The Iron Age 1926-10-07: Vol 118 Iss 15

qnvereunencancennesnenenenonen Are you usin’ the on the orange Wye 7) wes onvenient news summi; rdered 1 THE IRON sensnneneeenneeeseOUCHOUOUUUCOUOUENUGEOODOGEDUUOEEOOENOGUOOGOUOUCOUEOREGEONONOOOOEOEREEEcoUEenEEEDOOOOROOOEONROGUCOUOUUOOGRUERnERANESOOUONUERREREEENONECOnOoDOONEONNONONOOOOONONRAENONOSeTEOOOeOED Published Weekly Vol. 118, No. 15 OUDNDEOAGHEEOEOGGECEOROSODORERUDEOUEUSECHRAOAOOEOEOEOeEEOROEt ENED Welding Cast Steel Contra-Propeller to Rudder Post, Fletcher Shipyard, Hoboken, N. J. NEW YORK, N. Y., OCTOBER 7, 1926 Entered as second-class matter June 18, 1879, at Post Office at New York under the Act of March 3, 1879 OOUUEODONOGUEOROORERRAREROOEENeNECREORoEoNEeCOnsaseceanens eueennanane eenennancnsceees Onencensanonoceseessgnte SUUL EURO GEDEOUGUOEOHORDEOEOTUNDGEOOOORORAEEDOREOESEREOROROROROOUEO ER ROeEeOOESEeRSAceaecnceeReaeeenesanesD: PU OUCUOEOEOEOECEOOOUOEOOOOUONGOGEGEONOHOOHOEONOCEUSaECEcEEceeROROoSeOeNOUSleORESoeEoNsOROED. Single Copy, 25 Cents Six Dollars a Year in U. S. Canada $8.50; Foreign $12 For this weld —Wilson belou the water line VW; , ¥ irc Was ised! If any weld must be perfect— it is the weld below the water line of a ship. Under all conditions, in spite of all kinds of pressure, stress or strain, it must hold. For once the ship is at sea, such repairs are prac- tically impossible. At the Fletcher Shipyard, Hoboken, N. J., they were welding a huge, steel contra- propeller to a rudder post—welding not only below the water line, but in a most vital part of the ship. And for this weld which had to hold—for this weld which had to be perfect— Wilson Wire was used. It is significant that in welding of this kind, welding in which no chance can be taken, welding that must be impervious to the greatest strain, stress and pressure Wilson Wire is chosen. It is because men who have had experience with Wilson Wire know they can select the correct grade (analysis) for the metal they’re welding— and that every rod will be like every other rod in the grade selected. This means practi- cally perfect welding jobs. Write today for your samples of Wilson “‘Color-tipt’’ Weld- ing Wire, indicating the kind of metal you desire to weld. WILSON WELDER & METALS CO. INC., WILSON BUILDING, HOBOKEN, N. J. WILSON WELDING MACHINES AND WELDING WIRE THE IRON AGE October 7, 1926 Another Battery of — Becker Ovens at Lackawanna HE Bethlehem Steel Com- pany has recently awarded a contract to the Koppers Company for an extension to its coke plant at Lackawanna, New York, con- sisting of an additional battery of Becker Type Combination Ovens to be fired by Koppers Gas Pro- ducers. The Koppers Company Pittsburgh, Penna. Chicago, Ii. New York City ! ESTABLISHED 1855 a THE IRON AGE New York, October 7, 1926 VOL. 118, No. Foundrymen From Many Lands Join Americans in Notable Gathering—Technical and Other Deliberations Comprehensive—Exhibit of Foundry Equipment Impressive OUNDRYMEN from many parts of the world met in Detroit last week, Sept. 27 to Oct. 1, at a convention and exhibition which established a milestone in American foundry history. It was both impressive and significant. The second international foundry congress and the thir- tieth annual convention and exhibition of the American Foundrymen’s Association met in a city, famed for its fo. ‘ry and other industrial activities. Despite the fact that the Michigan State Fair Grounds, where all events centered, were eight miles from the hotel center, the attendance surpassed all records. One evident result of the mingling of hundreds of American and Canadian foundrymen with those from ten different countries across the sea has been a better understanding of each others’ foundry problems and methods and a marked step for- 15 ward in international amity. Technically the program offered a wealth of material, enriched by the papers and discussions of foreign authorities. The exhibition, the largest ever held, possibly even in Europe, made a deep impression both in the diversity and manner of its display. Wealth of Technical Papers Presented ECIDED interest was manifested in the technical sessions. There were 24, many of them simulta- neous with others, at which over 70 papers and com- mittee reports were presented. The attendance was unusually large in most cases. Particular interest centered in the sessions on permanent molds, on gray iron, on foundry costs and on sand problems. The presentation of exchange papers by visiting foreign foundrymen and participation by them in dis- cussions were features of many of the meetings. In the following columns it is possible to review only some of the important papers and discussions. Large Interest in Gray Iron Problems HREE sessions were devoted to the problems of the gray iron foundry. One of these related to cupola and shop practice and one to testing cast iron. Of the 13 papers presented at the three sessions, five were prepared by foreign authors. Several of the papers indicated results from extensive research work that have important practical application in the foundry. The keynote sounded in many. of the papers and dis- cussions was research work that would further improve the quality of iron castings. L. L. Anthes, Toronto, Ont., past president of the association, presided at the second session, which was devoted to testing cast iron. He expressed deep regret as he announced the recent death of G. K. Elliott, Lunkenheimer Co., Cincinnati, who was on the program for the first paper of the session on the subject of “A Shearing Test for Cast Iron.” This paper was read in full by J. W. Bolton, Frank Foundry Corporation, Moline, Ill. After its presentation it was decided to limit its discussion to written discussions to be sub- mitted and included in the record. However, this limi- tation was not to prevent reference to some points of 979 the paper that might be commented on in discussing the paper that followed. Shearing Tests for Cast Iron The Fremont machine, which is used in France for testing cast iron, was described in Mr. Elliott’s paper. This machine shears short lengths from small cylin- drical test pieces, taken from the casting. One objec- tion to the machine that was pointed out is the trouble that is experienced in