cast iron grid

[tjvsenior]

hi, we are a out of comfort zone. We are in the grill products business and deal primarily in stainless. Our new project is a cast iron cooking grid. We have the grid designed but are not sure what the callouts or notes on the print should be with regard to material, production, tolerances and such. Any help on who or where we can get this handled is appreciated. Also, any recommendations on US foundries that can handle small productions runs is also appreciated. thanks

 

[EdStainless]

Start with a internet search for cast iron foundries near you.
These are very simply parts, but there are some critical details.
There are limits to how fine of details can be cast in, and I am sure that you want them very flat.
There are still a lot of small iron foundries in the US, at least there are here in the mid-west.

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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

 

[KENAT]

ASME Y14.8 is a good (essential?) reference if you're serious about dimensioning castings or forging (or molded parts as I recall on newer version).

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[ornerynorsk]

Also consider heat resistant cast steel. Castalloy in Waukesha Wisconsin does many such products.

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.

 

[tbuelna]

Sounds like this application is somewhat cost sensitive. You probably will want to use a sand casting process to produce your cooking grid, if the size and shape of the cast part allow it. Your foundry will help with the details of your casting design, and the specific cast iron alloy that will work best.

Unfortunately, due to environmental regulations there are not many small ferrous foundries in the US.

 

[Denniskbravo]

There is a cast iron foundry in Silverton Oregon that can be of help to you on this.
They were and I hope still are great and can do small and large production runs.
I would contact them.

 

[Maui]

Contact CA Lawton and talk with their technical people. You can find them here:

http://www.calawton.com/

Maui

 

[tbuelna]

Here's a great technical resource for ductile iron castings:

http://www.ductile.org/ductile-iron-data/

 

[tjvsenior]

thanks for the replies. I'll check the recommendations. Hopefully, I can get this done in the US.

tom