Federal State Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education "Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin"

Institute of Materials Science and Metallurgy

Department of "Foundry and hardening technologies"

Abstract of lectures on the discipline "Foundry"

Lecture 1

Basic concepts of foundry production

Lecture plan

1. The concept of foundry.

2. A brief historical review of the development of foundry production. The role of Russian scientists in the development of scientific foundations and organization of the production of castings and ingots.

3. Classification of foundry alloys and areas of their application.

Modern life cannot be imagined without metals. Metals are the basis of technological progress, the foundation of the material culture of all mankind. But metal becomes useful to a person only when products are obtained from it. There are three main types of production of metal products. These are foundry production, metal forming and metal cutting. The course "Foundry" is devoted to the first type of metalworking.

In this abstract of lectures, the theoretical foundations of foundry production are considered in sufficient detail, in addition, the technological processes for obtaining various products and the equipment and tools used in this are described.

The abstract of lectures is devoted to the foundry production of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. It outlines the fundamentals of the theory, technological processes and equipment designed to produce castings in various ways (in disposable sand-clay molds, according to investment models, in a chill mold, under pressure, etc.).

The main attention in the presentation of the material is given to the consideration of the physical and physico-chemical essence of the processes of a particular technology, the features of the design of equipment, the purpose of technological modes, the equipment used and automation tools.

Along with the presentation of specific material for each technological method of obtaining blanks, special attention is paid to the main "bottlenecks", problems of technological processes, analysis of ways and means of solving them to obtain products of a given quality and achieve high production efficiency; on the basis of the same approach, the prospects for the development of each process are also considered.

The concept of foundry

The essence of foundry production is reduced to obtaining liquid, i.e. heated above the melting point, an alloy of the required composition and quality, and pouring it into a pre-prepared form. After cooling, the metal solidifies and retains the configuration of the cavity into which it was poured. Thus, to make a casting, you must:

1) determine the materials that need to be introduced into the charge for melting, calculate them, prepare these materials (cut into pieces, weigh out the required amount of each component); load materials into the melting furnace;

2) to carry out melting - to obtain a liquid metal of the required temperature, fluidity, proper chemical composition, without non-metallic inclusions and gases, capable of forming a fine-crystalline structure without defects with sufficiently high mechanical properties upon solidification;

3) before the end of melting, prepare casting molds (for pouring metal into them) that are capable of withstanding the high temperature of the metal, its hydrostatic pressure and the scouring effect of the jet without collapsing, as well as capable of passing gases released from the metal through pores or channels;

4) release the metal from the furnace into the ladle and deliver it to the molds; fill casting molds with liquid metal, avoiding jet breaks and slag entering the mold;

5) after solidification of the metal, open the molds and extract the castings from them; PRODUCTION

6) separate all sprues from the casting (metal frozen in the sprue channels), as well as the tides and burrs formed (due to poor-quality casting or molding);

7) clean the castings from the particles of the molding or core sand;

8) to control the quality and dimensions of the castings.

At present, the largest number of castings are obtained in one-time (sand) molds made from a molding mixture consisting of quartz sand, refractory clay and special additives. After the metal hardens, the mold is destroyed and the casting is removed. In addition to disposable, semi-permanent molds are used, made of highly refractory materials (chamotte, graphite, etc.), they are used for pouring several tens (50–200) castings, and permanent molds are metal, they serve to obtain several hundred, and sometimes thousands castings until mold wear. The choice of a casting mold depends on the nature of production, the type of metal being poured, and the requirements for casting.

A brief historical overview of the development of foundry production. The role of Russian scientists in the development of scientific foundations and organization of the production of castings and ingots

Foundry is one of the most ancient forms of metalworking art known to mankind. Numerous archaeological finds discovered during excavations of burial mounds in various parts of our country indicate that in Ancient Rus' copper and bronze castings were produced in large quantities (bowlers, arrowheads, jewelry - earrings, wrists, rings, hats, etc.). During the excavations, surviving forges and furnaces, stone molds were found that served to cast hollow axes, rings, bracelets, metal beads, crosses, etc. However, most of the castings found in Ancient Rus' were obtained by casting on a wax model.

The method of making the model is original: a pattern was woven from wired cords, representing a copy of the future product; clay was applied to this wax model until a sufficiently strong form was obtained, after drying, the form was calcined, the wax was melted, and the cords burned out, metal was poured into the cavity formed, after cooling, a casting of complex shapes was obtained.

In the XI century. in Rus', local production centers arose for casting church items (copper crosses, bells, icons, candlesticks, etc.) and household items (kettles, washstands, etc.) use. In addition to Kyiv, Novgorod the Great, Ustyug the Great, Tver became major centers for the production of copper-cast products. The Tatar invasion caused a stagnation that lasted until the middle of the 14th century, after which the foundry industry began to rise. This is explained by the fact that a centralized large state was created, in connection with which cities began to develop and weapons were required, now firearms. From the production of welded cannons, they switched to bronze - cast, they cast bells, created copper-casting workshops for artistic casting. By the middle of the XVI century. Moscow artillery occupied quantitatively the first place among the artillery of European states.

The Petrine era represents a leap in the development of foundry production. Large Tula and Kaluga factories by Nikita Demidov and Ivan Batashov were created. The first steel castings were obtained in the second half of the 19th century. almost simultaneously in different European countries. In Russia, they were made in 1866 from crucible steel at the Obukhov plant. However, the quality of the castings turned out to be low, since the casting properties of steel were significantly inferior to those of cast iron. Thanks to the work of Russian scientists metallurgists A.S. Lavrova and N.V. Kalakutsky, who explained the segregation phenomena and presented the mechanism of the occurrence of shrinkage and gas shells, as well as developed measures to combat them, fully revealed the advantages of steel castings. Therefore, shaped castings obtained by A.A. Iznoskov from open-hearth steel at the Sormovo plant in 1870, turned out to be of such high quality that they were shown at an exhibition in St. Petersburg.

