University of the East

College of Engineering

PLATE NO. 3
FOUNDRY

NME 3106/ ME-1

PABLO, JOHN EDERSON B.

20160130665
October 5,2020

ENGR. DIOSDADO C. DOCTOR

PROFESSOR
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. DEFINITION OF TERMS

II. INTRODUCTION

III. MANUFACTURING PROCESS

-FLOW CHART
-DISCUSSION AT THE PROCESS
-RAW MATERIALS
-DEFECTS
-EQUIPMENT OF MACHINERIES

IV. REFERENCES
I. DEFINITION OF TERMS

• Casting - The process of pouring molten metal into a mold so that the cooled,
solid metal retains the shape of the mold.
• Patternmaking - Patterns are required to make molds. The mold is made by
packing molding sand around the pattern. The mold is usually made in two parts
so that the pattern can be withdrawn. In horizontal molding, the top half is called
the cope, and the bottom half is called the drag. In vertical molding, the leading
half of the mold is called the swing, and the back half is called the ram.
• Continuous Casting - A method of pouring steel directly from the furnace into a
billet, bloom, or slab directly from its molten form.
• Cupola furnace - A cylindrical straight shaft furnace usually lined with
refractories, for melting metal in direct contact with coke by forcing air under
pressure through openings near its base. Vertical shaft furnace lined with
refractories used to produce cast iron by high temperature melting of metallic and
mineral charge materials.
• Molding - is the operation necessary to prepare a mold for receiving the metal. It
consists of ramming sand around the pattern placed in a support, or flask,
removing the pattern, setting cores in place, and creating the gating/feeding
system to direct the metal into the mold cavity created by the pattern, either by
cutting it into the mold by hand or by including it on the pattern, which is most
commonly used.
• Fabricate - To work a material into a finished state by machining, forming, or
joining.
• Melting and pouring - are the processes of preparing molten metal of the proper
composition and temperature and pouring this into the mold from transfer ladles.
• Cleaning - includes all the operations required to remove the gates and risers
that constitute the gating/feeding system and to remove the adhering sand,
scale, parting fins, and other foreign material that must be removed before the
casting is ready for shipment or other processing.
• Converter - Processes steel into a more finished state, such as pipe, tubing, and
cold-rolled strip, before selling it to end users. Such steel generally is not sold on
contract, making the converter segment of the mills’ revenues more price
sensitive than their supply contracts to the auto manufacturers.
• Inspection - to check for defects in the casting as well as to ensure that the
casting has the dimensions specified on the drawing and/or specifications.
Inspection for internal defects may be quite involved, depending on the quality
specified for the casting.
• Green Sand - Most castings are made in green sand, i.e., sand bonded with clay
or bentonite and properly tempered with water to give it green strength.
• Core molding - makes use of assembled cores to construct the mold. The sand is
prepared by mixing with oil, or cereal, forming in core boxes, and baking. This
process is used where the intricacy of the casting requires it.
• Die casting machines - consist of a basin holding molten metal, a metallic mold
or die, and a metal transferring device which automatically withdraws molten
metal from the basin and forces it under pressure into the die.
• Vibrators - are used on all pattern-drawing machines to free the pattern from the
grip of the sand before drawing. Their use reduces mold damage to a minimum
when the pattern is removed, and has the additional advantage of producing
castings of more uniform size than can be secured by hand rapping the pattern
• Finish - The surface appearance of steel after final treatment.
• Hot metal - The name for the molten iron produced in a blast furnace. It proceeds
to the basic oxygen furnace in molten form or is cast as pig iron.
• Flux - An iron cleaning agent. Limestone and lime react with impurities within the
metallic pool to form a slag that floats to the top of the relatively heavier (and now
purer) liquid iron.
• Scrap (Ferrous) - Ferrous (iron-containing) material that generally is remelted
and recast into new steel.
• Blow hole - A hole, or void, left in the casting caused by trapped air or gases.
• Clay - clay which, in addition to its capability of resisting high temperatures, also
possesses strong bonding power.
• Tuyere - Opening in the cupola where the air blast enters.
• Muller - Type of foundry-sand-mixing machine.
• Dry Sand – is obtained when the moisture from green sand is removed. It used
for large and heavy casting, because the molding sand offers greater strength,
rigidity, and thermal stability to the casting.
• Alloying - Procedure of adding elements other than those usually comprising a
metal or alloy to change its characteristics and properties.
• Binder - The bonding agent is a material used as an additive to mold or core
sand to impart strength or plasticity in a "green" or dry state. May be cereal, oil,
clay, resin, pitch, etc.
• Bushing - A sleeve, metallic or non-metallic, usually removable, or replaceable,
which is placed in a body to resist wear, erosion, etc.
• Charge - A given weight of metal introduced into the furnace.
• Cold-Box process - Any core binder process that uses a gas or vaporized
catalyst to cure coated sand while it is in contact with the core box at room
temperature.
• Core - A bonded sand insert placed in the mold to form an undercut or hollow
section in the casting which cannot be shaped by the pattern. A core is
frequently used to create openings and various shaped cavities in the casting.
The shaped body of sand which forms interior of casting and selected external
features.
• Smelting - is a process of applying heat to ore to extract a base metal. It is a form
of extractive metallurgy. It is used to extract many metals from their ores,
including silver, iron, copper, and other base metals.
• Gate - Specifically, the point at which molten metal enters the casting cavity.
Sometimes employed as a general term to indicate the entire assembly of
connected columns and channels carrying the metal from the top of the mold to
that part forming the casting cavity proper. This term is also applied to pattern
parts that form the passages, or to the metal that fills them.
 II. INTRODUCTION
The main structure of the engine that gives the space for the engines is the cylinder
block, which is also called the engine block, and it also provides passages for the
coolant, exhaust, and intake gases for the crankcase and cam shafts to pass over the
engine and host. Hundreds of components found in modern engines are mainly housed
in the engine block. And it is the largest engine component and also accounts for 20%
to 25 % of the total engine weight. Today's engines have come to their maximum
development and still being developed for the next years too. These developments have
caused to increase the power, durability, resistance to wear, and efficient of the engine.
Material used to build the engine block has being given the engine a higher strength with
low weight which is more important for the power of the engine. For many years, the
engine block has been manufactured using cast iron alloys, it is due to its strength and
low cost and its wear resistance. But as the engine become more complicated engineers
found new materials to reduce its weight as well as to increase strength and wear
resistance. A common alloy which is widely used is aluminum alloy, it is more popular
due to its low weight but mostly within petrol engines.