obtaining reliable test pieces. For the tests made, standard test bars were used as well as samples from flanged pipe fittings made from the same ladle of iron. The values of the shearing test paralleled those. for the transverse, tensile, hard- ness and drop tests, indicating it to be a reliable index of the strength of the iron. However, should a shear- ing sample be taken from a weak spot in a casting, the results would probably be less satisfactory. Tests were also made with a modified test apparatus with either a single or a double shear. Because of deficiencies found in the machine, the author did not find the Fremont shearing test entirely H. L. CAMPBELL D. W. TRAINE QaREHUNNELHEDANAEDONERUON YON OEDENEOCAURDRHORODONDONEROONDEDUEDINOADOEEDOOEEAINEDOOSEDOIDOASEOOTOLIGOREDOENOOAROOARELONNUOOERIOENSHNOORENA EO UNAROONEDHOSERDEONADHOROHONOHONOCRION satisfactory as a routine test to replace the trans- verse test commonly used in this country, but he was kindly disposed to it as a means to a much needed line of research. One objection to the machine for routine testing was the time and care required to secure reli- able samples, and there was a question whether the results obtained from small portions of relatively large castings are indicative of the quality of either the iron or the casting, as are separate cast test bars made from the same metal as the casting. However, he concluded, there is an important field in which the shearing tests of small specimens taken from castings should be of great practical value. French Views on Testing Cast Iron An exhaustive paper on “Testing Cast Iron,” one of the exchange papers, was prepared by Auguste- Eugene Le Thomas, metallurgist of the Indret Works of the French Navy, and was presented by E. Ronceray, celebrated French metallurgist. The author referred to numerous reports that have been prepared in many languages with the common object of discovering an efficient method of correctly ascertaining the strength of iron castings, and, incidentally, of investigating the possibility of obtaining more knowledge of the mate- rial in developing its useful qualities. Tests were made with a view of replacing special grades of cast iron with less expensive materials for castings for marine engines for battleships. The shearing method of M. Fremont was adopted, this replacing the tensile test. Discussion French foundrymen have left the testing of iron in the ladle to other countries, and are turning their efforts in the direction of taking test bars from cast- ings, according to Mr. Ronceray in his discussion of the paper. The French Navy, some commercial com- panies and railroads have taken great interest in these tests, which have also been taken up in Spain and Czechoslovakia. The shearing test was only one part of the method of testing. French foundrymen hold that a test bar must be taken from a casting instead of being made from the same ladle of metal. He recom- mended the shearing test for evervday work, and the bending- test where extreme accuracy is required. The criticism that has developed, he said, was more of the type of machine used than the shearing method of testing. Foundrymen do not agree as to what tests must give. The American idea is to show what the average quality is. The French want to test the weakest part. The French Navy adopted the shear- ing test after trying it for two years. It is making all its castings of scrap, using no pig iron in its foundry mixture. Considerable discussion of testing methods followed. One speaker raised objection to the size of test pieces used by Mr. Elliott, and doubted if tests made from large castings would show the same results as those THE IRON yannnnnennenenneenesernisesnscestonrevensnees AGE October 7, 1926 Authors of Some of J. A. MURPHY KIRTLAND MARSH OOneRONDDUDERLOUNEDOUOBRLOSEEOOEEONONEEUDONODONEODONRODENFODEEROOOEOLOOONDLOREDIOOEEGecnOONACHOONN OOEN OGL SUDONNEOONNOOONNROOOSONONONOENS cenneneenoneneenenD from small castings. Mr. Ronceray said that the French use bending tests for the larger pieces. He regarded the tensile test of cast iron as of no value. B. F. Shepherd, Ingersoll-Rand Co., pointed out that the weakest spot of the casting can be changed by gating, and asked if the French had any specifications for gating. Mr. Ronceray replied that it was not abso- lutely necessary to take the test piece from the weak- est part, but said it should be taken from the part of the casting where the greatest strength is required. It was also pointed out in the discussion that many foundries are not satisfied with present tests of cast iron, particularly the transverse test, and that they are looking for tests that will bring more accurate re- sults. It was suggested that the shearing test might be the answer to the demand for better testing methods. A difference of opinion was expressed as to whether test bars are satisfactory in showing the quality of metal in the castings. One speaker said that he took tests of cast iron pipe and test bars, and the tests of the bars correlated with those of the pipe itself. An- other tested large castings and test bars made from the same ladle of metal, and found no correlation be- tween the two. It was pointed out that all material factors are not under control, and iron with different microstructures and physical properties is found in similar castings made the same day. The chair brought an end to the discussion with a statement that the con- clusion to be derived from it is that foundrymen should not depend on one or another testing method, but should make use of all methods. Strength in Relation to Thickness A series of tests to determine the strength of cast iron in its relation to its thickness were outlined in a paper on that subject by W. H. Rother and V. Mazurie, Buffalo Foundry & Machine Co., Buffalo, N. Y., which was read by the latter. They pointed out that cast iron does not follow the regular steel beam formu- las, and sought to find the difference in strength. Transverse, Brinell and tensile tests and chemical analyses were made and included in the paper in tabu- lated form. The authors found that iron of 2.15 per cent silicon content decreased on an average of about 6 per cent in transverse strength