Based on its accumulated experience, GTP Schäfer has expanded the range of applications of its ECO-Risers in close cooperation with its customer, the Georg Fischer foundry, Leipzig. Particularly due to the increasing demand for lightweight components, for example in vehicle construction, ECO-Risers are attracting increasing interest from more and more foundries. Therefore, ECO-Risers are particularly in demand for the production of fine castings with minimal wall thickness.
In complex components, such as steering and transmission housings, areas that need to be particularly sturdy often have to be reinforced at specific points. This makes it necessary to have a higher number of nodal points to be fed selectively. The resulting riser positions are often very close to adjacent casting sections and, due to their heat radiation, influence solidification processes and the soundness of the resultant casting.
In contrast to all other exothermic risers, the ECO-Riser, from the innovation and technology leader GTP Schäfer provides a significantly higher proportion of its energy for feeding the casting. This energy is available for solidification control of the liquid metal in the riser and it is not discharged unused into the moulding sand reducing energy consumption by up to 35 percent. The ECO-Riser is particularly well suited for use in confined spaces, in core packages or in areas having adjacent casting sections.
Conventional risers release a high proportion of their exothermic energy to the moulding sand. Unwanted secondary shrinkage cavities and structural porosity are usually the result. This is where ECO-Risers, which GTP Schäfer developed in close cooperation with its customer Georg Fischer, come into their own.
The basic principle of the ECO-Riser is a combination of an exothermic inner riser, which receives the liquid iron for feeding and an insulating outer shell that reduces heat lost to the surrounding moulding material. In this way, it increases the energy efficiency considerably.
The casting and core areas surrounding the ECO-Riser are exposed to less heat compared to conventional exothermic risers. Thanks to this, ECO-Risers can be placed within thermally sensitive core sections for example. Or they can be positioned closer to neighbouring cast sections without negatively affecting them. In this way, even the finest component geometries of a lightweight construction, can be fed reliably.
GTP Schäfer will present the innovative ECO-Risers and much more from June 12 – 16 at GIFA 2023 in Düsseldorf, hall 12, booth E 29 & E 30.