1. "FOUNDRIES IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
"FOUNDRIES IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA??" An Overview of Your Neighborhood Aluminum, Brass, Iron, and Steel Foundries (and Why We’re Here).

2. Why? What keeps these foundries here? Local Designers Local Start-ups
Local OEM’s Specialized in their Niche Products and Services.
Medical Capital Equipment
Semi-conductor Capital Equipment
Networking Enclosures & Equipment
Heavy Trucking Components
Oil Exploration Equipment
Indoor & Outdoor Lighting
Why are there only a small number remaining in Northern CA?
There were approximately 125 Foundries in 1940’s
Consumer items after WWII
Less than 20 in 2007
Foundries have moved Outside of California
Closed Global Competition

3. Who? Iron Aluminum McWane Inc - AB&I Foundry – Oakland
California Casting - Richmond
California State University - Chico
Castco - San Leandro
East Bay Brass Foundry - Richmond (Brass, Bronze, Lead, Copper)
Exper Cast Foundry - Santa Clara
General Foundry Service - San Leandro
Kearney Pattern Works & Foundry – San Jose
Production Pattern & Foundry Ridge Cast Metals Carson City, NV
Terminal Brass/Aluminum Foundry – South San Francisco
Iron
McWane Inc - AB&I Foundry – Oakland
Ridge Foundry – San Leandro
Lodi Iron Works - Lodi
U S Pipe & Foundry - Union City
Steel
California Electric Steel – Angels Camp
Grass Valley Steel Cast - Grass Valley
Pacific Steel – Berkeley
Tusco Casting – Lodi
Specialty Services
Rapid Mold (Digitized Molding) – Most Alloys Poured
St. John Associates

5. Processes Bonded Sand Casting Green Sand Chemically Bonded Sand
Vacuum Casting
Shell Sand Casting
Permanent Mold Casting
Rubber Plaster Mold (RPM) Casting
Investment Casting
Centrifugal Casting
True Centrifugal
Centrifugal

6. Green Sand Chemically Bonded Sand – “No Bake”
Bonded Sand Processes
Green Sand
Chemically Bonded Sand – “No Bake”

7. Green Sand Molding

8. Green Sand Components Sand Clay Water Additives Carbons Cellulose
Cereals

12. Green Sand Molding

13. Green Sand Advantages
Steel ice cleat cast in green sand replaced a forging
Cost effective
Not “hazardous” waste in landfills
Minimal VOC’s emitted during pouring
Versatile; By far, most widely used
Applicable to all alloys except Ti & Zr
Adaptable to both low and high volume
Forgiving of minor tooling flaws
Ductile iron air scoop replaced weldment at 40% cost reduction

14. When Would Green Sand Be Used?
Lost Foam 8

15. No Bake Molding

16. No Bake Advantages Also called Air-Set or Self-Setting
Used to make cores & molds
Easy sand mix compared to green sand
Good sand flowability
Uniform strength in cores & molds
Good dimensional control
Dry; No Moisture in mold = Steam
Longer “shelf life” than Greensand
Can make any size mold or core
No Bake Advantages
Strut Fan Cowl Support Beam for Boeing—Aluminum no-bake mold; holds engine to wing

17. When Would No-Bake (Air-Set) Be Used?
Lost Foam 8

18. Shell Sand Process

20. Shell Sand Advantages Holds tight tolerances Less draft required
Very thin walled sections possible
Small cored holes easily cast
Excellent surface finish
Excellent dimensional capability
Excellent dimensional stability

21. Shell Sand Drawbacks Special pattern equipment required
Capital outlay for machinery
Size limits - small to medium sized molds & cores
Resin level is slightly higher than other chemically bonded sands
High casting volume needed for cost efficiency

22. When Would Shell Molds/Cores Be Used?
Lost Foam 8

23. Permanent Mold Semi-Permanent Mold Low-Pressure Die Casting
Permanent Molding
Permanent Mold
Semi-Permanent Mold
Low-Pressure Die Casting

24. Interchangeable Terms
Permanent Mold
Low Pressure Permanent Mold
Die Casting
Gravity Die Casting
Low Pressure Die Casting
High Pressure Die Casting
Confused Yet?

25. Permanent Mold Casting

26. Types of Permanent Mold Casting
Static Pouring
similar to sand casting
Tilt Pouring
metal is poured into a basin while mold is horizontal and flows into the mold cavity as the mold is gradually tilted to a vertical position
Low Pressure or Vacuum
metal is drawn from below the mold up into the mold (counter gravity ) via a vacuum or pressure

27. Permanent Mold Advantages
Oscar-Copper-based alloy
Good dimensional accuracy
Consistent quality
Metal fill can be controlled (tilt-pour)
Suitable for fairly complex castings
Multiple alloys castable
Expendable cores can be used
Process is then called Semi-Permanent mold
Corvette Brake Pedal-converted from steel to aluminum

