Metal specifications
Facilities available within the foundry are bolstered by additional CAD and solidification modelling software. Vanguard Foundry can receive CAD data from engineers, model the founding characteristics and agree necessary modifications to designs before customers waste time and money on equipment only to find modifications are required at a later date.
This facility enables customers to get product to market faster with the confidence that it’ll be right the first time.
Material Specifications
Many customers ask for castings to be produced to their own material specification and Vanguard has the flexibility to cope with this demand.
For other customers Vanguard produce castings that meet international standards.
The specification for ductile iron to EN 1563 1997 is shown below with equivalent international standards shown in a separate table.
Special Cast Iron
Special cast irons covers a multitude of materials but high silicon-molybdenum and austempered ductile irons are two in regular production at Vanguard Foundry Ltd. High silicon-molybdenum irons were developed to meet the increasing demand for high strength ductile irons capable of operating at high temperatures. This material ideally suited applications such as manifolds and turbocharger housings where strength, oxidation resistance, structural stability and resistance to thermal cycling are key to performance. Austempered ductile iron was developed to provide a cost effective material with high strength but more importantly excellent wear resistance. The combination of strength and resistance to abrasion whilst retaining some ductility make it an ideal material for agriculture, construction, mining, gears, and many other diverse applications.
Material Specifications for Austenitic Cast Irons
Austenitic irons have greater resistance to heat and corrosion when compared to standard grades. Other properties include thermal expansion, magnetic permeability, impact value at low temperatures and erosion resistance will vary with the grade of austenitic iron. Vanguard foundry has both the expertise and the experience to successfully produce these technically demanding materials.
Compacted Graphite Irons
Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI) or Vermicular Graphite Irons utilise a modified form of the graphite nodules to produce a material which allows higher tensile strength than grey iron but retains the ability to dissipate heat and damp vibration.
Vanguard Stainless Steel Grades
Stainless steels are a group of alloys providing excellent high temperature resistance superior to austenitic cast irons. Service temperatures typically reach 1150 degrees with little or no surface oxidation. In addition to this they also provide excellent resistance to corrosion from most acids, akaline solutions and chlorine bearing environments. Engineers and designers often underestimate or overlook these properties because of the high initial cost. However, when considering the total life cycle of a component stainless steel is more often than not the least expensive material option.