Various elements can affect the chemical composition such as the percentage of raw ingot or recycled metal used. At the foundry, we use a spectrometer to verify the chemical constituents of every metal melt before it is poured to ensure that it meets BSI standards.

First of all, a metal dab is produced using a sample of the molten material from the furnace. This is placed in a lathe where the surface is machined to ensure a smooth, flat finish. The metal dab is then placed in the spectrometer and it is vaporized with a testing probe.

Arc spark optical emission spectroscopy is used to analyze the chemical constituents of the sample. The atoms and ions in the atomic vapor are excited into the emission of radiation. The radiation emitted is passed to the spectrometer optics directly or via an optical fibre, where it is dispersed into its spectral components. The radiation intensity is proportional to the concentration of the various elements in the sample.

A breakdown of the chemical constituents, by percentage, is displayed on screen for our foundry engineers to analyze. The results appear using a colour-coded system. If any elements are outside normal ranges, our engineers can finely tune the chemical constituents of the metal melt accordingly.

Using data from this spectrographic testing, we are able to supply materials certificates to our customers to verify the results, if required.