Centrifugal Casting
Centrifugal casting is an industrial process for the production of pipes,
masts (e.g. flag poles), rollers and containers. The casting equipment
consists of a cylinder (often made of steel), which lays on top of a series of
roller bearings. It can be rotated at variable speed.
Very often, a mixture of glass fibres and resin is dosed simultaneously into
the rotating cylinder. As a result of the centrifugal forces the glass fibres
are impregnated and de-aerated optimally. A tube with a good inner surface
quality is the result.
The mechanical properties of the tubes are determined by the amount of
reinforcing fibres as well as by the turning speed of the cylinder. Tubes,
which are used for sewage water transport, must have a high wall thickness,
resulting in a good cylindrical stiffness. For this purpose sand is added to
the resin/glass fibre mixture, which increases the total mass of the pipe.
