The starting point of the development of a Cold-Box process on polyurethane basis was the fact that the machinery heating required in the Hot-curing -Processes was considered to be a substantial disadvantage.

In the late seventies, the development of a humidity resistant Cold-Box system contributed decisively to the possibility of using water based coatings without any problems.

Since a thermally stable Cold-Box System was developed in the early nineties, even complicated cores like water jackets and oil galleries for the automotive casting industry - that used to be manufactured in Shell or Hot Box - can now be produced without any problems. Furthermore, it was possible, for the first time, to cast cores for series production in nodular iron without any additional coating while achieving good casting surface finish.

Since then a further development has been done in order to improve the technological proprieties and environmental issues of the following Cold-Box systems:

The importance of the Cold-Box-process is shown by the fact that more than 57% of all cores in series foundries are manufactured according to the Cold-Box process.

Chemistry of the process

The basis of the process is a combination binding agent consisting of a synthetic resin ,dissolved in a solvent, and an activator ( isocyanate ). The binder combination is accelareted by a gas injection of  an catalyst such as Triethylamin ( TEA ), Dimethylethylamin (DMEA), Dimethylisopropylamin ( DMIA ), and Dimethyl-n-propylamin ( DMPA ) in such a way that a hardening is possible in a couple of seconds.

Cold-Box systems based on aromatic solvents

All the advantages of the polyurethane binder for the foundry industry were accompanied by the serious disadvantages of the... more informations

Cold-Box systems based on RME

In 1996, Hüttenes–Albertus introduced a new patented environment-friendlier Cold Box System that – compared to classical Cold Box System..more informations