CASTING

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CASTING

It is the process of producing metallic parts by pouring

molten metal in to the mould and allowing the metal to

solidify.

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Manufacturing Engineering
 Casting Process

• Pattern making

• Mould making

• Metal is Heated Above Melting point

• Liquid Metal Poured into Mold

• Metal Solidifies into Shape of Mold

• Solidified Part is Removed from Mold

• Post Casting Operations - Clean Up, Machining

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Department of Mechanical &
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Molding Sand Composition
The main ingredients of any molding sand are:

• Silica sand - most commonly used, cheap and easily available.

• Binder - Clay binders are most commonly used binding agents

mixed with the silica sand to provide the strength.

• Additives – To enhance the properties of molding sand.

• Moisture - Clay acquires its bonding action only in the

presence of the required amount of moisture.

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Properties of a molding sand

Porosity (permeability)
• Permeability is the property of moulding sand which permits the
escape of steam & other gases generated during pouring &
solidification of metal.
• Proper venting of the mold also helps in escaping the gases that
are generated inside the mold cavity.
Adhesiveness
• Ability of sand particles to adhere to sides of molding boxes.
• sand particles must be capable of adhering to sides of molding
boxes.
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• Cohesiveness / Strength

• Ability of sand particles to stick together.

• Should be sufficient to permit the mold to be formed to the

desired shape even after the hot metal is poured in the mold

Refractoriness

• It is the ability of the molding material to resist the temperature of

the liquid metal to be poured so that it does not get fused with the
metal.

• Molding sands with a poor refractoriness may burn on to the

casting.

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• Collapsibility

– Ability of sand to collapse as the molten metal gets

solidified in it.

– so that during the contraction of the solidified casting it

does not provide any resistance, which may result in cracks
in the castings.

• Flowability

– Ability of the sand to behave like a fluid so that, when

rammed sand will flow to all portions of a mold and around
the pattern and take up the required shape.
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 PATTERN
• A pattern is a replica of the casting to be made.

• Using pattern, impressions (mould cavity) can be formed in the

moulding sand to make a mould.

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Pattern materials

-Any material which will retain exact outline of the design

for required number of molds.

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Pattern materials
• Wood – easy to work & readily available
– can be cut in to required shapes
– used when small number of castings
• Metal - do not change their shape when subjected to
moist condition
– used when large number of castings
-- High surface finish
• Plastics – do not absorb moisture, smooth
– can be withdrawn from the mold easily,
without damaging the mold
• Plaster – High compressive strength, easy to cast
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 Single piece pattern.

• Simplest pattern.

• Inexpensive.

• For making few large size simple castings.

• Usually made of wood or metal.

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 Split pattern
• Parting line of the pattern forms the parting line of the casting.

• Dowel pins are used.

• There can be more than 2 pieces for complex shapes.

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Pattern Allowances
1. Shrinkage allowance

2. Machining or Finishing allowance

3. Draft or Taper allowance

4. Camber or distortion allowance

5. Shake or Rapping allowance

6. Mould wall movement allowance

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 1. Shrinkage allowance

• Most of the metals used in casting contract during cooling

from pouring temperature to room temperature.

• Provided to compensate for solid contraction by providing

adequate allowances in the pattern.

• Amount of contraction varies with different metals.

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 2. Machining allowance

• Given on the surface of the pattern by increasing the metal

thickness there to compensate for loss of metal due to

machining on these surfaces.

• Depends mainly upon method of machining to be

employed.

• Given in addition to the shrinkage allowance.

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3. Draft or Taper allowance

• Given slight taper on the vertical surfaces of the pattern

parallel to the direction of withdrawal from the mould.

• Provided on both internal & external surfaces.

• For easy withdrawal of pattern from the mould.

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4. Rapping allowance

• Negative allowance to be provided in the pattern

• When pattern is withdrawn from the mould by striking

over it from side to side, size of the cavity increases

• To compensate this rapping allowance is provided

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5. Distortion allowance

• Castings having irregular shape, will not have uniform

contraction during their cooling.