After the publication of the scientific works of the founder of metallography D.K. Chernov, who created the science of transformations in alloys, their crystallization, structure and properties, they began to use heat treatment, which improved the quality of steel casting. The theory of metallurgical processes was introduced in the higher school by A.A. Baikov in 1908 at the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute. Between 1927 and 1941 there is an unprecedented growth in industry for the former Russia, the largest mechanized factories are being built. Foundry shops are being built and put into operation, operating in a flow mode, with a high degree of mechanization, with conveyors, with an annual output of up to 100 thousand tons of casting.

At the same time, research work is being carried out, theories of work processes and methods for calculating foundry equipment are being created. The scientific school of the Moscow Higher Technical School is being formed, founded and headed by prof. N.P. Aksenov.

The widespread use of foundry production is explained by its great advantages compared to other methods of producing blanks (forging, stamping). Casting can produce blanks of almost any complexity with minimal processing allowances.

In addition, the production of cast billets is much cheaper than, for example, the production of forgings. The development of foundry production to the present day took place in two directions:

1) development of new casting alloys and metallurgical processes;

2) improvement of technology and mechanization of production.

Great progress has been made in the field of studying and improving the mechanical and technological properties of gray cast irons - the most common and cheap casting alloys. Special types of casting are becoming more widespread and improved: chill casting, under pressure, in shell molds, investment models, etc., which provide accurate castings and, consequently, reduce the cost of machining.

Classification of casting alloys and their areas of application

On average, cast parts account for about 50% of the mass of machines and mechanisms, and their cost reaches 20–25% of the cost of machines. Depending on the method of obtaining cast billets, alloys are divided into cast and deformed. Cast alloys are either prepared from the original components (charge materials) directly in the foundry, or obtained from metallurgical plants in finished form and only remelted before pouring into molds. Both in the first and in the second case, individual elements during the melting process can oxidize (burn out), volatilize at elevated temperatures (sublimate), enter into chemical interaction with other components or with the furnace lining and turn into slag.

To restore the required composition of the alloy, the loss of individual elements in it is compensated by introducing into the melt special additives (ligatures, ferroalloys) prepared at metallurgical enterprises. Ligatures contain, in addition to the alloying element, also the base metal of the alloy, therefore they are more easily and more fully assimilated by the melt than a pure alloying element. When melting non-ferrous metal alloys, ligatures are used: copper-nickel, copper-aluminum, copper-tin, aluminum-magnesium, etc.

When casting ferrous alloys, ferroalloys (ferrosilicon, ferromanganese, ferrochromium, ferrotungsten, etc.) are widely used to introduce alloying elements, as well as to deoxidize the melt. In the process of deoxidation, the elements contained in ferroalloys act as reducing agents: they combine with the oxygen of the oxide dissolved in the melt, reduce the metal, and, having oxidized themselves, pass into slag. Purification (refining) of the melt by deoxidation contributes to a significant improvement in the quality of the casting metal, increasing its strength and ductility. A number of alloys, as well as non-metallic materials (salts, etc.), are used as modifiers, which, when introduced into a cast alloy in small quantities, significantly affect its structure and properties, for example, refine the grain and increase the strength of the metal. So, to obtain high-strength cast iron, magnesium modification is used.

The main criteria for the quality of cast metal are mechanical properties, indicators of structure, heat resistance, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, etc., specified in the technical requirements.

Alloys are usually divided, like metals, primarily into ferrous and non-ferrous, the latter also including light alloys. Alloys are divided into groups depending on which metal is the basis of the alloy.

The most important groups of alloys are the following:

cast irons and steels - alloys of iron with carbon and other elements;

aluminum alloys with various elements;

magnesium alloys with various elements;

bronzes and brasses are copper alloys with various elements.

At present, alloys of the first group are most widely used, i.e. ferrous alloys: about 70% of all castings by weight are made from cast iron and about 20% from steel. The remaining groups of alloys account for a relatively small part of the total mass of castings.

In the chemical composition of the alloy, the main elements are distinguished (for example, iron and carbon in cast iron and steel), permanent impurities, the presence of which is due to the alloy production process, and random impurities that have entered the alloy due to various reasons. Harmful impurities in steel and cast iron include sulfur, phosphorus, ferrous oxide, hydrogen, nitrogen and non-metallic inclusions. Harmful impurities in copper alloys are cuprous oxide, bismuth and, in some of them, phosphorus. The properties of tin bronze are sharply worsened by impurities of aluminum and iron, and in aluminum bronze, on the contrary, tin. In aluminum alloys, the content of iron should be limited, in magnesium, in addition, copper, nickel and silicon. Gases and non-metallic inclusions in all alloys are harmful impurities.

The requirements for each casting alloy are specific, but there are a number of general requirements:

1. The composition of the alloy must ensure the desired properties of the casting (physical, chemical, physico-chemical, mechanical, etc.);

2. the alloy must have good casting properties - high fluidity, resistance to saturation with gases and the formation of non-metallic inclusions, low and stable shrinkage during solidification and cooling, resistance to segregation and the formation of internal stresses and cracks in castings;

3. the alloy should be as simple as possible in composition, easy to prepare, not contain toxic components, not emit highly polluting products during melting and pouring;

4. the alloy must be technological not only in the manufacture of castings, but also in all subsequent operations for obtaining finished parts (for example, during cutting, heat treatment, etc.);

5. The alloy should be economical: contain as few expensive components as possible, have minimal losses during the processing of its waste (sprues, rejects).

