Foseco offer a broad range of organic and inorganic mould and core binder systems. Organic binders are almost exclusively synthetic resins, which are cured by the addition of a separate hardener or catalyst. Inorganic or silicate binders are based on sodium silicates that have been optimised to accommodate the varying casting processes, thus guaranteeing best performance.
Self-setting binders
In the self-hardening process clean, dry sand is mixed with binder and catalyst, usually in a continuous mixer. Speed of setting is controlled by the type and addition rate of the catalyst used. Self-setting binders provide superior mould break-down after casting and excellent casting surface finish.
Driven by increasing health and safety guidelines and even more stringent environmental legislation, the sodium silicate method in combination with liquid hardeners has enjoyed a recent resurgence in popularity in steel, iron and non ferrous foundries.
Cores for repetition foundries are usually made using a triggered hardening system with the mixed sand being blown into the core box. Gas cured binder systems often allow very fast curing, even of thick section cores.
The shell process was one of the first synthetic resin foundry processes to be developed. Although it is slow and rather expensive, it is still widely used, because of the excellent surface finish and dimensional accuracy of the castings produced.
In addition to binders and coatings, Foseco offers a range of ancillary products used for the production of moulds and cores. These products include release and parting agents, glues and sealants, and sand additives.
