13 Jan 2025 
This aluminum A356 permanent mold casting sits on top of a high-tech medical cart. It features…
After reviewing a casting simulation and applying our 80 years of expertise, Batesville Products determined a gravity reverse tilt-pour technique would be the best way to manufacture this component.
The machine-controlled gravity tilt helps manage metal turbulence, thereby reducing the potential for porosity. In castings, porosity can hide just beneath the surface, revealing itself after machining or polishing. Luckily, permanent mold casting is known for its smooth external surface finish and low-porosity, dense internal structure. Low porosity castings are crucial for the healthcare industry to ensure cleanliness, reliability, and durability, especially when machining, polishing, or powder coating.
To enhance efficiency, Batesville Products Inc. employs a robotic saw to remove gates and risers. This automation not only improves safety and efficiency by reducing the need for manual sawing but also ensures more consistent cuts, which reduces scrap and eases the secondary machining process.
The secondary machining operation verifies that the cart lid meets required specs. Since the casting comes out of the mold as a near-net shape of the final product, secondary machining is quick and efficient.
Following this, the component undergoes a polishing process.
To improve efficiency, save production costs, and decrease unnecessary scrap, the customer calls out different A and B surface finish requirements for the casting. This practice is common and highly recommended for medical devices.
Surface A is visible in assembly and must be smooth for easy cleaning, so it’s polished to a high-class finish. Surface B, while still requiring a fine finish, has a slightly lower RMS.
The polishing process utilizes a combination of polishing robots, cobots, and hand tools to prepare the component for powder coating. Automation boosts efficiency and finish consistency, while the final by-hand touch ups guarantee quality craftsmanship and a final inspection before powder coating.
The final step in the production process is powder coating the component in a sleek dark gray finish. This not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also provides a durable and protective layer.
Aluminum permanent mold casting is the ideal manufacturing method for medical and surgical equipment:
With modern technology and in-house secondary operations, Batesville Products is equipped to manufacture your custom components, from design to assembly!
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