The Cast iron was invented by the Chinese in the 4th century BC.

China had begun to use blast furnaces to cast iron in at least the 4th century BC. Meanwhile Europe did not have such similar technology in the 7th century. The highly developed cast bronze during the Shang and Zhou dynasties provided the premise for the invention of cast iron technology. The development of the casting industry manifested as the increase in production capacity. In the meantime, the strengthening of fossil fuel preparation, furnace building, and model manufacturing technology also give evidence to it.

The first iron castings were similar in shape to similar bronze castings.

Early cast irons were white iron with high carbon and low silicon, brittle and hard, and easy to break. With the development of agricultural production, ductile cast iron occurred in the early stage of the Warring States period. As a result, the production tools can be made by cast iron. Through decarburization and graphitization heat treatment, we can obtain black and white core ductile cast iron with incomplete decarburization respectively. After the middle Warring States period, cast iron tools gradually replaced other tools, such as wood, stone and copper. Therefore, cast iron tools became the main production tools. The unearthed objects included shovel, sickle, adze, axe, plow, shackle, chisel, etc.

Because of the large demand for ironware, cast iron also contributed to the invention of Tiefan (cast iron metal mold).

In 1953, Tiefan used to cast iron axe, sickle and vehicles was unearthed from the Casting Site in Xinglong, Hebei. These iron castings have uniform wall thickness, reasonable structure, uniform shape and casting outline. At the same time, some iron mold can cast two objects at a time. This shows that casting iron technology has reached a fairly high level during this period.

Iron castings was widely used as farm tools in the late feudal society.

In the 10th century, it was possible to cast extra-large iron castings weighing 50 tons. After the Five Dynasties, iron buildings increased, such as the iron tower of the Northern Song Dynasty in Dangyang, Hubei. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, the iron in Hunan, Guangdong, Hubei, Fujian was known for its excellent quality. Furthermore, iron smelting production developed rapidly. Foshan, Guangdong has become a well-known smelting and casting center. The iron pots are exported to Southeast Asia, and traditional cast iron techniques such as clay casting and casting pots are still used in modern times.

Cast iron is an important invention of the working people in ancient China. Cast iron played a major role in the development of Chinese civilization and had a considerable impact on later generations.

Yide casting is a leading casting foundry in China, with 27 years’ experience, produces top quantity ductile iron castings. If you are interested in our casting fitting, please send us a drawing file, and feel free to get a quite quote.

How to Choose, Install and Maintain Ductile Iron Pipe

Firstly, let’s see why choose ductile iron pipe.

In building construction, especially the construction of urban water supply pipeline network, the pipeline products used require high strength, high toughness, strong corrosion resistance and comprehensive cost of construction and installation. From these perspectives, ductile iron pipe is undoubtedly the best choice. From the production process of ductile iron pipe to the final construction and installation, it meets our requirements. No matter how complicate the project, choosing ductile iron pipe as the main pipeline product is definitely a wise choice with the highest cost performance in the long term.

Secondly, the installation of ductile iron pipe mainly includes the following steps:

1. Site selection

Select the installation route of the ductile pipe from the perspective of soil quality and nearby pipelines, and form construction drawings. Special attention should be paid to avoid some corrosive and unsafe installation routes.

2. Pipe laying

Use Large-scale equipment such as excavators and hoisting machines in the pipe laying process. At the same time, a 10-meter ductile pipe should arrange 2 to 3 workers based on experience. The rubber ring should be placed in the socket groove and compacted by hand.

3. Determine the distance of the pipeline

The key of this step is to cut off the iron pipe if it’s too long. And process the spigot end into a groove shape according to the construction angle to facilitate application.

4. Tube body measurement

Through the measurement of the tube body, to demtermine the straight line space and the corner space formed by the installation radian, vacancy, and transfer. Thus in order to achieve stability and avoid displacement.

5. Positioning marking

The purpose of the positioning marking is to achieve that the fixed pipe and moving pipe axis lines are on the same straight line as a wheelbase. This step is to ensure the quality and speed of the installation. Also it helps to prevent the pipeline apron from falling off and affecting the quality and progress.