Control questions and tasks

1. What is the history of foundry development in Russia?

2. What is the role of Russian scientists in the development of the scientific foundations and organization of the production of castings from ferrous and non-ferrous alloys?

3. What are the production methods for cast billets?

4. What molds can be used to make shaped castings?

5. How are casting alloys classified?

6. What are the requirements for casting alloys?

7. List the main areas of application of casting alloys.

8. What is the essence of foundry technology?

In September, business meetings of Dutch companies with Russian potential partners were held in the Urals. Partnership was proposed for various industries: metallurgy, engineering, agriculture, food industry. The crisis cataclysms that affected the Urals, practically, like all regions of the Russian Federation, did not frighten European industrialists. And this is a good sign!

Despite the fact that the Urals are in decline today, you need to think about the future, says Marina Bogdanova, Business Development Manager of GEMCO CAST METAL TECHNOLOGY. - When the economy begins to develop again, it may be too late. In Russia, the foundry industry is represented mainly by foundries that are part of machine-building and other industrial corporations and holdings, and a relatively small number of independent foundries. In this situation, the foundry for the company as a whole is often perceived as an auxiliary, and therefore "eating away" the company's funds. Hence the residual sign of investment in development. For decades, this approach has led to almost universal moral and technical obsolescence of equipment and technologies. Point attempts to improve and modernize do not give the desired effect.

As a result, in the industry as a whole, we have high-cost, inefficient, poorly organized production, which is a burden on the shoulders of companies. Meanwhile, everything should be the other way around. Foundry is a business where you can and should make money. How to make it possible? Naturally, serious capital investments are needed. But besides this, which is no less important, a highly professional approach is needed in the development of such funds. Purchasing new equipment is not all; here a complex of tasks must be solved. Namely, the choice of equipment should be optimal, so as not to spend extra money on excess capacity, and at the same time not create a shortage of capacity. It is necessary to build an optimal production scheme, optimally organize the production process. This will significantly reduce costs, make it possible to recoup capital investments within 4-5 years, and bring production to the level of an independent business that brings good profits. Today, the one who offers high quality at a low price wins the market. However, this task is not an easy one. How to achieve such a combination - they know in GEMCO, which has a staff of professionals who have accumulated relevant experience and knowledge.

Marina, and what, first of all, does a production worker really have: profit or quality?

This question cannot be divided. These two concepts are dependent on each other. They are inseparable. If a company produces poor quality products, what is the benefit? The owner of the company can enhance the quality, at the initial stage at a loss and prove himself. And maybe lower, but - this is the risk of losing customers. The payback of the enterprise depends on the volume of sales. You made a successful batch, it was bought from you - you have proven yourself. This is how business relationships are built. Quality - reputation - sales - profit .

Russia has long been listed among the countries where any activity is specific. Here a special approach is needed. However, the Dutch are no strangers either - they know how to professionally and effectively bring a Russian company to the forefront.

What tools does the company offer to solve problems in the foundry?

Our company is engaged in foundry production: black and non-ferrous. The activity of GEMCO CAST METAL TECHNOLOGY is divided into three components. Engineering: includes the development of a foundry project, the stages of its implementation. Contracting: general contracting. Foundry consulting, which can be operational or strategic. Operational is a marketing research on customers, a comparative analysis of production efficiency. This may be a technical and commercial audit required for mergers and acquisitions. Operational consulting includes the development of methods for improving production. When the enterprise has already been operating for a certain time, it is necessary to periodically monitor the efficiency of production.

It again comes to strategic planning, the lack of which our entrepreneurs often sin. At the same time, precisely calculated technical and economic aspects are simply necessary. After all, in order to get the expected result, it is necessary to act correctly at each stage.

Marina, your company is called unique. For what?

There are companies on the market that carry out only engineering, or only consulting, or specialize in the supply of equipment. GEMCO is unique in that we provide a comprehensive approach. And our customers will confirm you our accuracy and responsibility.

Tell us step by step approach to the project

First you need to consider aspects of the future project that the company is going to release. Based on them, a production concept is made, a technical part is drawn up and a preliminary layout is carried out. Then the project begins to be filled with the necessary equipment according to needs. It makes no sense to install equipment that will not be able to provide production volumes or that will not be used at 100%.

Next, we calculate the resource costs: how much gas, water, energy, raw materials are needed, how many people should serve the line. This is the concept. After the implementation of the above work, we calculate how much the entire project will cost.

For example, what specific plus can you give to the customer's company?

For example, creating a team. It is very important. If the company does not have a team, it is doomed to failure. To unite technologists, metallurgists, work operators is not an easy task. Let's say a company has been using the "cast-in-the-ground" technology for a long time and the management decided to introduce a new product. And this requires another technology that has not yet been mastered. It is we who will carry out the transfer of technology: we will select personnel according to professional requirements, define responsibilities for each member of the team, train and, most importantly, control the implementation of the process.

What is the current state of the foundry industry in the Netherlands?

To answer this question - you need to track the situation ten years ago. During this period of time there have been major changes. Some businesses closed, many moved to new locations. Within 10 years there was a tendency to concentrate on narrow range products. Now the same topic is just beginning in Russia. There are many such industries in the Russian Federation. Now the attitude towards the foundry is like an auxiliary one, like a ballast, but everything must change.