for each % in. increase in thick- ness between 1 and 3 in. An iron of 1.70 per cent sili- con content with a 15 per cent addition of steel de- creased 4 per cent for each % in. increase in thickness between 1 and 3 in. An iron with 1.20 per cent sili- con content and with 25 per cent steel added decreased 3.3 per cent for each % in. in thickness between 1 and 3 in. The conclusions of the authors were that the de- crease in surface hardness of a casting is a direct indi- cation of the decrease in strength. The per cent of decrease in transverse strength tends to follow the October 7, 1926 THE IRON AGE 981 the American Papers OLIVER SMALLEY R. E. WENDT R. A. BULL R. F. HARRINGTON QUHLaTLDeNeDsuneeceeDenEREneNCoNNTENENEHOOEDOOUSEDUNGOLOEEUANOEEEDENOOLUNENELLAOEEDOCANETOUNDONOEDLOULOGNGHLOLENELADNOLONAEDONEEOHCHOUEREDOGNL DONAGAUARDTONEDUOEOUGANADOOGEOOOCEAOONUUSNEOOUOADODOENIONOUOUOCULAESCUTNCLUISDOLOEOUODEEIUOEOOUANODONOLLONERONSEBOEOENUGONOUOELAUOEDOOASUENEEDEEEUOOGRODDEROOEOOOONOOOSEOOERODOND eCEDOREGEOONOUCS DHONEDEDEeDOGnSOseNsOONOAOneGoONeOOOCHERNORD silicon content. High silicon irons show greater de- crease in transverse strength than low silicon irons containing steel. Semi-steels show less decrease in strength transversally and also in tension in the 25 per cent steel heats. More research work is necessary. Discussion The use of the same mixture for 3-in. and 1-in. test bars was criticized by John Shaw, noted English foun- dryman. He and other participants in the discussion declared that there should be no lowering of the qual- ity of cast iron. It was urged that foundrymen must sell a quality product, and the hope was expressed that, as the result of research, cast iron will be put on the same quality basis as steel. British View of Gray Iron Problems “Some Gray Iron Problems” was the title of a paper by John Shaw, Brightside Foundry & Engineering Co., Sheffield, England, that aroused much interest. In this the author considered the influence of sulphur and man- ganese on the structure of cast iron containing ordi- nary amounts of the other usual elements, the influ- ence of carbon and silicon in conjunction with the other elements in the structure, and the usefulness of vari- ous chill tests to the foundrymen for judging roughly the ultimate structure of molten metal before casting. He presented several theories that have been advanced concerning the manganese-sulphur balance and the in- fluences of furnace temperature on the formation of sulphur and manganese. A study of chill rolls was also included. It was not very long ago, according to the author, that nearly every ill in the foundry was attributed to sulphur. Today there is danger of rushing to the oppo- site extreme. That means that it does not matter how much sulphur the scrap contains or if a high sulphur coke is used. All that is necessary is to raise the man- ganese content of pig iron and no ill effects will fol- low. Were that theory tried out, he doubted whether it would hold. He stressed various points, because it is generally accepted that, under cupola conditions, there is a distinct loss of sulphur if the manganese is at the ratio of not less than three to one. In discussing chill tests, Mr. Shaw said that it may be thought that a chill test, while needed for chilled work, does not find a place in ordinary gray iron prac- tice. For a number of years he has used nothing else, except a direct impact test. While he appreciated the value of test bars, their results are not known until after the mold is cast. By using the chill test, one has a good idea of the ultimate structure of the metal be- fore casting. Discussion Mr. Shaw, in discussing his paper, pointed out that the sulphur content is increasing, due to an increase in the use of scrap. Will the addition of manganese overcome this or will the sulphur have a bad effect? he asked. He has been making experiments along this line, but they have not been completed. He was not advocating sulphur in iron, but if foundries have it they must face it. Asked to express an opinion re- garding high or low content of manganese, Mr. Shaw replied that there is little doubt that there must be a limit to the amount of manganese used to counter- act sulphur. One of his important conclusions was that, if the iron was high in sulphur, it must be melted at a very high temperature. Another unsolved matter that he regarded as of extreme importance in arriving at definite conclusions in research work was the effect of the mold gases on gray iron. One point brought out in the discussion was that foundries are now demanding high manganese iron and that the manganese content in castings has crept up. This was attributed to some extent to the fact that southern iron is now being more largely consumed in the South and, consequently, northern foundries are using more northern iron. Dilatometric Analysis In the closing cast iron session, Thursday after- noon, a paper on the “Principles and Chief Applica- tions of Dilatometric Analysis of Materials” was pre- sented. This was an exchange paper of the French Foundry Association, and its contents were summarized by E. Ronceray, who stated that the paper described a new apparatus with which some interesting research had been conducted and very valuable results obtained. He explained the apparatus and said that one of the devices had reached him too late to set up at the con- vention, and he would probably place it in an American foundry. Among the conclusions of the paper were that dila- tometric analysis is suited not only to massive test pieces, but to rods prepared by the agglomeration of powdered substances, and that with the dilatometer the expansibility of materials can be determined over a great temperature interval. This measurement, it is pointed out, affects numerous industrial problems such as the selection of materials for castings for engines, refrigerating machines and various other products. Mr. Ronceray said that, as more work is done along this line of research, there is more evidence that dilatom- etric tests are of importance and they indicate that more attention should be given to material that is put in cupolas. High-Duty Cast Iron One of the outstanding papers of the cast iron