What burns away
tells you what was in the sand.
Fire a weighed sample, weigh it again, and the difference is the combustible content: the carbon carriers in green sand, the binder on a coated grain. The VLOI-FA runs that sequence on its own and reports the figure to AFS 5100-12-S.
One figure, read three different ways.
Loss on ignition is the same measurement wherever it is used. What changes is the material it is asked about, and the decision it feeds.
In green sand
The figure follows the carbon carriers such as sea coal, together with the residue that accumulates in a running system. It is one of the levers behind gas defects and finish.
In bonded sand
On resin coated and chemically bonded sand the figure indicates how much binder is present on the grain, which bears on strength, gas and shakeout.
On bentonite
Pre-blends and bentonite deliveries can be checked on arrival, so a change in the incoming material is seen before it reaches the mixer.
Four steps, none of them timed by hand.
The manual version of this test asks a technician to weigh, transfer, watch a clock and weigh again. Each handling step is a chance for the figure to move. The VLOI-FA keeps the sample in one place and runs the sequence itself.
Weigh
The sample is weighed on the balance built into the unit, so it is not carried between instruments.
Dry, if needed
An optional drying step at 107 °C removes free moisture, leaving the combustibles to be measured.
Fire
The furnace holds 982 °C and burns off the carbon carriers and binder residue.
Cool and weigh
The sample cools and is weighed again. The difference in mass, as a percentage, is the loss on ignition.
It stops when the sample stops burning
A fixed firing time suits the sand it was set for. Run a different mix and the same clock can cut the burn short or hold it long. This unit watches the rate of loss and completes when the mass settles, which keeps one sand comparable with the next.
The value of the figure is in the trend.
A single loss on ignition reading says what one sample held. Plotted batch by batch against limits set from the process, it shows whether the sand system is holding station or drifting, and it does so before the castings report the problem.
Readings sync through V-Sync, so the batch history builds on its own and a supervisor can look at the trend from a browser. See how V-Sync works →
The numbers a lab plans around.
Supplied with the main unit, three refractory crucibles and tongs. A Class F1 or E2 weight set and a temperature verification kit are recommended alongside, and the installation needs ventilation with an exhaust.
| Test | Loss on ignition of foundry sand, bentonite and pre-blends |
|---|---|
| Method | AFS 5100-12-S |
| Firing | 982 °C, with optional drying at 107 °C |
| Range | LOI 0 to 5 per cent, depending on the application |
| Balance | Integrated, ±0.005 g |
| Sample mass | 25 ±5 g sand; 8 ±3 g bentonite or pre-blends |
| Completion | On a burn rate check rather than a fixed timer |
| Data | Wired network connection, optional Wi-Fi, V-Sync cloud sync |
| Size · weight | 780 × 760 × 410 mm · about 26 kg |
| Traceability | Traceable to national standards, NABL-traceable calibration at least once a year |
| Power | 230 V AC, 50 Hz standard; other supplies such as 110 V, 60 Hz on request |
The furnace runs hot. Let it cool before handling crucibles and use the tongs supplied.
Run it on your own sand.
Send a sample or book a demonstration, and we will show the loss on ignition figure the mix actually gives, with the record it leaves behind.