In the Netherlands, the crisis is almost over. It cannot be said that everything is fine, because. there are issues that need to be addressed. Many companies have suspended operations. And, interestingly, part of the vacated market is already occupied. Tentatively, everything will fall into place in about two years. But for Russia the terms are longer. And if we knew the answer to the question "When will the crisis end?" - then they would not tell anyone, but use it for themselves. In the Netherlands it is several months, for Russia - years. Banking problems and bureaucratic barriers remain here, but it is the task of the state to create conditions. in which people wanted to do something.

You held meetings with Ural businessmen, but now the situation is so unstable. Do you think that today is the time for new projects?

In Chelyabinsk, there is a concentration of such companies, but today a serious modernization of production is needed. Leadership understands this and works in this direction. Unfortunately, the process is taking longer than expected.

The early activities of GEMCO CAST METAL TECHNOLOGY were associated with the manufacture of equipment for foundry production, but practice has shown that it is necessary to focus on intellectual activities. In business, there is such a moment - to find your niche. We found her. It is important that there are people who will help to professionally understand the issues of applying the most economically and technically efficient production solutions, to carry out the optimal selection of equipment, determine the technological process and the movement of materials, and effectively use investment capital. I emphasize that we will provide a realistic overview of the necessary investments and the timing of the project; we will give an objective definition of the price level of products and financial indicators.

Foundries in Russia are enterprises that produce castings - shaped parts and blanks - by filling molds with liquid alloys. The main consumers of foundry products are enterprises of the machine-building complex (up to 70% of all cast billets produced), and the metallurgical industry (up to 20%). About 10% of products produced by casting are sanitary equipment.

Casting is the best way to obtain workpieces of complex geometry, as close as possible in configuration to finished products, which is not always possible to achieve by other methods (forging, welding, etc.). In the casting process, products of the most diverse thickness (from 0.5 to 500 mm), length (from a few cm to 20 m) and weight (from a few grams to 300 tons) are obtained. Small allowances are an advantageous feature of casting blanks, which makes it possible to reduce the cost of finished products by reducing metal consumption and the cost of machining products. Over half of the parts used in modern industrial equipment are made by casting.

The main types of raw materials in foundry production are:

• gray cast iron (up to 75%);
• steel - carbon and alloyed (20%);
• malleable iron (3%);
• non-ferrous alloys - aluminum, magnesium, zinc copper (2%).

The casting process is carried out in a variety of ways, which are classified:

1) according to the method of filling molds:

• ordinary casting;
• casting with insulation;
• injection molding;
• centrifugal casting;

2) according to the method of manufacturing casting molds:

• into one-time molds (sand, shell) intended for obtaining only one casting;
• in forms of multiple use (ceramic or clay-sand), withstanding up to 150 fills;
• into permanent metal molds (for example, chill molds) that can withstand several thousand pours.

The most common method of casting in sand molds (up to 80% by weight of all castings carried out in the world). The technology of this type of casting includes:

• preparation of materials;
• preparation of molding and core sands;
• creation of forms and rods;
• suspension of rods and assembly of forms;
• melting metal and pouring it into molds;
• metal cooling and knockout of the finished casting;
• casting cleaning, heat treatment and finishing.

The first Russian foundry (the so-called "cannon hut") appeared in Moscow in 1479. Under Ivan the Terrible, foundries appeared in Kashira, Tula and other cities. During the reign of Peter the Great, the production of castings was mastered in almost the entire state - in the Urals, in the southern and northern parts of the country. In the 17th century, Russia began to export cast iron castings. Remarkable examples of Russian foundry art are the 40-ton Tsar Cannon, cast by A. Chokhov in 1586, the Tsar Bell, weighing over 200 tons, created in 1735 by I.F. and M.I. Matorins. In 1873, the workers of the Perm plant cast a chabot (the lower part that receives the impact) of a steam hammer weighing 650 tons, which is one of the most gigantic castings in the world.

Foundry is one of the branches of industry, the main products of which are those used in mechanical engineering. There are many factories of this specialization in Russia. Some of these enterprises have small capacities, others can be attributed to real industrial giants. Further in the article, we will consider what are the largest foundry and mechanical plants in Russia on the market (with addresses and descriptions), and what specific products they produce.

Products manufactured by LMZ

Of course, such enterprises are the most important part of the national economy. Russian foundries produce a huge number of various products. Manufactured in the workshops of such enterprises, for example, castings, ingots, ingots. Finished products are also produced at the enterprises of this industry. These can be, for example, grates, sewer manholes, bells, etc.

The iron foundries of Russia supply their products, as already mentioned, mainly to enterprises in the engineering industry. Up to 50% of the equipment produced by such factories falls on cast billets. Of course, companies of other specializations can also be partners of LMZ.

The main problems of the industry

Unfortunately, the situation with the foundry industry in the Russian Federation today is not simple. After the collapse of the USSR, the country's machine-building industry fell into almost complete decline. Accordingly, the demand for shaped and foundry products has also significantly decreased. Later, the sanctions and the outflow of investments had a negative impact on the development of LMZ. However, despite this, Russian foundries continue to exist, supply quality products to the market and even increase production rates.

The main problem of enterprises of this specialization in the Russian Federation for many years has been the need for modernization. However, the implementation of new technologies requires additional costs. Unfortunately, in most cases, such companies still have to buy the equipment necessary for modernization from abroad for a lot of money.

List of the largest foundries in Russia

About 2,000 enterprises are engaged in the production of shaped products from cast iron, steel, aluminum, etc. today in the Russian Federation. The largest foundries in Russia are:

• Balashikhinsky.
• Kamensk-Uralsky.
• Taganrog.
• "KAMAZ".
• Cherepovets.
• Balezinsky.

