Glossary of Foundry Terms

air blast -

boilers - An enclosed vessel for the heating (not necessarily boiling) or vapourising of water or other fluids to be used in other processes outside the boiler. See also Wikipedia's entry for Boiler.

brass foundry - A factory for the production of castings of brass.

brass moulders -

cast iron - Usually made from pig iron it is usually made by the melting together of iron, carbon and silicon. White cast iron is so-called because when fractured this cast iron has a white appearance; this cast iron fractures with a clean break. Grey cast iron fractures with a grey appearance; it fractures with smaller cracks radiating from the initial break. See also Wikipedia's entry for Cast iron.

cast iron lacework / wrought iron - A decorative architectural feature often used on verandahs and in fencing.

casting - Both the process of forming an object by pouring a liquid material into a mould and allowing it to solidify, and the name of the solid object produced. See also Wikipedia's entry for Casting.

charge - The mix of materials melted together to make the desired metal product. In a conventional cupola furnace this consists of "alternate layers of the metal to be melted, coke fuel and limestone flux".

cupola / cupola furnace - A conventional cupola is a vertically erected steel shell lined with refractory brick and having an opening about half way up through which the charge is introduced. The coke fuel is burnt in hot gases introduced from outside the cupola.

dry sand casting -

engines -

fan wheel -

fire brick / refractory brick - A brick used to line furnaces and kilns. It can withstand high temperatures and has a low conductivity of heat. See also Wikipedia's entry for Fire brick.

fire clay - A type of clay used for making ceramics, particularly fire bricks. These clays must be able to withstand a minimum temperature of 1515°C(2759°F). See also Wikipedia's entry for Fire clay.

force-pump - A pump used to raise a liquid or eject it under pressure.

foundry - A factory for the production of metal castings. See also Wikipedia's entry for Foundry.

green sand - This sand is referred to as "green" because it is used wet (like green wood). They are typically used in foundries to make expendable moulds.

iron foundry - A factory for the production of castings of iron.

iron moulders -

loam - Soil made up of about 40% sand, 40% silt and 20% clay; this mix allowing it to retain water whilst allowing excess to drain away.

moulding - A process of shaping raw material by pouring a liquid material into a hollowed block called a pattern and allowing it to solidify. See also Wikipedia's entry for Molding.

moulding room / moulding shop -

pattern - A replica of an object, conventionally carved in wood or cast in metal, that is used to form the hollow for sand casting. They are durable and dimensionally accurate.

pattern maker -

pig iron - The product of smelting iron ore with a high-carbon fuel (e.g. coke fuel). Pig iron is brittle and must be smelted again to produce a workable iron. In the early years of Australian settlement it was often brought to the colony as ship's ballast.

pumps -

quartz-crusher -

sand casting - A process by which a solid metal object is made by pouring the liquid metal into a mould made of sand and allowing it to solidify. The solid object produced may also be referred to as a sand casting. See also Wikipedia's entry for Sand casting.

scoria / scorite -

sheet iron -

slag - A somewhat glass-like by-product of smelting ore; it is typically a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide.

References

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--Beth Kicinski 08:01, 29 August 2013 (EST)