6. The installation of pipes should be flat, and the pipes should be in a straight line. Besides, be careful of inclination angle.

7. Align the interface of the connecting pipe with the socket. If the insertion resistance is too large, do not insert it forcibly to prevent the rubber ring from twisting.

8. When pipeline installation and laying works are interrupted, use its cap to close the pipe opening to prevent dirt, sand and other debris from entering the pipeline.

9. Cover the middle part of each pipe with soil before the pressure test.

Then, how to maintain ductile iron pipes? Let me introduce to you briefly.

The maintenance of the ductile tube should always start from its selection. Before the project starts, we should perform a visual inspection of the parts, such as pipe fittings, aprons, elbows, etc., so as to avoid using defective parts.

The second point of maintenance is to check and acceptance check. We should pay attention to the socket apron lower tube (pipe) that affects the long-term stable operation, and strive to have no debris in the socket in these aspects. The rubber ring has been hit by a rubber hammer without warping and twisting, and is evenly stuck in the groove.

During the maintenance process of ductile iron pipes, since the axis of the moving pipe is deeply buried in the ground, be careful when there is an inclination angle. If the resistance is too large, do not excavate forcibly to prevent the rubber ring from twisting. The maintenance of ductile tubes in winter also needs preheating with hot water to reduce the hardness and install quickly.

In addition, if the quality of the ductile iron pipes used in the project absolutely meets the national standards, then we should pay attention to the apron, welding, etc. AC and DC. As long as the ductile cast iron pipes are applied properly and the product quality is excellent, it can reduce unnecessary troubles in installation projects. Also, as a new type of pipe material, its future maintenance work is relatively easy.

Yide casting is a leading casting foundry in China, with 27 years’ experience, provides quality duction iron pipe, brass pipe in a big production, OEM service is available, if you are looking for a casting supplier, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Of course, you are welcome to visit our casting factory in China.

How to Choose Forklift Parts?

1. Check whether the part numbers and specifications of forklift parts are appropriate

Most forklift parts have a specific part number and technical parameters. When purchasing electrical system accessories, pay attention to checking whether the voltage and power are consistent with those of the replaced accessories. When purchasing forklift engine drive belts, pay attention to the model and length width.

2. See if the trademark logo on the outer packaging is complete

The outer packaging quality of high-quality forklift parts is relatively good. At the same time, the writing on the packaging box is clear, and the overprint color is bright. Some important components, such as generators, starters, hydraulic pumps, etc., are also equipped with instruction manuals, certificates and inspectors’ stamps to guide users in the correct use of maintenance methods. Therefore, you should carefully recognize when purchasing to prevent buying fake forklift parts.

3. See if the shape and size of forklift parts are deformed

Some forklift parts are prone to deformation due to improper manufacturing, logistics, and storage.

• You can roll the shaft part along to see if there is light leakage at the joint between the parts. And roll the glass plate to judge whether it is bent.
• When choosing the forklift clutch driven disc steel plate or friction plate, you can hold the plate close to your eyes to observe whether it is warped.
• When choosing seals such as forklift oil seals, the end surface of the oil seal with a frame should be in a perfect circle, which can be fitted to the plate glass without warpage. And the outer edge of the non-skeleton oil seal should be straight. You can hold it by hand to deform it to see if it is able to return to its original shape after letting go.
• You should also use professional measuring tools to check the geometric dimensions and shapes when purchasing gaskets.

4. Check whether the joint parts of the forklift parts are flat

In the process of handling and storage of forklift parts, burrs, indentations, breakages or cracks may occur at the joints due to vibration and bumps, which may affect the installation and use of forklift parts. Therefore, you should check the joint parts during purchase or inspection.

5. Check for rust on the surface of forklift parts

The surface of qualified parts has both a certain precisionand a bright finish. The more important parts are, the higher the precision, and the stricter the rust and corrosion protection of the packaging. You should replace the parts if they are found to have rust spots, mildew spots, cracked rubber parts, loss of elasticity, or obvious cutting tool lines on the surface.