COOLZ

This enterprise was founded in Kamensk-Uralsky during the war - in 1942. At that time, the Balashikha foundry was evacuated here. Later, the facilities of this enterprise were returned to their place. In Kamensk-Uralsk, its own foundry began to operate.

In Soviet times, KULZ products were mainly focused on the country's military-industrial complex. In the 1990s, during the conversion period, the enterprise changed its profile to the production of consumer goods.

Today KULZ is engaged in the production of molded blanks intended for both military and civilian equipment. In total, the enterprise produces 150 types of products. The plant supplies the market with brake systems and wheels for aviation equipment, radio components, blanks made of biometal and cermet, etc. The head office of KULZ is located at the following address: Kamensk-Uralsky, st. Ryabova, 6.

BLMZ

Almost all foundries in Russia, the list of which was provided above, were put into operation in the last century. BLMZ is no exception in this regard. This oldest enterprise in the country was founded in 1932. Its first products were spoked wheels for aircraft. In 1935, the plant mastered the technologies for the production of shaped products from aluminum and in the post-war period, the enterprise specialized mainly in the production of aircraft take-off and landing devices. In 1966, it began to produce products made of titanium alloys.

During the collapse of the USSR, the Balashikha plant managed to maintain the main direction of its activity. In the early 2000s, the enterprise actively upgraded its technical fleet. In 2010, the plant began to develop new production facilities in order to expand the range of products.

Since 2015, BLMZ, together with the Soyuz scientific complex, has begun implementing a project for the production of gas turbine units with a capacity of up to 30 MW. The BLMZ office is located at the address: Balashikha, Entuziastov Highway, 4.

Taganrog foundry

The main office of this enterprise can be found at the following address: Taganrog, Northern Square, 3. TLMZ was founded quite recently - in 2015. However, today its capacity is already about 13 thousand tons per year. This was made possible thanks to the use of the latest equipment and innovative technologies. At present, the Taganrog LMZ is the most modern foundry enterprise in the country.

The TLMZ was under construction for only a few months. In total, about 500 million rubles were spent during this time. The components for the main production line were purchased from Danish companies. Furnaces at the factory are Turkish. All other equipment is made in Germany. Today, 90% of the products of the Taganrog plant are supplied to the domestic market.

The largest foundries in Russia: ChLMZ

The decision to build the Cherepovets enterprise was made in 1950. Since 1951, the plant began producing spare parts for road-building machines and tractors. All subsequent years, until the restructuring, the company was constantly modernized and expanded. In 2000, the management of the plant chose the following strategic directions of production:

• production of furnace rollers for metallurgical plants;
• production of furnaces for machine-building enterprises;
• pump casting for the chemical industry;
• production of radiator heaters for furnaces.

Today ChLMZ is one of the main Russian manufacturers of such products. Its partners are not only machine-building enterprises, but also light industry, housing and communal services. The office of this company is located at: Cherepovets, st. Construction industry, 12.

Balezinsky foundry

This largest enterprise was founded in 1948. Initially, it was called the artel "Founder". In the first years of its existence, the plant specialized mainly in the manufacture of aluminum utensils. A year later, the company began to produce iron castings. The artel was renamed Balezinsky LMZ in 1956. Today, this plant produces about 400 items of a wide variety of products. The main direction of its activity is the production of furnace castings, dishes and bakery molds. Company address: Balezin, st. K. Marx, 77.

Foundry "KamAZ"

This company operates in Naberezhnye Chelny. Its production capacity is 245 thousand castings per year. The KamAZ foundry manufactures products from high-strength cast iron, gray, with vermicular graphite. This plant was built in 1975. The first products of the plant were aluminum castings of 83 items. In 1976, the enterprise mastered the production of iron and steel products. Initially, the plant was part of the well-known joint-stock company KamAZ. In 1997, he gained an independent status. However, in 2002, the enterprise again became part of KamAZ OJSC. This plant is located at the address: Naberezhnye Chelny, Avtozavodsky prospect, 2.

Nizhny Novgorod enterprise OJSC LMZ

The main products of OJSC "Foundry and Mechanical Plant" (Russia, Nizhny Novgorod) are cast-iron pipeline fittings. The products manufactured by this enterprise are used in the transportation of gas, steam, oil, water, fuel oil, oils. The plant began its activity in 1969. At that time it was one of the workshops of the Gorky Flax Association. Today, its partners are many enterprises of mechanical engineering, housing and communal services and water supply.

Instead of a conclusion

The well-being of the entire country as a whole largely depends on how smoothly and stably the foundries of Russia described above will function. Without the products manufactured by these companies, domestic enterprises of mechanical engineering, metallurgy, light industry, etc. will not be able to work. Therefore, to pay maximum attention to the development, reconstruction and modernization of these and other foundries, providing them with comprehensive support, including at the state level, of course necessary and very important.

The motto of the congress really reflects the significant role of the foundry and the development of the Russian machine-building complex. The share of cast parts on average accounts for 50-70% of the mass (in machine tool building up to 90%) and 20-22% of the cost of machines.

As a rule, cast parts carry high loads in machines and mechanisms and determine their operational reliability, accuracy and durability. Therefore, the quality of castings is currently subject to increased requirements.

The concept of "Quality casting" combines a set of requirements for a cast part used in machines and mechanisms of various industries. The main requirements are: strength and performance characteristics, geometric and dimensional accuracy, surface finish, presentation, minimum allowances for machining.

