Steel ingots have been an important material for various industries for many years. It is still fundamental for specific low-alloy steel grades and special forging applications where products of large dimension, high quality, or small lot size are needed. The ingot casting route is a conventional casting process that is used for liquid steel. Although the production of crude steel through the ingot casting route makes up a small percentage of global crude steel production, it is still an important process for the power engineering, oil and gas, aerospace, shipbuilding, and automotive engineering industries.
The power engineering industry, for example, uses ingots to produce shafts for power generation plants and turbine blades. The oil and gas industry uses ingots to produce conveying equipment and seamless tubes. The aerospace industry relies on ingots to produce shafts, turbines, and engine parts. Shipbuilding also requires ingots to manufacture drive shafts for engines and drives. Tool-making and mechanical engineering also use ingots to produce heavy forgings, cold, hot, and high-speed steels, bearings, and drive gears. The automotive engineering industry requires ingots to produce shafts and axes.
There is currently an increasing demand for heavy ingots, especially from the power engineering and shipbuilding industries. This has led to the production of extremely large ingots over 600 t and continuous cast strands with thickness over 450 mm and rounds with a diameter up to 800 mm. These ingots are mainly applied for pressure retaining components such as reaction vessels for nuclear power plants and rotating components like drive shafts of gas turbines and generator rotors.
The moulds used for casting of ingots are made of cast iron. Cast iron has a lower thermal coefficient compared to steel, making the easier detachment of ingot from the mould possible. The inner walls of the mould are coated with either tar or fine carbon to prevent the sticking of the ingot. These moulds require precision engineering to ensure the production of high-quality ingots.
Ningbo Yinzhou Ke Ming Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is a Chinese supplier of investment castings with water glass process in carbon steel and low alloy steel. The company specializes in manufacturing lost wax investment castings and finished products. It is a reputable supplier of high-quality products and has a solid reputation in the industry.
Steel ingots will remain an important material for different industries. They provide a reliable and durable material for different applications that require specific properties. With the increasing demand for new technologies, industries will continue to find new ways of using steel ingots to meet their specific needs. Companies such as Ningbo Yinzhou Ke Ming Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. will continue to play a key role in supplying high-quality ingots to different industries.