Cast Iron Costs, Sand Casting Production

As for sand castings, the cast iron production costs include many aspects, such as pig iron prices, manpower costs, material costs, machining, heat treatment, painting, packing, foundry coke and sand costs.

1. pig iron costs

Pig iron is the most important material for iron castings, so its costs will take almost half of total production costs. Therefore, its costs will directly affect the change of iron casting prices. Normally, pig iron cost can take about 50% of total production costs.

2. steel scrap costs

In order to reduce the production costs, and sometimes, reduce the content of carbon, most of iron foundries will add some proportion of steel scrap together with the pig iron. Therefore, this will also be a part of production costs. However, since the steel scrap takes only small proportion, so its prices will not affect the iron casting prices largely, but it will affect steel castings largely since steel scrap will be the main raw material for cast steel castings.

3. alloy costs

As for some alloy cast iron products, such as Ni, Mo, Cr, Cu alloy irons, the costs of added alloys will affect the casting costs largely since these alloys are more expensive than pig iron. During quotation, these alloys costs need to be considered separately.

4. spheroidizing agent costs

Spheroidizing agent is also called as nodulizer, which is a necessary material for producing ductile iron castings, so its costs will be a part of production costs, and its change will also affect the change of casting prices. Normally, nodulizer costs can take about 8 to 10% of total production costs.

5. furan resin costs

As for resin sand castings and shell moulding castings, the resin, especially Furan resin, will be used largely, therefore, its price will affect the prices of castings. In 2011, the resin price was about two times of that in 2010, therefore, resin sand castings will be more expensive than 2010. Resin costs can take about 9 to 10% of production costs.

6. electric charges, foundry coke costs

The electric furnaces need to use electricity, and cupola needs to use foundry coke, therefore, these costs will be a large part for total production costs. In order to save electric charge, most of iron foundries in China will run the production during night. These costs take about 10 to 12% of total costs.

7. manpower costs

Since all the production processes, such as molding, melting, pouring, cleaning, grinding, painting, machining, packing, will need lots of workers and operators, so manpower costs are still a main production cost for iron casting factories. Although some factories imported automatic molding equipments to reduce workers, but automatic molding line can not produce all types of castings, and they can not reduce workers for other processes. Manpower costs can take 10% of total costs.

8. sand costs

The green sand and resin sand can be used repeatedly, so these sands will not affect the production costs largely, however, as for the shell molding process, the pre-coated resin sand can not be used repeatedly, so these sands will be a important production cost, these sands can take 13% to 15% of total costs.

9. painting costs

As for the anti-rust primer painting, it is not a large cost, but for finish painting, electrophoretic paint, powder painting, asphalt paint and heat resistance paint, they are not cheap. Anti-rust primer painting can take about 5% of total costs.

10. packing costs

Most of iron castings should be packed by the non-fumigation crates and plywood boxes, so the packing cost will be needed to consider. Packing costs can take 4 to 5% of total costs.

11. heat treatment costs

If the iron castings need heat treatment to reduce interior stress, improve the surface hardness, and physical properties, then it will be a part of production costs. Heat treatment costs can take 13% to 25% of total costs.

12. machining costs

Most of iron castings need some level of machining works. Rough machining or finished machining.

Home | More Articles

Stove Burner
Cast Iron Plate
Manhole Cover Casting
Brake Drum
Warping Head Casting
Ductile Iron Belt Pulley
Cast Iron Flywheel
Boiler Ash Door
Cast Iron Stove Grate
Tractor Gearbox
Pump Body
Cast Iron Brackets
Cast Iron Weight
Gear Casting
Large Cast Steel Bracket
Cast Iron Drainage Pipe
Flange Castings
Cast Iron Pipe Fittings
Burner Grates for Gas Stove
Grey Iron Counter Weight
Cast Iron Axle Support
Cast Iron Blocks
Gas Burner
Cast Iron Truck Castings
Cast Iron Tractor Parts
Cast Iron Stove Parts
Pump Shell and Valve Body
Cast Iron Umbrella Base
Cast Iron Pan, Cookware
Boiler Soot Collector