28. Permanent Mold Drawbacks
High cost of tooling
Limited casting size

29. When Would Permanent Molds Be Used?
Lost Foam 8

30. Plaster Molding

31. Plaster Molding Process
Mold is made from a mixture of plaster, talc, other refractory materials and water
Slurry is poured or piped into a flask containing the pattern
Mold is dried in a circulating air oven until no moisture is present

33. Plaster Mold Casting Rubber Plaster Mold process
Commonly replaces plastic injection molding with aluminum casting
Natural EMI RF Shielding
Tolerances: +/ ” first 8 inches.
20 days from CAD files to delivery (inc. machining)

34. Plaster Advantages High casting yield
no gas or steam produced when metal is poured
Fine detail & intricate thin sections possible
Very little cleaning, if any, needed

35. Plaster Drawbacks
Drying time can take hours and can cause warpage or shrinkage of the mold
Low to medium volume production capabilities
Limited alloys - usually nonferrous

36. What Is a Common Use for Plaster Molds?
Lost Foam 8

37. Investment Casting

38. Ceramic Shell Process

40. Investment Casting Advantages
Extremely accurate & flexible design parameters
Useful for casting difficult to machine alloys
Superior casting finish
Suitable for large or small quantities
Wide range of alloys cast
Cast in Stainless or Chrome-Moly Steel for Integrity, Cast-In Features and Aesthetics; All Ruger Castings Are Visible

41. Investment Casting Drawbacks
Casting size is limited
Costly process
Equipment
Patterns
Process components very important
Additional quality checks required

42. When Would Investment Casting Be Used?
Lost Foam 8

43. Centrifugal Casting

44. “True” Centrifugal Casting
Casting is spun on its own axis
No risers are required
No center core is needed

45. Centrifugal Casting Machine Developed ~1923

46. Pipe Casting Machine Iron Flowing into the Mold at ~2340°F.
Plant produces about
4 miles of pipe/day.
Pipe are approximately 85-90% recycled materials.

47. Centrifuged Casting
Mold impressions are grouped around a central down-gate
Centrifugal force is used as a mold filling device

48. Centrifugal Casting Advantages
Improved homogeneity
Improved accuracy in special circumstances

49. Centrifugal Casting Drawback
Limitations on casting shape

50. What Questions Remain About Processes?
Lost Foam 8

51. Value to both the manufacturer and the end user, is for the engineer to communicate with the foundry, fabricator, or whomever during the design process. If the drawing calls for a fabricated piece they may have missed an opportunity for a cast part that may have done a superior job, may have cost less, may have been quicker.  
Or if a casting was called for maybe they designed in such a way that the part is 3 times as expensive as it would have been had they not added an undercut that required extra tooling via inserts or multiple core boxes.  We love it when we get an from an engineer asking for input during part design.
- East Bay Brass

52. Barron Gage - Sales Manager
Lodi Iron works has been making quality Iron and Steel castings for over 60 years. Centrally located in the San Joaquin Valley, LIW is capable of pouring 1 pound to 1000 pound castings in any Ferrous alloy including Cast Iron or Ductile Iron in our Lodi Foundry, and any Steel, Stainless Steel or various specialty alloy such as 17-4 PH & Monel in our Galt Foundry, 10 miles away. We have a Pattern Shop on site and are willing to help our customers in the design phase of projects in order to develop the best combination of quality and cost efficiency in the final product. We are happy to quote projects of as few as one casting but we are also set up to run volumes of 1000's of castings on our 3 automated production lines. If you need high quality sand castings and want to work with a foundry that cares about your success, give us a call. 
Barron Gage - Sales Manager
Lodi Iron Works x4

53. Digital Mold and Core Printing System
Technikon is advancing rapid prototyping technologies, such as digital manufacturing . . .
Production digital mold and core printing system
Prototype casting capability – CAD file to finish castings without tooling
Development of superior binder technologies are being tested to advance digital manufacturing mold and core packages
Jay S. St. John
ST. JOHN ASSOCIATES
P.O. Box 323
Diablo, CA
(925)

54. Local Foundries Cast Iron Aluminum Ridge Foundry – San Leandro
Lodi Iron Works - Lodi
Centrifugal Iron
McWane Inc - AB&I Foundry – Oakland
U S Pipe & Foundry - Union City
Steel
California Electric Steel – Angels Camp
Grass Valley Steel Cast - Grass Valley
Pacific Steel – Berkeley
Tusco Casting – Lodi
Specialty Services
Rapid Mold (Digitized Molding) – (Pouring Most Alloys)
St. John Associates
Aluminum
California Casting - Richmond
California State University - Chico
Castco - San Leandro
East Bay Brass Foundry - Richmond (Brass, Bronze, Lead, Copper)
Exper Cast Foundry - Santa Clara
General Foundry Service - San Leandro
Kearney Pattern Works & Foundry – San Jose
Production Pattern & Foundry Ridge Cast Metals Carson City, NV
Terminal Brass/Aluminum Foundry – South San Francisco