ses- sions from the standpoint of interest was on the sub- ject of “Progress in the Production of High-Duty Cast Iron.” This was a highly technical paper covering a 982 large amount of research, that was prepared by E. Piwowarsky, Technical High School, Aachen, Germany. The author pointed out that Germany had made great progress in the development of the quality of cast iron, and the purpose of the paper was to indicate this progress. A summary of the paper was prepared in German by the author and read by Doctor Moldenke, who translated the synopsis as he read it. The author brought out that in recent years much interest had been taken in Germany in producing cast- ings of high value or mechanically strong. Laboratory and practical tests prove that superheating at high temperature greatly improves the quality of castings, resulting in a very fine, mostly eutectic formation of the graphite. Using 80 per cent of scrap and a small cupola, a German foundry had been able to get, by UUSUDUN RUD ELALLAAUONN EEE DOUDUE SANNA UAE EAT FUUSALENLAQONAUESGAGBOMAELALUEDUNAUSA VELA CAL TTC AARON REGISTERED attendance of close to 6000 broke all records. Actual attendance was much larger. With over 250 exhibitors the exhibition surpassed any previous one of the A. F. A. Several foreign displays were noted. The foreign representatives 135, including about 15 ladies. Plant visitation was a prominent feature, for which Detroit offered unusual opportuni- ties. numbered Practically unanimous approval was THE IRON AGE Important Facts Concerning the Detroit Meeting Nearly 600 sat down at the annual October 7, 1926 perature required. Doctor Moldenke observed that the paper bore out the old rule that a foundry should melt at as high a temperature as possible, even if it has to cool down before pouring. Phosphorus in Cast Iron “The Influences of Phosphorus on Cast Iron” was discussed in a paper given by J. T. MacKenzie, Ameri- can Cast Iron Pipe Co., Birmingham. This included tables showing the results of a large number of tests. The author found that phosphorus lowers the strength and resilience, increases the Brinell hardness and stiff- ens the iron slightly. Data given indicated that in some cases phosphorus, by promoting fluidity and hence the soundness of the casting, helps to make a stronger casting. Among the conclusions were that for each VOUULEULLEGLUAEALL ANYONE AAAS ERATED EAN SA PEAT The technical programs, distributed over 24 sessions, offered over 70 papers and com- mittee reports. Continuous molding, permanent molds, and developments in sand control were the fea- tures of the exhibitions. The weather was auspicious almost from the first day. A heavy rain marred the clos- ing hours, Friday afternoon. Unique events were enthusiastic sessions in French and German. two of the days near-summer condi- heard of the decision of the board of banquet at the Hotel Statler on tions prevailed. The week was in directors to hold future meetings in Thursday evening. Tables of German, strong contrast to that at Syracuse the spring. The postponement of the French, Belgian, Italian and other last year. exhibition to the generally spring of 1928 was commended, = With The attendance of ladies was un- usually large. foreign visitors were a feature. a registered close to 6000, all records of preceding Transportation to the fair grounds, eight miles from the hotel center, was covered by buses, street cars and taxis. The attendance of 9 s . ai greater part of an hour Over 470 were regis- conventions and exhibitions were : - . , : ‘ was consumed by the trip, but nearly tered and an extensive entertainment shattered. It was more than double : : i . all soon became used to it. program was put through. the number at the Syracuse Conven- I tion last year. ’ j si: Unbounded credit is due to the A band concert, vaudeville enter- —— Detroit committee which prepared for tainment and dance at the magnificent The weather, when such affairs are and handled this convention and con- new Masonic temple attracted a large housed at fair grounds, is a _ vital gress. It was headed by Robert crowd Wednesday evening It was factor Last week, each day, almost Crawford, a prominent Detroit foun- the entertainment feature of the week without exception, was favorable. On dryman. annnenenyyneequyuangnnnnerznnennagiant PONUOETOEUL OYA TUOOGUORLESUONNT ENA ANALY using superheating methods, very high grade castings with the same structure in thick and in thin sections. The author was able to verify by experiments that the refinement of the iron is increased as its superheating is increased. Many faults in castings were attributed to too low melting or superheating temperatures. Dr. Moldenke made reference to a new type of fur- nace that he had seen recently in Germany in which the iron is superheated to a temperature of 2700 to 2900 deg. Fahr. and poured at normal temperature, and from which very fine castings are made. This is a continu- ous air furnace, practically an open-hearth furnace, in which until recently no coke was used. In this fur- nace the gas is carried around calorized steel tubes. The author explained that, by superheating, gases are removed and the iron becomes very dense. He declared that as much attention will be given to the metallurgical treatment of cast iron as has been given to steel and that the study of alloy cast iron has an important future. Everything points to melting at high temperature and pouring at low temperature to get a fine graphite structure and fine castings. Discussion During the discussion the remark was made that foundrymen have been wondering for years why the addition of steel improved castings, and it was sug- gested that the increased strength resulting from the steel might really be due to the higher melting tem- DOMEMAUOENLOOAALYASASAUA ETAT ENA UONAT A TSAAT TEAL EEAOU CAAT ASSN SSSA ENA AEA ENTE ELA SANUNAANNNHGANAA NTN TNA AUUNUUNEEDSQQITAQUESUEAASUGAAAANUODAEAENEOGNNOUUO TAS AAOUEUOU UU SAAR type of casting the maximum.