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What is a Tundish?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

A tundish is a piece of equipment which is used in metal casting. The tundish holds molten metal right before it is poured into the mold, making it one of the last steps in the casting process. Tundishes come in an array of sizes and styles ranging from small versions used for casting in home studios by artists to massive containers utilized in the continuous casting process. Tundish technology has been around for a very long time, and numerous companies manufacture these devices along with attachments and accessories.

The tundish is made from extremely durable materials which are capable of coping with the high heat of molten metals. The equipment is usually lined with a material with low conductivity, and may be fitted with a nozzle to control the flow of molten metal. In other designs, the pour is controlled by hand or by machine. Controlling the pour is important to avoid casting a piece with flaws such as cracks and bubbles, and to accommodate the needs of different metals.

Worker
Worker

While in the tundish, the composition of the molten metal can change as it interacts with the air. This change in composition needs to be tightly controlled to achieve the desired effect in the finished product. At all stages of the casting process, the metal needs to be monitored as it moves through different phases and interacts with the surrounding environment. Small variations in the process can sometimes result in very different final products.

Over time, the inside of the tundish can become coated in layers of metal. These layers need to be removed to free up room in the tundish and to avoid reactions between different kinds of metals. These remains, known as skulls, can be removed with cutting or scraping devices. Some facilities recycle skulls to make various metal products, illustrating that one person's waste materials can be another person's treasure.

In automated casting facilities, people may not interact with the tundishes very often unless a problem develops. For people casting by hand, however, contact with the tundish will be required. The equipment needs to be handled with care, both to protect the integrity of the casting and to protect the health of people working in the area. Being splashed with molten metal can be extremely painful and potentially very dangerous, and metalworkers are careful to wear adequate protections and to follow safety protocols while casting or working with hot metal.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a AboutMechanics researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a AboutMechanics researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

irontoenail

I think that tundish is also a type of pipe or funnel used in plumbing. My uncle is a plumber and he told me it was originally used in brewing beer, where it was just the funnel they used for filling the cask.

But, in plumbing, they use it as kind of a spare area in places where there might be some overflow.

Every time, whether it is metal, water or beer I think it is basically a funnel, but for metal and water it is used to make sure there is some spare liquid available so that no air gets in if the flow is temporarily interrupted.

umbra21

There is a fantastic scene in the film "The World's Fastest Indian" where the main character is working on improving his motorcycle (which is the titular "Indian").

He melts a bunch of old bullets and pieces of scrap metal together, then uses a tundish to pour the molten metal into a mold to make his own parts.

The character is Burt Munroe, who was a real man in the 1950's I think who managed to create a motorcycle that beat land speed records in Utah. It's a really good movie and you should watch it if you can, but I was really impressed by the fact that he went as far as making his own metal parts.

That seems so far out of my own abilities and experience that I can't even imagine it, but I hope some people still do that today.

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