Small Scale Foundries for Developing Published by: Intermediate ...

CI-LM’TER 1
INTRODUCTION
The Role Of The Foundry
Castings in iron, brass, aluminium, or other
metals are an essential part of most engineering
products, and a foundry in which to
make them is needed by any developing
industrial society. Although the production
of castings on a large scale is a sophisticated
and capital intensive business, there can be a
useful market for small scale foundries producing
castings for building and domestic
products, machinery parts, and spare parts
for other equipment.
Some foundries are independent organisations
producing castings for a number of
customers. Other foundries are departments
of larger concerns, which need their own
source of castings for their products, or for
the production of spare parts.
Foundries may specialise in one or more
types or sizes of casting, or produce a wide
range of types of product. Some castings are
used for standard items such as pipe fittings,
manhole covers and cooking stoves, whilst
others have to be made individually for each
application.
Many foundries have their own machining
workshops to produce finished components
or products, while others only make
raw castings.
Foundry technology is changing rapidly,
for small foundries as well as for large; casting
production. is becoming more of a
science with modern techniques, and less of
a traditional art. Nevertheless many valuable
skills have to be learned and experience
as well as theoretical knowledge is needed by
the foundryman.
Some of the more commonly required
types of casting which might be produced by
small scale foundries are listed below.
Such a list can never be complete - one of
the advantages of the foundry process is its
flexibility, and the possibility of making all
sorts and types of casting for a wide range of
applications.
Cast Iron
Castings
Stoves
Pulleys
Manhole
covers
Pipe fittings
Pumps
Fire bars
Brake
drums
Vehicle
Spares
Bearing
blocks
Valves
Machinery
spares
Aluminium
Castings
Levers &
handles
Fan and
motor
housings
Cooking
pots and
kitchen
tools
Portable
pump
bodies
Pulleys
Irrigation
pipe fittings
Light
fittings
Door
furniture
/
Machinery
spare parts
for all types
of
equipment
Brass &
Bronze
Castings
Valves &
taps for
corrosive
liquids
Bearings
and bushes
Boat parts
and
propellors
Pump
bodies and
pump
impellors
Ornamental
and
decorative
castings
Door
furniture
Machinery
spare parts
for all types
of
equipment