-strength will be found at the lowest phosphorus compatible with fluidity. For castings where resistance to shock is of importance, low phosphorus irons should be used and the necessary fluidity be obtained by raising the carbon, but ordi- narily no trouble will be experienced with phosphorus running 0.80 per cent, if carbon and silicon are cor- rectly proportioned to give the required strength. “Heat and Scale-Resisting Cast Irons” were dis- cussed by Oliver Smalley, New York. The author di- vided his paper into three parts, high-duty castings, chilling irons and scale-resisting castings. Under the first heading he considered semi-steel and the influences of graphitizers. Under the subject of chilling irons, the annealing process for car wheels was discussed and the results of tests were shown. A well attended session was that devoted to cupola and gray iron shop practice, under the able chairman- ship of J. W. Bolton, metallurgist, Frank Foundries Corporation, Moline, Ill. Belgian Paper on Cores “Core Supports in Large Castings,” a paper by Ivan Lamoreux, Liége, Belgium, contributed in behalf of the Belgian Technical Foundry Association, was pre- sented in abstract by J. T. MacKenzie, American Cast Iron Pipe Co., Birmingham. In pieces subjected to hydraulic or other pressure, use of threaded supports was advocated. Welding of chaplets was said to be October 7, 1926 useless, except by modifying the composition of the metal. Charts Used for Specifying Size of Gates and Pouring Rate Figures and charts developed from the gating ex- perience of a group of foundrymen and intended for use in specifying the sizes of gates and rates of pour- ing, were given in a paper “On Gating Iron Castings,” by H. W. Dietert, United States Radiator Corporation, Detroit. Gating knowledge, it was held, is developed only after active life service of a foundryman. Progress is slow where the new generation must begin at the starting point of the older generation. Marked prog- ress in gating, it was held, will be made when the existing principles of gating can be described numer- ically and not by the present broad verbal manner. No new theories are developed in the paper, the data and charts being the result of an investigation of ac- tual gates found in various foundries. The charts and formule presented are for castings ® = with a metal line of from 5/32 to 1/2 in. To deter- mine some of the factors of gating in common use at the author’s plant, a study was made of the rates of pouring of castings according to the weights. The pouring times of numerous molds were plotted against the weights of the castings in the molds, and the data secured indicated that there is a definite relation be- tween pouring time and weight. The charts developed from this investigation were discussed. They were said to have enabled the foundry organization to spec- ify sizes of the gates for the various castings and to specify the rates of pouring. Entire Heats of Steel Melted in Cupola “Melting All-Steel Charges in a Cupola Furnace,” by T. F. Jennings, Utah Copper Co., Garfield, Utah, was another paper at this session. Heats of 30 tons are poured daily seven days a week. The melting of THE IRON AGE 983: entire heats of steel in the manner described was forced by the necessity of disposing of an accumulation of 12,000 tons of miscellaneous steel scrap, and the need by the author’s company of a constant supply of abra- sion resisting castings. No attempt was made to pro- duce a machinable gray iron suitable for the ordinary run of castings made in an iron foundry. The only problem, therefore, was how to melt the material so the resulting metal could be handled and poured satis- factorily over the lip of the ladle. Early experiments were said to indicate that the usually recommended high fuel ratio and use of high silicon ferrosilicon are not required. Coke of not less than 90 per cent fixed carbon and a low ash content is used. Two cupolas are employed on alternate days, one in blast and one under repair. In preparing the cupola for a heat the lining is rebuilt or repaired to a straight line with silica split brick. The metal resulting from the all-steel charge was low in silicon and manganese and has a Brinell hard- ness of 600 to 712. The metal needed was one that resists abrasion and wears down uniformly without cracking or spalling. Discussion In the discussion following the paper Mr. Jennings gave the following as the analysis of the metal pro- duced: Total carbon, 2.41; manganese, 0.05; phosphorus, 0.014; and silicon, 0.37 per cent. “A Study of Iron Melted in the Cupola,” a paper by R. E. Wendt and J. P. Walsted, Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind., was presented by Mr. Wendt. Data obtained from a study of cupola operation at Purdue University were given and the variation in analyses of iron in different parts of the same heat was dis- cussed. As conclusions, the writers state that iron in the cupola melts much higher up in the stack than usually is considered to be the case, and that cupola irons may be made more uniform by changing the usual method of charging. Steel Foundry Problems Reviewed WO sessions, one on steel foundry metallurgy and another on steel founding, were held, at which full programs were presented. Some of the leading papers are reviewed in the following: R. A. Jameson, Deemer Steel Castings Co., New- castle, Del., presided at the session on steel foundry metallurgy, Wednesday, Sept. 29. C. M. Campbell, Wirt Steel Casting Co., Cleveland, Ohio, presented a paper on “Some Physical Properties and Compositions of Cast Converter Steel.” Tables were included in the paper showing the excellent record made in the au- thor’s plant in securing uniformity of composition in various classes of steel, and the remarkably good phys- ical properties received from the steel produced. The importance of testing the steel not only after heat treatment, but in the “as cast” condition as a check on the character of the steel making was emphasized. The value of manganese in raising the strength of the steel without loss of ductility, was discussed, and mention was made of the low sulphur contents that can be secured in modern converter steel by the use of fused soda ash. Answering questions brought up in discussion, Mr. Campbell outlined in greater detail the methods by which uniformity of analysis is attained, emphasizing particularly the importance of carrying out the steel- making process on a carefully