The process of obtaining a high-quality casting consists of two main technological complexes: obtaining a high-quality melt and preparing a casting mold. However, even with the high-quality performance of these technological processes, casting defects can occur when the alloy is poured into the mold and the casting is cooled in contact with the mold material. Therefore, the technological cycle for producing a cast part is long and responsible.

The first technological complex consists of the following technological methods: preparation of charge materials and their melting in a melting unit, thermal-temporal treatment of the melt in a furnace, out-of-furnace treatment of the melt (modification, refining) and pouring it into a mold.

The second complex: preparation of molding and core mixtures, production of molds and cores, assembly of molds and their supply for pouring (when making molds from sand-clay and cold-hardening mixtures) or production of metal molds when casting into a chill mold, injection molding, centrifugal casting etc. After pouring, hardening and cooling in the mold, the processes of knockout, cleaning, heat treatment, and priming of castings are carried out.

Despite the use of a large number of technological methods and a significant list of materials, foundry and auxiliary equipment for the production of high-quality castings, foundry production in Russia occupies a leading position among other procurement industries of the machine-building complex, such as welding and a forge. Only foundry production makes it possible to obtain shaped blanks of complex configuration and geometry with internal cavities made of ferrous and non-ferrous alloys weighing from a few grams to 200 tons.

Foundry production is the most knowledge-intensive, energy-intensive and material-intensive production. When developing the theoretical foundations of technological processes, the basic sciences are used: physics, chemistry, physical chemistry, hydraulics, mathematics, materials science, thermodynamics and other applied sciences.

For the production of 1 ton of suitable castings, 1.2-1.7 tons of metal charge materials, ferroalloys, modifiers are required, processing and preparation of 3-5 tons of foundry sands (when casting in sand-clay molds), 3-4 kg of binders (with casting in molds from XTS) and paints. Electricity consumption during the melting of ferrous and non-ferrous alloys in electric furnaces ranges from 500 to 700 kW/h. In the cost of casting, energy costs and fuel are 50-60%, the cost of materials is 30-35%.

Achievements in science, development of new technological processes, materials and equipment have made it possible over the past 10 years to increase the mechanical and operational characteristics of alloys by 20%, increase dimensional and geometric accuracy, reduce machining allowances, and improve presentation.

Improving the quality of casting is inextricably linked with increasing productivity, automation and mechanization of technological processes, economic and environmental performance. Therefore, during the construction of new and reconstruction of old foundry shops and factories, the choice of technological processes and equipment is made on the basis of the type of alloy, mass and range of castings, production volume of castings, technical requirements for castings, technical, economic and environmental indicators.

To develop prospects and a strategy for the further development of foundry production, it is necessary to assess its state in Russia as a whole and separately in various industries, determine the development prospects for priority industries and, on their basis, determine the prospects for the development of ferrous and non-ferrous alloys, technological processes and equipment.

Consider the current state of the foundry industry in Russia.

In 2015, the world produced 104.1 million tons of castings from ferrous and non-ferrous alloys. The volumes of production of cast billets from ferrous and non-ferrous alloys in the countries of the world are shown in fig. 1.

Rice. 1

According to an experimental estimate, there are currently about 1,100 operating foundries in Russia, which produced 3.8 million tons of castings in 2016, and about 90 enterprises that produce equipment and materials for foundry production.

The distribution of foundries and factories in Russia by capacity is shown in fig. 2.

Rice. 2 Distribution of foundries and plants by capacity, 1000 t/year and %

At present, in Russia, the main number of foundries (70%) with a capacity of up to 5 thousand tons per year.

The dynamics of the production of castings from ferrous and non-ferrous alloys in the period from 1985 to 2016 are presented in table 1.

Table 1

Casting production dynamics and prospects for development up to 2020

years	1985	1990	2000	2005	2010	2014	2015	2016	2020
Production of castings in million tons, incl. from:	18,5	13,4	4,85	7,6	3,9	4,1	4,0	3,8	5,0
cast iron	12,9	9,3	3,5	5,2	2,9	2,9	2,6	2,2	2,6
Become	3,1	3,24	0,96	1,3	0,6	0,7	0,9	1,0	1,4
Non-ferrous alloys	2,5	0,86	0,39	1,1	0,4	0,5	0,5	0,6	1,0

On fig. 3 shows the dynamics of the development of casting production over the past 12 years and prospects until 2020.

The main reasons for the sharp decline in casting production between 1985 and 2010 were:

1. Privatization. Many factories (about 30%) were abandoned, equipment and communications were cut up and scrapped, including the factories - "Centroliths", which produced about 1.5 million tons of castings.

2. General economic and technical crisis. Lack of laws, a chain of mutual non-payments, overstocking of finished products at enterprises, lack of working capital, wage arrears.

3. High lending rates, high taxes and customs duties.

4. High prices for energy resources, materials, low wages, etc.

Therefore, from 1985 to 2010, the volume of production of cast billets decreased by 4.7 times.

In the second period from 2005 to 2016, these reasons, which destroyed the foundry, were supplemented by the fashionable thesis “Everything that can be bought should not be produced”.

As a result, at present, the bulk of the equipment not only in the foundry industry, but also in metallurgy, public utilities, agriculture, and other industries is purchased abroad. In this formulation of the question, castings are not in demand. The process of bankruptcy and liquidation of foundries and factories continues. Thus, from 1985 to the present, the number of foundries and factories has decreased from 2500 to 1200, i.e. by 52%, the average load of existing foundries is 42%.

By 2020, it is possible to foresee an increase in the output of castings due to the development of the oil and gas industry, railway, defense, aerospace and other industries. In general, an increase in the production of castings from steel, ductile iron, aluminum, titanium and magnesium alloys is forecast, as well as a decrease in the import of foundry equipment due to import substitution.

