Impeller Casting

Impeller casting is a specific process that allows the creation of an impeller (or rota, as they are frequently referred to). Although these components can come in many guises – usually being manufactured from materials such as stainless steel, iron, carbon steel, and other metals such as bronze or brass, and even plastics – they typically form the heart of a machine that moves fluid via rotation, such as a centrifugal pump body or compressor. Any number of power sources can be used to provide the rotational energy to spin the impeller, and this velocity in turn creates great pressure within the confines of the pump housing. It is this pressure that’s used to move any fluids, or even gases, within the mechanism.

Precision Processes for Casting Quality Impellers

Dean Group manufactures impeller castings by the investment casting process for a number of different industries, including:

  • Oil and gas sectors
  • Pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries
  • Chemical and food-based lines of work

They are also utilised extensively to move water, sewage and general wastage, including when the speed or distance of maritime travel needs to be measured near a ship’s hull.

Impeller designs can be fairly simple with open vanes, or complex with enclosed vanes dependent on the application requirements needed to efficiently move the different materials. Because of this, Dean Group recommends a high-quality process such as investment casting, also known as lost wax casting, as it can produce complex shapes with tight tolerances, good surface finish in a range of metals to suit the applications of the customer. We can offer dynamic balancing of the impellers which are fully machined with enhanced surface finishing.

Both the pump and the impeller itself are usually manufactured out of the same material to achieve consistency and the specific material that’s used depends largely on the fluid or gas that the component is required to move. For example, corrosion or heat-resistant stainless steels would be optimal within a heavy-duty environment where the rota is running extremely quickly, whereas the food industry may prefer the assets offered by stainless steel, aluminium or plastic with regards to cleanliness. These are all factors that need to be considered during the casting of an impeller, and it’s vital that you get the correct specification finalised before casting takes place. With over 40 years of experience, Dean Group can help you with your requirements, advising on the suitability of the design of your impeller, and if necessary, we can help to redesign.

Contact Dean Group – The Impeller Casting Specialists

As a member of the Cast Metals Federation, our expertise is unparalleled in fields such as superior quality impeller casting, and you can rest assured in the knowledge that we can both guide you towards and deliver the result that you’re looking for. Get in touch with our team today to find out more.