I've always been fascinated by industrial machinery. Luckily, I get to work around the stuff, too, at a foundry. It's mostly just a job when I'm working, but I'd like to take the time to just wander around and really look at all this stuff.



Twice (with permission, of course), I've come in on the weekend to take that time to walk around and look at stuff. Of course, the camera came too. There are certain things I'm not allowed to get pictures of, but the rest is still interesting.

This is the table where the ladies assemble the wax patterns onto sprues. The parts all start out as wax facsimiles of themselves.



The assembled molds then go to shell, where a conveyor brings them to...



...a giant robot arm, which dips them in several different coats of ceramic slurries and sand.



Once the shell dries, the wax is melted out, and the molds are put into pre-heat furnaces. This arm is used to transfer the heated molds to the furnace.



The electricity these ovens and induction furnaces use makes the air-conditioning bill in the 110° Arizona heat seem minor.



The casting guys have get bundled up before removing the 2000°+ molds from the furnace after a pour.



The giant blue vacuum chamber on the left is a heat-treat furnace. That usually comes later, but it depends on the crystalline structure of the part. The rest of this room is for breaking off the shell, cutting the parts from the sprue, and grinding off the gates.



The work has really only just begun at this point, but there's fewer big machines involved. I hope you enjoyed the little tour!

[BlackTalon]

Looks like a lot of $$$ equipment. But my eye is drawn to the stains from all of the roof leaks. Not a photographer issue; more of an occupational hazard at this viewer's end.

[scratchpaddy]

Looks like a lot of $$$ equipment. But my eye is drawn to the stains from all of the roof leaks. Not a photographer issue; more of an occupational hazard at this viewer's end.

Yeah, water-resistance tends to be a little lacking in southern Arizona ceilings. It only leaks a few times a year, but it only rains a few times a year. Thanks for commenting.