• Results in distortion of the castings.

Remedy:

An opposite distortion is provided in the pattern.

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6. Mould wall movement allowance

Mould wall movement takes place because of excessive heat

and pressure applied by the molten metal on the surface
layer of the sand.

• Affects the size of the casting

Remedy:

•Provide proper allowance in the pattern

•Controlling the density & temperature of molten metal

•Controlling the composition of the molding sand

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Green sand mold

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Basic steps in making sand casting

1. Pattern making

2. Core making

3. Moulding

4. Melting and pouring

5. Cleaning

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 Green sand mold Drag
Pattern

Molding board
FIRST OPERATION

Vents
Weight Lifter
Riser pin Sprue pin Pouring basin
Cope
Riser

Parting Parting
line line Runner

Gate
Core

SECOND OPERATION Department of Mechanical &COMPLETE MOLD 23

Manufacturing Engineering
 Cores in the Mold Cavity

• The mold cavity provides the external surfaces of the cast part

• In addition, a casting may have internal surfaces, determined

by a core, placed inside the mold cavity to define the interior

geometry of part

• In sand casting, cores are generally made of sand

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 Components of a gating system
Gate: one of the channels which leads
molten metal into the mold cavity.

Down sprue: Through which metal enters

the runner leading to the main cavity

Pouring cup: used to minimize splash and

turbulence as the metal flows into
downsprue.

Riser: Reservoir in the mold which is a source of liquid metal to compensate for shrinkage
during solidification The riser must be designed to freeze after the main casting in order to
satisfy its function.

Runner: The runner will receive metal from the basin through sprue and distribute to several
ingates around the mold cavity.

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 Defects in casting
• Blowholes
– Smooth round holes appearing as a group of small holes
below the surface of casting
– Due to entrapped bubble of gases

• Scabs
– Projection on the casting that occur when a portion of the
mould lifts and metal flows.

• Drop
– Occurs when upper surface of the mold cracks and pieces
of sand falls in to the molten metal

• Shrinkage cavity
– Void created in the casting mainly due to uncontrolled
solidification of the metal

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• Internal air pocket
– It appears as small holes inside the casting,
due to rapid pouring of molten metal in to
the mold.
• Shifts
– An external defect caused due to core
misplacement or mismatching of top and
bottom parts of the casting
• Fin
– A thin projection of the metal, caused due to
incorrect assembling of molds or cores.
• Swell
– Enlargement of metal cavity by metal
pressure, caused by improper ramming.

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Advantages
• Molten material can flow into very small sections so that intricate shapes
can be made by this process.
• It is possible to cast practically any material that is ferrous or non-ferrous.
• The necessary tools required for casting molds are very simple and
inexpensive.
• There are certain parts made from metals and alloys that can only be
processed this way.
• Size and weight of the product is not a limitation for the casting process.

Limitations
• The metal casting process is a labor intensive process
• Melting of metal is a high energy process
• Time required for producing a casting is high

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Smithing & Forging

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Smithing
It is a process of performing various operations on relatively
small work pieces, heated in an open fire (hearth) and force
is applied to change the shape of metal by means of hand
hammers or small power hammers in a smithy shop.

Forging
It is a process of producing those parts, which must be
heated in a closed furnace, and force is applied to change
the shape of metal by means of heavy hammers or forging
machines or presses.
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HOT METAL

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Department of Mechanical &
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LEAF HOOK

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 Forged parts vs. cast parts
• Forged parts are stronger than casting.

• Forging refines the structure of metal by smashing up large grain formations

and closing up any cavities that may be present.

• Pieces formed by forging exhibit directional properties indicated by the flow

lines.

• In addition to those effects certain mechanical properties, particularly

elongation percentage, resistance to shock and vibration are improved, and in
favorable cases cracks and blow holes are welded up.

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