regulated time schedule. Open-Hearth Slags W. C. Hamilton, American Steel Foundries, East Chicago, Ind., presented a paper on “Open Hearth Slags,” bringing out the importance of a study of the composition of slags as an aid in the production of steel of high quality. He outlined the functions of acid and basic open-hearth slags as a protection to the bath and as an agent for transmitting the oxidizing action of the flame to the metal, and discussed the sources and relative proportions of the various con- stituents of the slag. Tables were presented showing the analysis of the slags from several typical heats, and the effect upon melting losses in the amount of limestone used in basic practice. Reactions were sug- gested to explain the effect of fluorspar in thinning basic open-hearth slags which has, in the author’s opinion, not been satisfactorily accounted for by exist- ing theories. Discussion Discussion touched chiefly upon the author’s state- ment that the total iron oxide in a black acid open- hearth slag is not always higher than in a light colored slag. The opinion was expressed by Mr. Sims that a slag of low iron oxide content is sometimes black on account of the presence of a high proportion of Fe,0,, which cannot form a light colored silicate as does FeO, but exists in suspension. Effect of Manganese John Howe Hall, Taylor Wharton Iron & Steel Co., High Bridge, N. J., read a paper on “Manganese in Cast. Steels,” outlining the classes into which man- ganese steels are divided, and giving a modification of Guillet’s well-known diagram. Charts and tables were presented to show that properly heat-treated steel of 0.20 to 0.30 carbon and 1.15 to 1.60 per cent manganese gives nearly a straight line stress-strain diagram in carefully executed tests with an extensometer. This is in striking contrast with the results reported by L. H. Fry in his paper “Tensile Properties of Steel Castings,” in the Proceedings of the A. S. T. M., Vol. 22 (1922), page 150. Mr. Fry showed, as the result of tests made in a number of shops, that commercially annealed cast steel generally gives a curved stress-strain diagram, and therefore has no true elastic limit. Four of Mr. Fry’s curves were reproduced in Mr. Hall’s paper, and it was pointed out that steel giving such tests not only has no true elastic limit, but that no reliable modulus of elasticity can be figured from 984 these tests. The advantage from the designing engi- neer’s standpoint of the heat-treated steel was em- phasized. Tables were presented to show that commercial annealed cast steel has a far lower shock toughness than the heat-treated castings of higher manganese content, unless the carbon of the former is left below 0.20 per cent. The shock toughness of the heat-treated cast steel is slightly higher than that of the “dead- soft” plain annealed material, while its yield point is as high as the tensile strength of the latter. Results of tests to determine the relatjve value of vanadium and of high manganese in raising the strength of cast steel were also presented in tabular form. The increase of strength due to the vanadium was showa to be secured at the expense of elongation, reduction of area and bend, and little if any improve- ment in shock toughness, due to the use of vanadium, was found in these tests. Tables and charts were presented to show the im- provement in endurance limit of cast steel that can be secured by the use of reijatively high percentages ofe manganese and of heat-treatment. The importance of proper heat-treatment of this steel was indicated by the low ductility and shock toughness it exhibits when given a plain annealing. Discussion Mr. Robinson, Industrial Works, Bay City, Mich., asked how uniform the manganese content could be kept. Mr. Hall in reply stated that the importance of uniformity of manganese content is not so great in the case of steels containing about 1.50 per cent man- ganese as it is for normal carbon steels. Mr. Camp- bell confirmed this, stating that in steels of about 0.50 per cent carbon a variation of manganese from 1.50 to 1.70 per cent produced aimost no change in physical properties. Major Bull and Chairman Jameson welcomed Mr. Hall’s paper as a valuable contribution to the knowl- edge of steels of high manganese content, and as a great aid in combating the views of engineers who wish to write into their specifications arbitrary and un- necessary restrictions in the manganese content of steel. Defects in Steel Castings At the session on steel founding, papers were read on “Defects in Steel Castings in the Foundry,” by R. S. Munson, Atlantic Steel Casting Co., Chester, Pa., and on “Defects in Steel Castings Discovered after Shipment from the Foundry,” by J. M. Sampson, Gen- eral Electric Co., Schenectudy, N. Y. Mr. Munson pointed out that the causes of defects in steel castings in the foundry can be placed under three main heads: (1) faulty design and pattern equip- ment, (2) improper molding and core making methods, (3) faulty melting and pouring conditions. Under these general heads he emphasized the importance of properly designed and located heads and gates, of proper plant equipment, of proper supervision over molding and core sand mixtures, and of proper methods of molding, and mentioned the work being done on apprentice training in the Chester district. Mr. Sampson outlined the system in use in the Gen- eral Electric plant of recording the nature and causes of defects discovered in the machine shops for ready reference the next time patterns that have given trouble are sent to the foundry. In this way the repe- tition of mistakes in methods is avoided on repeat orders. He gave also tables showing the percentages of defective castings over a six months period due to various causes, made up from accurate card records that are kept of all defects reported to the foundry. Discussion In discussion, Major R. A. Bull agreed with Mr. Sampson as to the value of careful records of defects, and pointed out that in many cases defects are mini- mized when the designers of the castings confer with the foundryman before the castings are designed, and keep in touch with the difficulties encountered in mak- THE IRON AGE October 7, 1926 ing them, as is true