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Aluminum Sand Castings
Leitelt Brothers Inc. has over 100 years of experience in the design and manufacturing of quality aluminum sand castings.
Aluminum Sand Casting Process
Green sand is the most commonly used material for making aluminum metal castings. The process is simple, a mold is created by placing a mixture of sand, bentonite clay and water. Once the mold is created it will carry the shape of the pattern. The sand mold is comprised of two parts; the cope (top) and the drag (bottom). Each mold is contained in an enclosure called a flask. Before the flask is closed, any sand cores needed to manufacture the part details are placed in the mold halves. The two halves are closed and clamped together and molten metal is then poured into the mold.
Sand Mold Casting is the most direct and low-cost means of converting metal into the desired shape. Aluminum castings are virtually unlimited in their ability to provide users with a wide range of advantages and applications.
Aluminum has a high strength-to-weight ratio that is approximately one third the weight of cast iron, steel, brass, and zinc.
With excellent corrosion resistance, reduced machining cycles, and the ability to anodize, buff, electroplate and powder coat, aluminum castings make it more cost-effective than a welded component, stamping or forging.
T5 & T6 Heat Treatments
There are two heat treatments for A356, T5 and T6. T5 heat treatment is the simpler option for our castings where the aluminum extruded is allowed to naturally cool.
Our T6 heat treatment of A356 aluminum castings are more complex and requires 2 steps. After the castings are allowed to cool naturally they are then heated at a high temperature and instantaneously cooled in water, this method offers increased hardness.
Applications for Aluminum Sand Castings
The light weight of aluminum, the improved strength that engineered alloys offer, and the increased ability of the sand casting process to produce stronger and thinner-walled parts allows us to produce a variety of castings for our customers ranging in size from 1 ounce up to 600 pounds for a wide range of industries like:
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Architectural & Ornamental Castings
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Construction Castings
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Diesel Engine Castings
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Electrical Castings
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Food Processing Equipment Castings
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Lighting Castings
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Marine & Shipbuilding Castings
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Medical
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Military
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Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) Castings
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Pump & Valve Castings
319 Aluminum Alloy
Aluminum alloy 319.0 has excellent casting and machining characteristics.
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535 Almag Aluminum
535.0 is an aluminum magnesium alloy that does not require heat treatment to reach full properties.
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