The Foundry Industry – The Use of Tin in Foundries
Commonly used non-ferrous metals such as tin don’t contain substantial amounts of iron composition. These metals are combined in certain ratios to develop alloys with specific mechanical and chemical properties in most cases.
Technicians generally create these alloys in a smelting operation, producing the tin ingots. These ingots are then provided to manufacturers for a wide variety of industrial and commercial applications.
Here’s all you need to know about the use of tin in foundries.
Non-Ferrous Foundries
Non-ferrous foundries melt tin and pour it into molds with a specific desired geometry. The technicians then allow the molten metal to cool before removing it from the mold. This results in a non-ferrous metal casting.
You can use the metal castings produced by Metaconcept Groupe widely in different economic segments. They’re most important in the:
- Medical technologies
- Plumbing and food handling
- Tooling & machinery
- Automotive industries
- Housing and construction
Why Tin Is an Ideal Non-Ferrous Metal for Casting
Apart from other non-ferrous metals out there, tin is one of the best options because of its inherent properties. Owing to its low melting point, and since it readily alloys with most metals, you can produce castings by immersing an appropriately prepared metal object into the molten tin.
Besides presenting a good appearance, hot-dipped tin castings are tightly adherent. When you severely draw and work on coated sheets, the coating acts to your advantage as a lubricant instead of flaking off.
Because the tin ingots are malleable and moderately ductile, they’re useful in so many ways, including:
- Creation of bronzes
- Tinning copper wires
- Application in electroplating
- Manufacture of tableware
- Forms part of all solders
- Manufacture of Organic Pipes
Although tin has countless uses in alloys, you can’t leverage its pure elemental form as much.
You may also produce the casting by electroplating the metal from the aqueous solution of its salt. Here, both matte-finish and bright coatings can be created. Among the electroplated layers, the commonly used include the tin-lead, tin-zinc, and tin-nickel.
You can use them both as decorative and protective finishes. The tin-zinc castings can work correctly in various industrial applications, more so in the automotive industry. As for tin-nickel, it’s highly resistant to tarnish and corrosion, thus the best for scientific instruments and electrical equipment.
Rely on the Experts
Some tin sheet metal suppliers such as Metaconcept Groupe provide high standards of sheet metals. Contact us today, and we’ll help you choose a sheet that will work effectively for your needs.