Dexter Foundry, a gray- and ductile-iron foundry in Fairfield, IA, is introducing a new alloy material it reports offers "as-cast value" for abrasion-resistant application, compared with heat-treated materials, like quenched-and-tempered or austempered ductile irons. A patent is pending for DuraDex Iron, which Dexter says "provides better abrasion resistance at lower bulk hardness and up to 30% less cost than austempered ductile iron."
Dexter Foundry produces more than 8,000 different parts for over 250 companies in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, in both types of iron and various coremaking and molding capabilities for versatile customer service.
It says its DuraDex Iron process means customers may select products as-cast, with no heat treatment, with product custom-engineered microstructures. According to vice president and general manager Tom Jones, “This enables us to offer a lower transportation cost, lower overall cost, and shorter lead time for our clients."
The company reports that results for a dry sand/rubber wheel casting, ASTM G65-04, show DuraDex Iron's as-cast abrasion resistance factor (ARF) exceeds that of austempered ductile iron. In section sizes from 0.5 to 3.25 in., DuraDex Iron abrasion resistance ranges from 5.0 to 6.2 ARF, compared with an ADI wear-resistance range of 4.3 to 5.6 ARF.