Experiment No.

5
Centrifugal Casting Process

Aim: To study and understand centrifugal casting process

Principle:
The manufacturing process of centrifugal casting is a metal casting technique that uses
the forces generated by centripetal acceleration to distribute the molten material in the mold.
Centrifugal casting consists of producing castings by causing molten metal to solidify in rotating
molds. The speed of the rotation and metal pouring rate vary with the alloy and size and shape
being cast. The following operations include in centrifugal casting – rotation of mold at a known
speed, pouring the molten metal, proper solidification rate, and extraction of the casting from the
mold.

Types Of Centrifugal Casting:

Centrifugal casting can be divided into three categories namely true centrifugal casting, semi
centrifugal casting and centrifuging.

A. True Centrifugal Casting:

The true centrifugal method of casting is used to produce hollow castings with a round hole. The
characteristic feature of this process is that the hole is produced by the centrifugal force alone
and no cores are used.
The mold is rotated about the axis of the hole with the axis held horizontal, inclined or vertical.
The outside surface of the job may be round, square, hexagonal etc. and should be symmetrical
with the whole axis. The central hole should be round to be formed without cores.

Long castings like cast iron soil pipes are cast with the molds rotated about a horizontal axis.
Castings with relatively short lengths are poured with molds rotated about an inclined or vertical
axis. Rotation about the vertical or inclined axis is convenient but the central hole produced will
be slightly parabolic with smaller diameter at the bottom because the metal has a tendency to
settle down due to gravity. The speed of rotation for true centrifugal casting should be high
enough to hold the metal on to the mold wall till it solidifies. A low speed of rotation would
result in raining or slipping of the metal inside the mold. Too large a speed of rotation on the
other hand may result in internal stresses and possible hot tears. A speed which would provide a
centrifugal force of 60 to 75 times the force of gravity on horizontal molds and 100 times force
of gravity for vertical molds is found to be suitable. The molds used for the process may be metal
molds or refractory or sand lined molds. Common products produced by true centrifugal casting
include pipes, oil engine cylinders, piston ring stock, gear blank stock and bearing bushes.

ADVANTAGES
 Relatively lighter impurities within liquid metals such as sand, slag and gas float more
quickly towards the center of rotation from where they can be easily machined out
thereby giving a clean metal casting.
 Dense and fine grained metal casting are produced by true centrifugal casting technique.
 Except with casting having greater wall thickness there is a proper directional
solidification from outside (surface) towards inwards of the casting.
 There is no need of central core to make a pipe or tube.
 Gating system is not required; this raised the casting yield as high 100% in certain cases.
 True centrifugal casting may be adopted for mass production.

DISADVANTAGES
 True centrifugal casting is limited to certain shapes.
 Equipment cost is high.
 Skilled workers are required for operation and maintenance.

APPLICATIONS
 Bearings for electric motors and industrial machinery.
 Cast iron pipes, alloy steel pipe and tubing.
 Liners for IC engines.
 Rings, short Z
 Rings, short or long pots and other annular components.
 B. SEMI-CENTRIFUGAL CASTING:
In semi-centrifugal casting process no attempt is made to produce a hole without a core. The
centrifugal force resulting from rotation of the mold is used to properly feed the casting to
produce a closed grained clean casting.

The process is suitable for large axis-symmetrical casting like gear blanks, fly wheels and track
wheels. Any hole round or otherwise is made with the use of a core. The mold is clamped to a
turn table with casting axis along the axis of rotation.

The metal poured along or near the axis to feed the points farthest from the axis of rotation
under pressure. If made solid the central portion tends to be porous and with inclusion which are
removed in subsequent machining.

ADVANTAGES
 Semi-centrifugal ensures purity and density at the extremities of casting such as cast
wheel or pulley.
 Since the poorer structure forms at the center of casting, it can be readily machined out if
it is objectionable.
 C. CENTRIFUGING:
Centrifuging or centrifuge casting is employed to force metal under pressure into molds of small
castings or castings not symmetrical about any axis of rotation. The molds are made around a
central axis of rotation, to balance each other.

The metal poured along this axis of rotation through a central sprue and made to flow into the
mold cavities through a radial ingates cut on the mold interface. Centrifuging helps in proper
feeding of castings resulting in clean, close grained castings.

Classification On Basis Of Axis Of Rotation Of Machine

Depending on the axis of rotation of the machine the centrifugal casting process is

classified into two processes namely:

 Horizontal centrifugal casting

 Vertical centrifuging casting

ADVANTAGES OF CENTRIFUGAL CASTING METHODS

 Obtained casting of better quality.

 Produce castings more economically.
 Cast parts which cannot be satisfactory produced by other methods.
 Achieve high yield as centrifugal casting seldom requires feed head.
 Fettling and cleaning costs are considerably reduced.
  Centrifugal casting produce denser casting which possess physical properties
comparable with those of forging.
 Centrifugal casting of some method improve tensile strength because resultant
homogeneity and density.
 Instead of having flow line parallel to the lines of force as conventional gear casting,
there are no flow lines in centrifugal castings and the grain structure runs perpendicular
to tooth gear line of force.
 Casting with thin sections or fine outside surface details can be readily produced.
 The percentage rejection is very low.
 Directional solidification can be achieved.
 It is simpler to inspect the casting because defects in any casting will occur on the
surface and not inside the casting.

Centrifugal force acting on a rotating body is, C.F=mv2/r

where, m-mass(kg), V-peripheral speed(m/s), r-radius(m).

Gravitational force, G.F=mg

where, g-acceleration due to gravity(m/s2 )

G factor=CF/GF= (mv2/r.mg)=v2/rg

Solving, further we get N=42.3 (G factor/D)^0.5

Diameter of Die=15 cm

Sr No Material G Factor Revolutions(RPM)

1 Aluminium 100 1100

2 Aluminium 50 775
In true centrifugal casting, too low speeds (N) will cause inability and allow slipping or raining
of metal. Because of slip, generating of the necessary minimum force 1G in the metal needs a
much greater peripheral mold velocity than would be in case metal mold were moving together.

The required force decreases with increasing diameter.

 It has been observed that forces of 60 to 80G are most commonly quoted for true
centrifugal casting.
 A value of 15G is common for semi-centrifugal casting in sand molds.
 Thronton suggested values of 50-100G for die casting (metal mold) and 25-50G for sand
cast pots and shaped casting.
 In vertical axis centrifugal casting the minimum speed is established by tendency to form
a parabolic bore owing to the gravitational components of the force acting in the metal.

Defects In Centrifugal Casting

Conventional static casting defects like internal shrinkage, gas porosity and Non- metallic
inclusions are less likely to occur in centrifugal casting.

1. Hot Tears:
Hot tears are developed in centrifugal castings for which the highest rotation speeds are
used. Longitudinal tears occur when contraction of casting combined with the expansion of the
mold, generates hoop stresses exceeding the cohesive strength of the metal at temperatures in the
solidus region.

2. Segregation :
Centrifugal castings are under various forms of segregation thus pushing less dense
constituents at centre.

3. Banding :
Sometimes castings produce zones of segregated low melting point constituents such as
eutectic phases and sulphide and oxide inclusions. Various theories explain this, one states
vibration is the main cause of banding.