in Mr. Sampson’s case, where the castings are machined in the same establishment where they are made. Mr. Young of the Detroit Steel Casting Co. asked what preventions Mr. Sampson takes to prevent rust- ing of the chill rails used in the molds, which often causes porosity in the castings. Chairman Hall pointed out the desirability of using external chills in prefer- ence to rails whenever possible. In reply, Mr. Sampson stated that the chill rails used are copper plated, and stated that they are used only when no other method of securing soundness can be adopted. Leon Cammen, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, New York, spoke of the difficulties experi- enced by many steel foundries in making castings from inadequate patterns furnished by their customers and emphasized the desirability of having the foun- dries either make their own patterns, or supervise their design. He asked also whether steel made in small open-hearth furnaces is as good as that made in the larger furnaces, and pointed out how little informa- tion exists in print as to the operation of small fur- naces. Mr. Sampson, Mr. Munson, Major Bull and Mr. Young stated in reply that in most cases the steel made by foundries in small open-hearth furnaces is better deoxidized and of higher quality than that pro- duced by the operators of large open-hearth furnaces for ingot production. Review and Future of the Steel Foundry Major R. A. Bull, research director Electric Steel Founders Research Group, Chicago, read in abstract a contribution on “The Past Developments, Present Tendencies and Future Possibilities of the American Steel Foundry Industry.” He outlined the progress of the open-hearth foundries in the last part of the 19th century, and spoke of the great stimulus given to the open-hearth foundries by the invention of green sand molding in the “gay nineties.” This stimulated greatly the production of railroad castings, especially in the foundries of the Middle West, which operated chiefly by the basic process. He pointed out how limited were the facilities at the command of the steel makers of those days for preventing porosity, which resulted in the use of more aluminum than was consistent with the production of first class steel. As a result, the physical properties received from castings were de- cidedly poor compared to present day results. Much progress has been made also in the heat treatment of cast steel, which was very little understood in the 1890's. Major Bull spoke of the development of crucible steel foundries for the manufacture of light castings, traced the expansion of the foundry industry to a production of 1,400,000 tons in the years 1916, 1917 and 1918, and the record output of 1,458,000 tons in 1923. He stated that the present capacity of the steel foun- dries of the country is 2,622,000 tons. As the production in 1925 as reported by the Amer- ican Iron and Steel Institute was but 1,252,786 tons, or 48 per cent of capacity, the steel foundry industry is faced with a serious situation. This will be met, in Major Bull’s opinion, by specialization on the part of the foundries. This specialization, which began in the 1890’s with the development of the foundries making railroad castings, must, in Major Bull’s opinion, be greatly extended in order to ensure the permanence of the industry. Selling Castings On Their Merits The author pointed out the increasing tendency to market steel castings, malleable iron castings and forg- ings on their merits, and the growing disposition of the makers of each to recognize the merits of the others in their own proper field, instead of making exaggerated claims for their own particular product. He mentioned also the tendency of some engineers to endeavor to set unwarranted limits for the chemical compositicn of cast steel, and finally mentioned the direction which research work must take in the early future, including the control of molding sand mixtures in which the A. F. A. has already made great progress. the development of substitutes for aluminum of more October 7, 1926 THE IRON AGE 985 HUNDONNLANORDUOOADOUAAE DO DONEDIOONONANGORADONOADOONSDOEOEEHLoovoNaaouneOseusaagcnoNsD es iinousontoes Authors of Some of the Papers T. C. ADAMS WILLARD H. ROTHER S. M. UDALE M. A. HOSMER GhapwoenvvevesevecnvensennnenvannevenevecnenneenyeneeenneneNNEDeNeGeeeOnsDUNCUDNENCGHENEDUNGRLEUOGOOUNLEOUOEDENEELAOGAEENSODONREDOOLONONEODONLEOONS OUNEANOOOEDUGGNO I OUNEDOOEDONEEROEEADOOOOLONOLOOUERODEOEDONOOOOORAOONSOONUNANONEEOOORDONOLOOOEOOOOGULOSENDONEOUOORAIONUDOODDAOOREUONOLOUNAODISONOUSGOU DOR OONSOOOSANDUGRDONODOUOSODUREDDONGDODESOOROT ONOUDOG#OOORCODOOtORONDONIREDOITOROOED merit than those so often over-indorsed by their makers at the present time, and the improvement of heat treatment, of heading and gating, and of uni- Various Malleable ALLEABLE cast iron was the general subject for one session and foundry problems, incident to the production of malleable castings, were discussed at a noon-time round table gathering. Requirements of Malleable Iron Economic desirability of changes in specifications, irrespective of their cause, may be measured by the degree in which they increase the application of the product in the industries, or permit a reduction in weight and hence in total cost of existing malleable articles, said H. A. Schwartz, manager of research the National Malleable & Steel Castings Co., Cleveland, in a paper on “What May Be Required of Malleable Cast Iron.” No requirement should be incorporated which does not raise the useful value of the material more than its cost, otherwise the product, deservedly or not, would fall into disuse. The purchaser is confronted with the problem of how to describe adequately the metal of which his castings are made, said Mr. Schwartz. Machinability requirements are at least implied in many agreements, yet there is no satisfactory means of describing quan- titatively the degree of machinability which the con- sumer may consider indispensable. Thus it is difficult to determine whether or not a given material pos- sesses a normal cutting resistance. Theoretically it should be possible to describe in quantitative terms all the properties desired in a given material. Practically that is