PHOTO STORY: BRONZE ALLOYS

More than Stainless Steel: Casting with Bronze Alloys at SF&E

Stainless Foundry & Engineering (SF&E) has been producing cast brass and bronze alloys since the 1970s. Within the past year, we have ramped up volume production and equipment investments to meet a growing need. In particular, SF&E has been working with commercial, pressure-retaining, and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) defense parts.

Bronze Alloy Pour

The renewed focus on bronze came after speaking with customers who were having a difficult time finding a foundry partner that could cast the shapes they needed in the material they needed.

SF&E offers alloys and specification combinations, including cast brasses and bronzes, and copper based alloys such as copper-nickel (Cu-Ni) and Monel alloys nickel-copper (Ni-Cu).

 

We are primarily a high alloy and steel foundry, but our process controls allow us to also make non-ferrous materials such as brasses, bronzes and other copper-based alloys. SF&E currently has procedures for commercial, ASME, and NAVSEA welding for bronze alloys.

PUMP HOUSING ASSEMBLY:

Material – ASTM B148, grade C95800

The pump housing assembly is made up of three parts: a back plate, an impeller, and a pump casing. The parts were cast in nickel aluminum bronze, which is a highly corrosion resistant alloy to seawater, and often used for maritime and naval operations.

Pump house assembly casting

BACK PLATE CASTINGS:

Material – ASTM B148, grade C90700

These back plates are made in high tin bronze alloy, which is a high strength material needed for high endurance in component life.

Back Plate Castings

HOUSING CASTING:

Material – ASTM B148, grade C90500

This housing is made from high tin bronze, which is ideal for high-strength applications, such as heavy loads traveling at low speeds or good corrosion resistance.

Housing Casting

PUMP CASTING:
Material – ASTM B148, grade C87500

This casing is made from copper silicon bronze, a high strength alloy that provides corrosion resistance at high temperatures and in marine environments.

The SF&E engineering team continues to revise technical procedures, processes, and techniques for brass and bronze casting production. Analytical capabilities have been upgraded with the recent addition of two spectrometers which have been set up specifically for copper based alloys. We also offer impregnation as an assurance tool that a casting will hold pressure without leaking.

 

Are you looking to convert an existing part to bronze, or are you running into challenges with your current foundry partner? Contact us today to see if we can help sales@stainlessfoundry.com.

Other News Articles

Non-Galling ILLIUM 8 Alloy Is the Right Recipe for Food Processing Equipment

Nickel-based ILLIUM 8 alloy has qualities that are ideal for food, dairy, and pharmaceutical processing equipment, as well as petrochemical equipment. We have been pouring ILLIUM alloys for decades, continuously working to improve our processes with every pour. Learn more about ILLIUM 8, and how its non-galling and corrosion-resistant qualities make it a critical component to the success of some of our most vital industries.


Clyde Union® Pumps Keep The Oil Flowing On Offshore Drilling Platform

One of the most rugged workplaces in the world is located nearly 200 miles off the Newfoundland coast on the Hibernia oil production platform. To ensure the oil keeps flowing, Stainless Foundry and Engineering recently worked with the pump manufacturer Clyde Union Canada Ltd., to upgrade the platform’s three centrifugal pumps.


Supporting the Global Defense Supply Chain

All major weapons systems contain a metal casting. Stainless Foundry & Engineering works with different alloys and techniques to produce castings that are better equipped to support the defense industry needs, anywhere from submarines to advanced weapons systems.


High Spec Castings – What You Need to Know about Testing

Parts produced for the nuclear, petrochemical, power generation, military, and defense industries require a high level of specification. Thorough testing is imperative to ensure these critical castings not only meet customer and industry standards, but they have the structural integrity to perform throughout their expected service life. Here’s how we do it.


Anatomy of a Pour: Investment Casting Photo Story

When Stainless Foundry & Engineering (SF&E) opened its doors in 1946, we specialized in sand casting, primarily producing impellers for pumps. SF&E added investment casting to its service offering in 1968 in response to the increasing demand for precision parts. We’ve documented our investment casting process in a series of photos as a way to pay homage to this practice, which dates back to 3,000 B.C.


Return to the News Page