Over the past 5 years, the production of steel castings has increased by 14.2%, castings from non-ferrous alloys - by 15%, and cast iron has decreased by 24%. Looking forward from 2016 to 2020 it is expected (according to expert estimates) that the production of castings will increase to 5 million tons due to import substitution of the production of castings from non-ferrous alloys (aluminum, magnesium, titanium, special), auto components, steel castings for valve building, the oil and gas industry, railway transport, and an increase in the production of domestic equipment and related materials for various industries.

The dynamics of production volumes of castings, equipment and materials in Russia is shown in Table 2.

table 2

Dynamics of production volumes in Russia of castings, equipment and materials

years	2012	2016	2020
Casting production, %	82	90	96
Equipment production, %	30	35	45
Production of materials,%	70	80	85

Domestic foundry equipment is mainly produced at the following enterprises: JSC "Siblitmash", JSC "Dalenergomash" - "Amurlitmash", LLC "Litmashpribor", LLC "Unirep-service", LLC "Tebova-Nur", LLC "Zavod AKS", LLC "Toledo" Smelting equipment is manufactured by: OOO SKB Sibelektorotherm, OOO NPF Comter, OOO Reltek, ZAO Nakal-Industrial Furnaces, Novozybkovsky plant of electrical equipment, Saratov plant Elektorterm-93, OOO Elektrotekhnologiya, Yekaterinburg and LLC "Kurai" Ufa.

However, they do not fully satisfy the needs of foundries and factories. Therefore, about 65% of foundry equipment is purchased abroad, in countries such as Germany, Italy, China, Japan, Turkey, the Czech Republic, etc.

Currently, the following equipment is not produced in Russia:

• automatic and mechanized high-performance lines for the manufacture of flask and flask-free molds from raw sand-clay and cold-hardening mixtures;
• machines for making molds from sand-clay mixtures with flask sizes from 400*500 mm to 1200*1500 mm.
• machine for the manufacture of foundry cores for hot and cold tooling;
• equipment for painting molds;
• batch and continuous mixers for the production of cold-mixed mixtures with a capacity of more than 10 t/h.
• chilling machines and low-pressure casting machines;
• centrifugal casting machines;
• medium-frequency induction furnaces with a capacity of more than 6 tons for iron and steel smelting:
• equipment for regeneration of CTS mixtures;
• Equipment for heat treatment of castings.

Therefore, in the planned period, it will be necessary to purchase foundry equipment and related technologies.

It should be noted that certain types of equipment produced in Russia are inferior to foreign ones in terms of quality and, in some cases, in terms of cost.

Order No. 9 dated January 14, 2017 prohibits the purchase of equipment that is not manufactured in Russia. However, prohibition alone will not solve the issues of high-quality equipment production. It is necessary to determine the list of the main factories - manufacturers of foundry equipment and provide them with financial assistance for the modernization of production.

In 2016, imports of equipment and spare parts from all over the world amounted to about 500 million US dollars. Compared to 2015, equipment imports decreased by 9%.

According to expert assessment, there is not enough capacity at the existing plants to produce the equipment required by the foundry industry. It is necessary to build new production facilities equipped with modern technological equipment or to retrain plants in other industries, in particular, plants in the machine tool industry.

Ferrous and non-ferrous cast parts are widely used in various industries. Each industry imposes the corresponding characteristic requirements for castings in terms of nomenclature, mechanical and operational properties, type of alloy, mass of castings, and, accordingly, by type of technological processes and equipment.

The production of castings by industry is shown in fig. 3.

The production of castings from ferrous and non-ferrous alloys is shown in fig. 4.

The distribution of casting production volumes by technological production processes in fig. 5.

Rice. 3.

Rice. 4. Production of castings from ferrous and non-ferrous alloys by industry, %

Rice. 5.

Over the past 5 years, more than 160 foundries have been completely or partially reconstructed. Promising technological processes are widely mastered: melting of foundry alloys in induction and electric arc furnaces, increasing the share of production of castings from high-strength cast iron, magnesium and aluminum and titanium alloys, manufacturing molds and cores of their cold-hardening mixtures, modeling of foundry processes using numerical, including 3D- technologies.

In recent years, the volumes of production of castings from aluminum and magnesium alloys have increased, which in some cases replace castings from iron and steel. Using modern methods of refining, modification, microalloying and degassing, it is possible to obtain high strength characteristics of alloys up to 450-500 MPa.

The volumes of production of cast billets from non-ferrous alloys (according to experimental estimates) are given in Table. 3

alloy type	Castings production, thousand tons/%
Total of non-ferrous alloys	600/100
From aluminum alloys, including ingots	440/73,3
Made of magnesium alloys	30/5,0
Their copper alloys	80/13,3
Made of titanium alloys	20/3,4
Nickel alloy	10/1,6
And other alloys	20/3,4

For the smelting of ferrous alloys, promising technologies are melting in electric arc and induction furnaces, which provide a stable chemical composition and temperature for out-of-furnace processing by refining methods and modified.

From 2010 to 2016 iron smelting in induction furnaces and duplex-process increased by 30%. At the same time, it should be taken into account that the growth in the production of electric iron smelting is carried out not only by the replacement of cupolas with induction furnaces, but also by the closure of foundries with cupola melting of cast iron.

The transition to the electric smelting of cast iron made it possible to increase the production of castings from high-strength cast iron by 12.5%.