a vision far beyond the limitations of present engineering knowledge, with _respect to both testing and design. The problem is then to select one, or at most a few tests, simple and accurate of execution, which may be considered a measure of the conformity of the product to an established standard. Tensile and Fatigue Tests In regard to possible tests, Mr. Schwartz said that many engineers have expressed themselves as being uninterested in the tensile strength of malleable iron castings which they buy, and it is probable that tests of the behavior of malleable castings under fatigue or impact would form a more direct measure of that ma- terial’s utility. The Walker wedge test has found but little permanent favor and cross bend tests have been omitted from specifications in recent years in this country. Tensile tests required on malleable have so far in- cluded only a statement of ultimate strength and elon- formity of analysis. In closing, Major Bull emphasized the importance of keeping in mind the practical, dollars- and-cents value of research work. Problems Discussed gation, but recently there has come a demand for the inclusion of a figure for the yield point. Formulas have been proposed for calculating a so-called “allow- able working stress” in terms of yield point and elon- gation. There is at least a theoretical foundation for the belief that extra quality malleable may be de- fined by specifications in terms of calculated working stress on equal terms with corresponding steel cast- ings. Discussion During the discussion of this paper, Enrique Tou- ceda, consulting engineer for the American Malleable Castings Association, expressed the opinion that the yield point can be obtained with a close degree of accu- racy by the drop of beam method. He said also that surface shrinkage, tool lubrication and the concentra- tion of slag were important considerations when con- sidering the subject of machinability. In a paper entitled “Resistance of Malleable Iron to Repeated Impact Stresses and Comparison of Strength of Machined and Unmachined Malleable Castings,” Enrique Touceda, consulting engineer for the American Malleable Castings Association, reported comparative tests of malleable iron and cast steel bolster center fillers and discussed the tensile proper- ties of rough, ground and machined test bars. Tests on the bolster center fillers revealed that the physical properties of the malleable iron were more consistent than was the case with the other metal. The deflection curves for the static tests showed that the deflection is about the same for both materials. The tendency for rivets to loosen was much more pronounced in the cast steel bolster fillers and under the drop test the deformation of malleable iron was less than that of the cast steel. Mr. Touceda then pointed out that the tensile prop- erties of test bars, either rough, ground or machined, corrected the old idea that, when the skin of a mal- leable iron casting is removed, it has lost its strength in large part. Round Table Luncheon Practice and results in the use of various fuels was an active subject at the round table luncheon on mal- leable foundry problems at which F. L. Wolf, technical superintendent Ohio Brass Co., Mansfield, Ohio, pre- sided. Iron losses were given special attention and the statements of various numbers indicated that average losses ranged from 3.50 to 8 per cent. Powdered 986 coal had its inning when experiences were brought to light indicating that, by its use, savings are brought about in labor, cost of refractories based on a ton of melt and a closer adherence to melt schedules. It was predicted that mechanical devices for firing would soon be used throughout the industry for the reason that labor, used in hand firing, is growing more difficult to get. Powdered fuel offers a solution to the drudgery of hand firing in hot weather and not only are heats brought up in less time by powdered coal, but they are more readily controlled both as to flame and temperature conditions. It was also pointed out that an extreme degree of fineness in the coal is HE papers of the symposium on permanent and long-life molds, a feature of the technical programs, were all read before discussion on the subject as a whole took place. It was organized by Jesse L. Jones, Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Co., Pittsburgh. As an introduction to the general subject Dr. Richard Moldenke presented his paper on “Permanent and Long- life Molds,” which summarized the principles involved in mold material selection for the various molten mate- rials poured into them. James A. Murphy came next with his paper on “Some Long-life Molds,” in which he gave a description of shop experience with this type of mold construction which proved very effective in cost saving. The paper by J. E. Hurst of Sheffield, England, on his “Method of Centrifugally Casting Pipe and Other Work,” was presented in his absence by John Cam- eron of Scotland, head of the British delegation to the congress. H. A. Schwartz, National Malleable & Steel Castings ‘Co., Cleveland, then described his method of construct- ing and operating permanent molds in a paper going fully into the matter, and touching upon the possible de- velopment of the malleable casting process into a union of the two stages of making and annealing the work. Leon Cammen, New York, delivered an interesting paper on the advances made with his process of using heated molds for centrifugal casting of pipe and other products of that class. He dwelt much upon the de- velopment of alloys of chromium, nickel-chromium and tungsten-chromium with iron, which would allow the pouring of molten steel into them when they are hot enough to prevent the too quick setting of this most difficult of all materials to form into serviceable cast- ings in a permanent mold. The chairman, Mr. Jones, then briefly described a contribution by Mr. Kabushiki Kaisha of Japan bear- ing upon the subject at issue. The Japanese are still using molds of sand-stone and other materials for making bronze and iron castings in large quantities. Chop sticks, spoons and other household utensils are HETHER or not it is possible and practical to train apprentices for the foundry