6. Check whether the protective surface of forklift parts is intact

Most accessories are coated with a protective layer at the factory. For example, piston pins and bearing bushes are generally protected by paraffin, while the surfaces of forklift piston rings and cylinder liners are coated with anti-rust oil and wrapped in wrapping paper. The valves and pistons of forklift engine parts are soaked in anti-rust oil and sealed in plastic bags. You should return or exchange the parts if the sealing sleeve of the sealed bag is broke, the packing paper is missing, or the rust preventive oil or paraffin is lost.

7. See if the glued parts are loose

The forklift parts formed by two or more parts are formed by pressing, bonding or welding. No looseness between the accessories is allowed. For example, the forklift oil pump plunger and the adjusting arm are assembled by pressing; the forklift clutch pressure plate and the clutch plate are riveted; the forklift friction plate and the steel plate are riveted or glued; the filter core frame and filter paper of various filter elements are glued; the circuit wires of electrical equipment are welded. You should replace the parts if find and looseness during purchase.

8. See if the rotating parts are flexible

When purchasing a forklift oil pump and other rotating parts assembly, turn the pump shaft by hand to feel flexible and free from jamming. When purchasing a needle roller bearing, support the inner ring of the bearing with one hand and rotate the outer ring with the other hand. The outer ring should be able to rotate quickly and freely, and then gradually stop. If the rotating parts do not rotate properly, it means that the internal rust or shape has been deformed, which will affect the use, and should be returned or replaced.

9. See if there are any missing parts in each assembly

For high-quality forklift assembly components such as the clutch or transmission of the forklift transmission system, the parts and accessories must be complete and intact to ensure the smooth and normal operation of the assembly. If individual small parts are missing, the assembly parts will not work or even be scrapped.

10. See if the assembly marks of forklift parts are clear

In order to ensure that the assembly relationship of other mating parts meets the technical requirements, assembly marks are engraved on the surface of some parts (such as timing gears). If there is no mark or the mark is fuzzy and unrecognizable, it will bring great difficulties to the assembly work, or even bring out wrong installation.

11. Check whether the mating surface is worn or not

If there are signs of wear on the mating surface of the accessories, or the painted accessories find old paint after removing the paint on the surface, it is mostly disguised as scrap parts. In this case, you can directly request a replacement.

12. Check whether the surface hardness of forklift parts meets the standard

The surface hardness of each mating part has specified requirements. After confirming the purchase and negotiating with the merchant, the stubble of the hacksaw blade can be used to test scratch. If there is no scratch when scratching, it means that the hardness is high. If there are obvious marks after scratching, it means that the hardness is low. However, it is necessary to pay attention not to damage the working surface of the accessories during the test.

There are many factors that affect the cost of sand casting. Here, we have listed some of the main factors, and hope that this information can help our casting customers.

1. Cost of pig iron and scrap steel

Pig iron and scrap steel is the main material of cast iron and cast steel, so their price will directly affect the cost of sand casting.

2. Alloy cost

If your casting parts need to add alloys such as chromium, nickel, copper and molybdenum, then their prices will be more expensive than ordinary metal grades.

3. Casting process

Different casting processes will greatly affect the cost of castings. The cheapest is the molding sand casting process, then resin sand casting is more expensive, and the pre-coated resin sand casting process (eg hot shell and core molding process) will be the most expensive process.

4. Resin cost

As for the casting process with resin sand and pre-coated resin sand, the price of resin will affect the cost of the casting, but it will not affect the sand casting process.

5. The size and weight of the casting

As for small castings weighing less than 1 kg, the price per kg will be much more expensive than large castings because they will lead to more production time and grinding works.

6. Sand core

If your casting parts need to use sand cores in the production, then its cost will be higher than that without sand cores. This is because the sand cores need to be produced separately.

7. other factors

In addition, there are many other factors. The annual demand is greater, then their prices will decrease. Simpler sand castings will be cheaper. Material grades will affect difficult production and heat treatment, so materials with higher grades are more expensive. Higher requirements summing up surface quality and casting defects will lead to higher production costs because of the scrap rate. In addition, there are other factors such as processing costs, painting and packaging costs.

Therefore, they are many factors that affect the cost of sand casting. Therefore, it is inaccurate to estimate its cost only through a calculation formula. This foundry needs to consider these factors based on production experience and current prices of materials and labor.