Correspondingly, the average composition of charge materials also changed during iron smelting in various melting units. In the charge, the amount of steel and cast iron scrap increased by 15% and the amount of ingot foundry and saturated cast iron decreased by 28%.

An important role in obtaining high-quality castings is played by methods for obtaining casting molds and cores. Promising are dynamic methods of sealing molds from cold-hardening mixtures. At present, the production of molds from PGS is 60%, from CTS - 40%. Over the past 5 years, the production of molds for their CTS has increased by 11%.

Thus, the most promising areas for the development of foundry production are:

Melting of ferrous alloys in medium frequency induction furnaces and AC and DC arc furnaces;

• Creation and production of modern equipment for the manufacture of molds and cores:
• Development of production of castings from ductile iron and castings from aluminum, magnesium, titanium, and special alloys;
• Construction of new and reconstruction of old foundries for the production of foundry equipment, consolidation of foundries and merger into corporations.

The modernization of the foundry is closely related to the training of personnel. Without the training of specialists of a new formation, it is impossible to create and master new technologies aimed at improving the quality of products and increasing labor productivity.

The experience of recent years shows that the training of personnel (engineers, technicians, workers) must begin with the school family. The level of training in schools is significantly lower than the level of requirements that apply to school graduates when entering higher educational institutions.

Interest on the part of young people in studying at a university for a foundry specialty has noticeably decreased, and the prestige of technical work is sharply declining. It is necessary to return to the methodology of training engineers at universities, the distribution of specialists among the country's enterprises with the provision of social benefits.

All scientific activity is focused on the foundry departments of universities, which are not provided with modern research equipment, teaching aids.

In recent years, the number of foundry departments has sharply decreased; the process of merging foundry departments with the departments of welding, metal science, and materials science is underway. The connection between science and production is broken, there is no close connection between universities and enterprises on the preparation and use of bachelors. As a result, only 30% of graduates of foundry departments work in their specialty, and foundry enterprises do not have highly qualified specialists.

Currently, about 350 thousand people work in the foundry, including workers - 92%, economists and managers - 3%, engineers - 4.8%, scientists - 0.2% (Fig. 6.)

Rice. 6.

In this regard, the training of teaching staff cannot be ruled out. Today, the training of specialists often lags behind the development of production.

Modernization and reconstruction of foundries is slowly proceeding on the basis of new environmentally friendly technological processes and materials, progressive equipment that provides high-quality castings that meet international standards.

However, individual examples of partial modernization of foundry production do not meet world standards, the pace of improving the quality of cast billets and increasing labor productivity. Today it is necessary to build flexible production facilities that ensure the continuity of the technological chain of equipment and the possibility of its readjustment in the production of a wide range of castings.

It is necessary to develop a strategy and tactics for the development of foundry production in Russia for the next 10-15 years. Taking into account the intersectoral nature of foundry production, it should be developed by highly qualified specialists with rich practical experience with the active support of the Government of the Russian Federation.

Each branch of the machine-building complex has its own characteristics in the use of cast billets from ferrous and non-ferrous alloys, the mechanical and operational properties of castings, the use of cast billets from ferrous and ferrous and non-ferrous alloys, the mechanical and operational properties of castings, the use of technological processes and equipment for the production of castings, weight and nomenclature of cast parts, type of production (small-scale, serial, mass), etc.

Therefore, at the first stage, it is necessary to create working groups and analyze the existing production of cast billets by industry and determine the prospects for their development until 2020 and 2030.

Based on these data, it will be possible to determine priority sectors, production volumes of castings from ferrous and non-ferrous alloys, and the need for equipment and materials.

In parallel, it is necessary to develop a strategy for the development of foundry engineering and training. It is necessary to determine the production and technological capabilities for the production of foundry equipment at existing plants, to determine the list of equipment that is subject to import substitution, and which must be purchased abroad within the specified time frame of the strategy.

Therefore, the development of a strategy for the development of foundry production in Russia is a complex, intersectoral and complex task that requires some time and funding. In the absence of clear data on the needs of castings: "how much", "which" and "to whom", a foundry development strategy cannot be developed and successfully implemented.

To realize the prospects for the development of foundry production, it is necessary to:

1. Establish a Federal Research Center for Foundry to coordinate scientific activities, communication of academic science with ministries, universities and factories.
2. Create a Foundry Department within the structure of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation and equip it with specialists with the responsibility of coordinating the technical and technological activities of foundries in various industries, developing new technological processes, equipment and materials, and improving the skills of engineering, middle managers and workers.
3. Create research and production centers at the foundry departments of the country's universities and equip them with modern technological equipment, instruments and specialists.
4. Construction of new or modernization of old machine-building plants, including machine-tool plants for the manufacture of foundry equipment. provide them with the necessary funding.
5. Resume the State annual reporting of foundries on the production and purchase of products (equipment, materials, castings, (for alloys).
6. Recommend to the Ministry of Education and Science to assign the status of acutely scarce specialties in the profile "Foundry" and to resume engineering training in universities.
7. Pay attention to the activities of public organizations and give them appropriate powers and financial support, taking into account the experience of work of foundry associations of the BRICS countries with the Government.
8. Establish a professional holiday "Founder's Day" on the first Sunday of June.

We hope that through the joint efforts of scientists, researchers, business leaders, foundry specialists, public organizations, with the active support of the Government of the Russian Federation, it will be possible to significantly increase the competitiveness of Russia's foundry production at the world level.

I. A. Dibrov, Professor, Doctor of Technical Sciences, President of the Russian Association of Foundry Workers, Honored Metallurgist of the Russian Federation, Editor-in-Chief of the Foundry Worker of Russia magazine