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The Effect of Process Characteristics on Metal Fill and Defect Formation in Aluminum Lost Foam castings

From FLIR

The process used to make the foam patterns generally involves two steps. The first step is pre-expansion in which the raw polystyrene beads are expanded to the desired bulk density. The expansion is accomplished by either heating the beads in vacuum, or by applying steam to obtain the desired density. The pre-expanded beads are then blown into a mold cavity where they are heated with steam to further expand and fuse together as they form the desired shape. The steam used in the molding process is supplied to the cavity by way of holes positioned throughout the mold. The steam is typically blown from one side of the pattern to the other where vent holes allow the steam to escape. In the case of ventless tooling, the tool is also cracked open slightly to allow the air and steam to escape. Bead fusion is controlled by adjusting steam pressure and holding time.
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