Gold Casting & Jewelry Casting Machines
With the rapid adoption of new technologies like high frequency melting, jewelry casting has become a more dynamic tool in recent years.
What is gold casting?
Gold casting is an integral part of the jewelry making process because it lets a designer or jewelry store make an idea an actual object they can hold and examine before they get to the real thing. By creating a mold, designers can easilyvisualize the final product because of the physical product in hand. The process of gold casting has two major steps to it; creating the model and preparations for casting.
How does casting of gold happen?
After the mold is created, the craftsman is ready to get the cast going. There are three categories that jewelry casting falls into; vacuum casting, precious metal and centrifugal casting. Centrifugal force is utilized for centrifugal jewelry casting –the force pushes the metal into the mold. This is generally done using a spring driven arm that can hold the crucible in use as well as the mold. Vacuum casting uses a different process but the underlying principle remains unchanged. Finally, special machinery is required for the casting of precious metal and is used for platinum, silver and gold. After the casting process is completed, the metal is cooled and washed with a solution, revealing the final jewelry.
Tips on jewelry casting
Curing resin models and proper cleaning is crucial for successful jewelry cleaning. Beyond that, you must ensure to adjust your burnout technique to decrease ash and increase the quality of the casting. This is because resin models do not melt – instead, they expand before shrinking and burning.
What is a gold casting kit?
A gold casting kit is a comprehensive kit that includes all the tools and necessities for a jeweler to get started with gold casting.
How much is a gold jewellery casting machine?
At Alex Makina, you can find an array of modern gold jewellery casting machines that meet your requirements as well as your budget. Whether it is a basic gold casting machine or a complex device, Alex Makina is your one-stop shop!
What is casting in jewelry?
The majority of casting is done using thelost wax technique. In this process, the wax models are encompassed by a material known as ‘investment.’ This material is subjected to high heat which carbonizes the material into producing the required variation. Platinum casting and gold casting are two very different procedures. Platinum has a high melting point. It is so high that you will require tools specially built for platinum casting. Gold on the other hand, comes in a variety of colors and karats. Due to this, the underlying alloy is that dictates the melting temperature.
Burn Out Cycle
Wax replicas and resin-type materials are interconnected to one another on a sprue to resemble a tree-like configuration. The orientation of the model is laid out to let gold and platinum to course through tree like resemblance with little to no resistance. Thereafter, the tree is suspended within a metal vessel and topped up with plaster slurry. Finally, all air bubbles are disposed of by the process of “debubblizing” the vessel within a glass container with negative atmosphere.
Vacuum Casting Jewelry
The theory behind vacuum casting is much alike the principles of centrifugal casting. Molten gold needs to be thrust into the vessel with adequate force to ensure it flows through intricate cavities within the vessel prior to cooling. The paraphernalia used in vacuum casting necessitates the flask or vessel to be laden in a sleeve inside the chamber, compelling a vacuum to draw in the molten ore into the investment as it is discharged.
Centrifugal Jewelry Casting
Centrifugal jewelry casting utilizes the potency of a centrifuge to generate the passivity required to cast gold into the void cavity left behind. Thereafter, the flask is within a cradle on a swing arm, directly oriented with a cauldron in which gold or platinum can be melted. Dependent on the requirement, the cauldron will be subjected to extreme heat via frequency, induction or a touch to dissolve the metal. As the metal approaches melting temperature, the centrifuge is released allowing metal to transfer from the cauldron at a high pace, filling the flask in the process.
Precious Metal Castings
As the flasks fill up it is essential to separate the valuable metal castings. The plaster-like impression, packed with gleaming red platinum or gold castings is lifted out of the casting using tongs and are extinguished in water or left to cool. Once the plasters have cooled, the plaster-like investment is dismantled while the leftover plaster is chipped away, revealing the tree-like structure accommodating branch-like models. The models and then separated from the sprue and passed on to jewelers who will modify these castings into fine pieces of jewelry by polishing, fabrication and stone setting.