanks for the subsequent processes.
Top-loading technology, developed by Ultraseal,
with rotational
cascade washing (and
many other features),
remains widely used
and specified for the
more complex machined
components.
Ultraseal can supply
standard batch processing
machines for startup
and lower volume
requirements, offering
appropriate levels of
process control.
The adoption of
lean manufacturing
by many companies
represented a commitment
to reduce
WIP and the requirement
now was for impregnation
machines
that could not only
handle smaller batch-
Cast component showing porosity
Casting with applied sealant under UV light
es but also offer faster cycle times and be
fully integrated into the production process.
Ultraseal International pioneered the
world’s first front-loading impregnation system
to complement the majority of manufacturing
worldwide which is conveyor-based.
These systems offer greater speed, control
and significant health and safety advantages,
as well as the key ability to be fully integrated
into production lines. A further advance by
Ultraseal has been the development of fully
automated through machines for complete
integration into mainstream production, offering
the high throughput required for high
volume applications such as engine block
manufacture.
Ken Stanford, contributing editor
44 ALUMINIUM · 11/2012