Main Sector of relevance\IRC classification 8. Industrial Manufacturing, Material and Transport Technologies


8.112 Setting up of industrial production of workpieces made from aluminium-silicon alloy replacing antifriction bronzes





Developers’ contact information

State Scientific Institution “The Institute of Metal Technology”
212030, Mogilev, Byalynitskaga-Biruli St., 11
Теl.: +375 (222) 288-647, +375 (222) 288-598, URL: http://www.itm.by

Doctor of Science Stetsenko V. U.
Теl.: +375 (222) 28-85-97, Теl/Fax: +375 (222) 28-01-13; e-mail: lms@itm.by

Summary

The project is about the establishment of a joint enterprise producing solid and tubular billets from antifriction Al-Si alloys. Provided that the costs of the organization of production are 1mn USD and planned yield of workpieces made from antifriction Al-Si alloys – 600t per year, the recoupment of the project will take 2,5 years, and internal rate of return (IRR) – 18%.

Description

The innovative aspect of this project is the technology developed in State Scientific Institution “The Institute of Metal Technology”. It is a technology of casting Al-Si alloys with equally spaced globular crystals of eutectic silicon with 4÷6 μg dispersion without modifying agents. Due to such microstructure workpieces made from Al-Si alloys with their mechanical and antifriction properties surpass analogous ones made from Al-Fe bronzes and Pb-Zn-Sn bronzes. After factory testing of antifriction Al-Si alloys at the enterprises of the Republic of Belarus such as joint stock company “Plant “Optik” (Lida), republican unitary enterprise “Plant “Evistor” (Vitebsk), republican unitary manufacturing enterprise “Machine tool plant “Krasnij borez” (Orsha) this material is recommended for substitution of bronze in node points and friction gears. The cost of workpieces made from antifriction Al-Si alloys is 2÷2,5 times lower, and their mass is 2,5÷3 times smaller than analogous ones made from bronze. Today the institute has the following technologies of getting of workpieces made from antifriction Al-Si alloys:
technologies of continuous casting of ingots with a diameter up to 100mm;
technologies of cyclic casting of solid billets with a diameter up to 250mm;
technologies of centrifugal casting of tubular billets with a diameter up to 300mm.
For the creation of industrial production of workpieces from antifriction Al-Si alloys having production capacity of 600t per year the following technological equipment is required:
- two electrical melting furnaces with the production capacity of 200kg per hour each;
- a continuous horizontal casting plant;
- two cyclic casting plants;
- two centrifugal casting plants;
- crystallizer thermal enclosure system.
Total costs of setting up of such production are 1 million USD. The bulk of the investments will be spent for purchasing, production and installation of technological equipment, and also for world market advertising activities. With planned yield of workpieces made from antifriction Al-Si alloys – 600t per year, the recoupment of the project will take 2,5 years, internal rate of return (IRR) – 18%. If to set up industrial production with capacity more than 600t per year the investments will rise in proportion to the capacity increase of workpiece production.

Technology type

Technical advantages and economic benefits

Workpieces made from antifriction Al-Si alloys in their mechanical properties are not inferior to analogous ones made from bronze, and in their antifriction properties surpass them in 4÷6 times. The cost of workpieces made from antifriction Al-Si alloys 2÷2,5 times cheaper, and their mass 2,5÷3 times lower than analogous ones made from Al-Fe bronzes and Pb-Zn-Sn bronzes.

Technology differentiation and uniqueness

The innovative aspect of this project is the technology developed in State Scientific Institution “The Institute of Metal Technology”. It is a technology of casting Al-Si alloys with equally spaced in aluminum matrix globular crystals of eutectic silicon with 4÷6 μg dispersion without modifying agents. Due to such microstructure workpieces made from Al-Si alloys with their mechanical and antifriction properties surpass analogous ones made from Al-Fe bronzes and Pb-Zn-Sn bronzes.

Context in which technology was identified

Antifriction silumin was presented at:

Technological keywords

Antifriction silumin, friction, wear resistance, microstructure, crystallizer, submerged-jet cooling.

Development Stage

Intellectual property rights

Range of applications

Engineering industry, machine-tool industry, repair service using worm wheels, tooth-wheels, split-shell bearings, guide bushes.

Classifier Used at the EU Innovation Relay Centres

Preferable Regions

Practical experience

Worm wheels made from eutectic Al-Si alloy have successfully passed factory testing in flat surface grinders at the republican unitary manufacturing enterprise “Machine tool plant “Krasnij borez” (Orsha). According to the testing results worm wheels made from eutectic Al-Si alloy are recommended for substitution of analogous ones made from Pb-Zn-Sn bronzes. Worm wheels made from eutectic Al-Si alloy have successfully passed factory testing in substitution of bronze ones made from Ai-Fe bronzes in reducers of grinding-and-polishing machines at the joint stock company “Plant “Optik” (Lida). Service life of worm wheels made from eutectic Al-Si alloy is 4-6 times higher than of analogous ones made from Al-Fe bronze. Friction bearings made from aluminium-silicon alloy have successfully passed factory testing in substitution of bronze ones made from Ai-Fe bronze in builders at the joint stock company “Belshina” (Bobruisk). It was established that during 6 months of operation the linear wear of guide bushes made from eutectic Al-Si alloy was no more than 0,04%. This indicator is better than one of Pb-Zn-Sn bronze. There were no score and linear wear marks on mating parts.
Currently workpieces made from antifriction Al-Si alloy are implemented into production and delivered to the enterprises of the Republic of Belarus: the joint stock company “Plant “Optik” (Lida), joint stock company “Belshina” (Bobruisk), republican unitary manufacturing enterprise “Machine tool plant “Krasnij borez” (Orsha), joint stock company “Bobruiskselmash” (Bobruisk),  production department “Gomselmash” (Gomel).

Environmental impact

Information about possible negative consequences of the project realization, occurrence of incidents, ecological pollution, etc. during development, production and application of the developed product is absent.

Type of collaboration sought

Terms and restrictions

According to the aggrement.

Support provided at transfer of the technology