Vacuum Casting & Lost Foam Casting

Both lost foam casting and Vacuum process casting belong to near-net forming technology, and it is easy to realize clean production, which is in line with the general trend of casting technology development, so it has broad development prospects.

Both of these casting processes use dry sand filling, vibration compaction, sealing sand box with plastic film, vacuum pumping to reinforce the mold and negative pressure casting. The two processes of Vacuum process casting and lost foam casting are complementary to each other, and their respective characteristics are compared in the following:

Suitable Castings

Lost Foam Casting is suitable for Small and medium-sized castings with complex cavities, such as engine block, engine cover.

Vacuum Casting is suitable for Medium and large castings with few or no cavities, such as cast iron counterweights, cast steel axle housings.

Patterns and Plates

Lost Foam Casting: Foam patterns made by moldings

Vacuum Casting: Template with suction box

Sand Box

Lost Foam Casting: Bottom or five sides exhaust

Vacuum Casting: Four sides exhaust or with exhaust pipe

Plastic Film

Lost Foam Casting: The top cover is sealed by plastic films

Vacuum Casting: All sides of both halves of sand box are sealed by plastic films

Coating Materials

Lost Foam Casting: Water-based paint with thick coating

Vacuum Casting: Alcohol-based paint with thin coating

Molding Sand

Lost Foam Casting: Coarse dry sand

Vacuum Casting: Fine dry sand

Vibration Molding

Lost Foam Casting: 3 D Vibration

Vacuum Casting: Vertical or Horizontal Vibration

Pouring

They are all Negative Pouring

Sand Process

Lost Foam Casting: Relieve negative pressure, turn over the box to drop sand, and the sand is then reused

Vacuum Casting: Relieve negative pressure, then the dry sand falls into the screen, and the sand is recycled