The plaster molding process is typically used for production of die cast prototypes. The main advantage of the plaster molding process is a smooth surface finish of castings, excellent dimensional accuracy and relatively low cost. A major drawback of this process is the low permeability of the plaster which strongly reduce gas evacuation during mold filling. In addition, the mold weakness often leads to cracking during handling and surface defects. All these aspects have to be improved in order to obtain a better productivity and quality. In this work, foamed plaster molds have been produced using different processing conditions and tested with the objective to improve their mechanical properties. The influence of experimental factors such as water temperature, fiber addition and degree of foaming on strength and permeability of plaster were evaluated.
展开▼
