Finecast is a UK industry leader in sand casting manufacturing, continuing to embrace new technologies and science to support our technically advanced processes and guarantee right-first-time, high-integrity precision castings for our customers.
Finecast has invested £750,000 in a new in-house state-of-the-art Non Destructive Testing (NDT) centre which includes the GE Seifert X|Cube Series 320KV, the very latest, technically advanced x-ray scanning system.
The GE Seifert X|Cube Series 320KV is an extremely powerful, yet versatile x-ray system offering both 2D radio tomography and 3D computed tomography inspection. The system is extremely fast, flexible and offers a range of advanced features, allowing our team of NTD specialist engineers to ensure casting integrity and dimensional assurance, by testing for a wide-range of factors such as:
- Defect analysis – micro-porosity, sand inclusion, dimensional stability, sub-surface cracks, shrinkage porosity
- Wall thickness measurement
- Internal core location
- Reverse engineering
This high-level technology, enables us to enhance our advanced casting manufacturing process, giving us an extremely fast, highly controlled route to manufacture castings with the highest possible integrity. Our process includes the following stages:
Magma Simulation
3D Printing of Mould
Casting Manufacture
NTD (2D RT & 3D CT)
High-Precision Machining
Dimensional Validation
We provide the highest level of NDT for a wide application range of applications and sectors, from automotive castings to defence and aerospace castings. The sheer power of the 320KV version also gives us the ability to carry out NDT for denser materials, such as austenitic steels/pro nickel steels and ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
Finecast is currently the only foundry in the UK offering this level of testing in-house, giving us the ability to guarantee and deliver right-first-time, high-integrity precision castings. Our NDT centre is run by our highly skilled, certified engineers with hundreds of hours of experience, with the advanced ability to rigorously test all of our castings in accordance with our customer requirements and industry standards.
Investing in the new NDT centre and having a Seifert X|Cube Series 320KV in-house, enables us to offer an unparalleled ad-hoc NDT service to other foundries and companies with components/products that require NDT and integrity verification with 2D radio tomography and 3D computed tomography testing.
What are the main advantages/benefits for Finecast and our customers?
The new NDT facility provides a plethora of advantages and benefits for Finecast and our customers, enabling us to guarantee the integrity of each and every casting we deliver.
- Guarantee high-Integrity castings
- Powerful defect analysis
- Analyse and detect micro-porosity
- Analyse and detect sand inclusion
- Analyse and detect shrinkage porosity
- Analyse and detect sub-surface cracks
- Analyse dimensional stability
- Measure wall thickness
- Precise alignment
- Internal core location
- Internal validation
- Reverse engineering
- 320KV allows for denser materials
- Ferrous / non-ferrous + austenitic / pro nickel steels
- Clear 360 degree Images / 1 degree increments
- Clear and precise images
- Precise, defined high tolerance report
- High reduction of reject rate
- Further assure right-first-time approach
- Improved production times
- Only foundry in the UK with this capability
Q&A’s with Stephen Alderton, NDT Specialist
On the 20th of September 2022, we had the pleasure of meeting up with Stephen Alderton, NDT specialist from Waygate Technologies a Baker Hughes company. To get his insight into the latest NDT equipment, how it will benefit Finecast and our customers, technological advances in the field and his thoughts on the future of NDT in casting manufacturing.
Stephen Alderton – Waygate Technologies, Baker Hughes
CT Scanner Control Platform
Q. What new NDT equipment/systems have been installed at Finecast?
A. The GE Seifert x|cube 320kV has been installed at Finecast.
Q. How does Radiographic Testing (RT) and Computed Tomography (CT) work and what are the advantages / disadvantages for each?
A. RT is a 2D conventional X-ray technique, the X-cube “digital” RT its almost instant compared with conventional film RT this is why foundries prefer all the aspects of a rapid answer and more or less instant feedback. CT is a 3D technique where the system generates a 3D volume for post analysis. The acquisition of the 3D data is not instant as the machine may take 1000-2000 images to produce a volume, but in short this can take anywhere from 10mins to 45mins depending on the part. In the case of Finecast, for them to get good data means that they now can measure the casting wall thickness in the tricky areas without destroying the part. The CT functionality of the X-cube is not used on all parts, it can be considered as complimentary to other inspection methods that Finecast employ, they use it when the client or the application requires it.
Q. What are the main features of the Seifert x|cube 320kV?
A. The X-cube has been designed as an easy to use machine with a great deal of flexibility, the Finecast system has a 320kV X-ray tube for high penetration with manipulation from a 5 axis CNC manipulator. The high resolution and large surface detector gives high contrast results that are easy to interpret on the system monitors. The enhancement of the Waygate “Flash” technology means that the inspector can make an informed decision without delay and deliberation.
Q. What are the main features of the vista plus software?
A. An easy to use windows based program that can almost pass the “no manual test” at least for basic usage. The system software has complexities that allow for macro programming of functions, image annotation, image processing, DICONDE output and the ability to push data to an archive solution.
Q. What are the distinct advantages / benefits for Finecast and our customers?
A. Quick turnaround and in-house expertise that adds value to the company’s distinct profile. Cost savings on subcontracting, traceability and the time delay for shipping parts back and forth to 3rd party inspection houses. As companies strive for the digital twin Finecast have the capability for the digital triplet.
Q. What new capabilities does the Seifert x|cube 320kV provide? (max weight, /size/power etc)
A. The X-cube 320 has been designed for use on thin wall and or heavy section castings made from Aluminium, Steel, Inconel, or other dense metal derivatives. The power level (Kv,mA) is adjustable to allow the operator to get the best shot in all conditions with challenging part geometries. The X-cube is available in Compact, XL and XXL versions that for applications that require very large parts, the Finecast machine is suitable for parts up to 900mm tall with a diameter of 600mm with a weight of up to 300kg.
Q. What can it test for and what can it find? i.e. Integrity, porosity, defects, cracks, dimensional verification, wall thickness measurements?
A. In the world of 2D (RT) X-ray on castings users are looking for porosity and shrinkage to certain standards of acceptance. With 3DCT however conventional porosity and shrinkage becomes easier to detect in a 3D volume, sub surface detection is made easier due to the multiple angle data acquisition, 1000 images from a CT scan gives better data than 1 image in one plane. From the 3D volume in CT it then becomes standard to make wall thickness measurements either automated means or by manual intervention.
Q. What makes you the industry leader and better than your competitors?
A. The Siefert brand is now part of Waygate Technologies and has been in existence for 125 years at the German site near Hamburg, having great heritage and market awareness keeps us very close to the castings industry and enables us to provide the products the industry demands.
Q. What’s next in the future for NDT?
A. NDT 4.0. Automation in 3D, automation in sentencing, data retention and the “digital triplet”..
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Stephen Alderton for his expertise, collaboration and contribution to helping us improve and innovate our equipment and processes here at Finecast and we look forward to developing our partnerships in the future.
If you are searching for an industry leading, innovative sand casting company with specialised NDT technology look no further than Finecast. Our team of experienced engineers combined with our state-of-the-art facility and processes are all you need to bring your idea to reality, specialising in rapid prototyping with a make like production approach and low/medium volume production for powertrain and structural BiW parts
