Metal Ingot Casting
Cast Mold Stations for Recycled-Metal Ingot Production
Cast mold stations for recycled-metal ingot production are 30-kilogram foundry assemblies that shape recycled molten metal into standardized 5-kilogram ingots for manufacturing inventory. Constructed with cast iron bodies, ceramic mold liners, and insulation jackets, each unit draws 50 watts and outputs five ingots per hour using dedicated thermal coolant and automated robotic demolding. Operating in lunar conditions introduces distinct fluid challenges: one-sixth gravity alters molten fluid-flow dynamics, necessitating re-engineered gate and riser geometries to ensure proper mold filling. Conversely, the ambient vacuum environment aids the process by eliminating gas-entrapment porosity during solidification.
Cast mold stations forming recycled molten metal into standard ingots for L1-MFG manufacturing inventory.
Purpose
Cast mold stations forming recycled molten metal into standard ingots for L1-MFG manufacturing inventory.
Context
Child of L2-WMS-METAL within the Lunar Ark system
Principles
- ▸Per-alloy mold geometry standardised
- ▸Sand-mold / ceramic-mold alternatives
- ▸Cooling via L1-TCS coolant
- ▸Demolding via L1-ROB pickup
- ▸Quality check via L3-MFG-QC after solidification
Typical implementations
- ▸Foundry casting heritage (terrestrial)
- ▸Aerospace investment casting
- ▸Refractory ingot mold technology
Lunar considerations
- ▸1/6 g changes fluid-flow dynamics — riser/gate design adjusted
- ▸Vacuum environment helps eliminate porosity
- ▸Robotic demolding required
Specifications
Functional
| primary function | Cast mold stations forming recycled molten metal into standard ingots for L1-MFG manufacturing inventory. |
| ingots per hour | 5 |
| ingot mass kg | 5 |
Physical
| mass kg | 30 |
| materials | Ceramic mold liners, Cast iron mold body, Insulation jacket |
| vacuum compatibility | True |
Operational
| power consumption w | 50 |
| thermal range c | -40, 70 |
| lifetime years | 25 |
| mtbf hours | 80000 |
Interfaces
Provides
- Standard ingot stock
Requires
- Molten metal pour
- Cooling
Cite this entry
Lunar Ark Codex. "Metal Ingot Casting" (L3-WMS-METAL-CAST). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://lunarark.com/entry/L3-WMS-METAL-CAST
Licensed CC-BY-SA 4.0. You may reuse and adapt this entry with attribution, under the same licence.