Here karat gold is starting to melt in a crucible in the
induction furnace. It may contain left
over gold from previous manufacture, new pure (.9999+) gold with other metals
(alloys) or a combination of both.
The completely melted gold being stirred to ensure homogeneity.
The gold being poured into an upright rod form.
The rod after it has been removed from the form and cleaned. The
large button shape at one end is where the melt filled the very top of the form
that is flared to allow ease in pouring.
The rod after the flared top has been cut off. This must be done because this large end
would never pass through the mill in the rolling process
The start of the rolling of the rod through the square wire rolling
mill. If you look closely, you will note how rough the rod is at this point.
After the first couple roll thoughs, flat areas on the rod are
starting to appear. It is just beginning to start to take on a square shape
After a number of passed it has lengthened considerable and
taken a full square shape
The rod is rolled through to the desired thickness. If it is necessary to reduce it more than
50%, annealing will generally be required.
As metal is worked and rolled it gets harder and harder and will
eventually reach a point where it becomes very hard to work and can even become
brittle and start to crack. To alleviate
this, the metal is put in an oven and heated to a high temperature for a period
of time. The result is a marked
softening of the metal, allowing for further milling. This process of softening is called
annealing.
A close up shot of finished karat gold rod that has been cut
into desired lengths.