The material used for manufacturing the product should contain many properties. High
strength, modulus of elasticity, wear resistance, ability to withstand vibrations, and
corrosion resistance. High strength is mostly concerned in diesel engines because of their
high compression ratios compared with petrol engines. In diesel engine its compression
ratios are normally 17:1 or greater, but in petrol engine it is nearly 10:1. The material also
should have low density to reduce its weight but with higher strength. It should also have
a low thermal expansion under high operating temperatures and a good thermal
conductivity to give out the heat in minimum time. When it come to the manufacturing
process the material should have good machinability and castability to reduce the time
and cost consumed. As if the material is too hard the time and cost for manufacturing
increases. When the engine is in running conditions, it generates a higher vibration due
to the motions in the internal parts like crank shaft and pistons, therefore the material
must be able to absorb the vibration energy without fracturing.
 Manufacturing process efficiency can obviously have a great impact on the energy
consumption during life-cycle phase of the vehicle. One of the most energy-consuming
manufacturing processes is casting (when considering all sub-processes such as melting,
holding, finishing), and a lot of research is undertaken on how to improve its energy
efficiency. The casting temperatures for Cast Iron and Aluminum alloy vary around 1500
°C and 730 °C, respectively. This normally occurs in a melting furnace which can differ
from foundry to foundry for different metals. Normally, two types of furnaces are used:
cupola and induction. By several foundries, it was verified that they only use cupola
furnaces to produce Cast Iron engine blocks. Cupola furnaces use coke as an energy
source, and their thermal efficiency ranges between 20-30%.

In this study, Grey cast iron is the first and most material used for manufacturing of
engine blocks. Though the aluminum alloy also contains many similarities with low weight,
it is still used in the manufacturing of diesel engine blocks because their internal stresses
are higher. Grey cast iron contains 2.5-4% of carbon, 1-3% of silicon, 0.2-1% manganese,
0.02-0.25 % of sulfur, and 0.02-1% of phosphorus. It has an excellent damping
absorption, good wear, and thermal resistance, and it is easily machinable and less cost
due to its availability. In aluminum alloy used in making the engine block is 150 W/(m.K)
while the cast iron is about 50 W/(m.K). This gives aluminum alloy high cooling
performance at a lower weight. Producing engine blocks from cast iron requires casting
to a near net shape and machining to the exact dimensions. For collecting the required
material use and energy consumption, three casting foundries were discussed.
 III. MANUFACTURING PROCESS

FLOW CHART
DISCUSSION OF THE PROCESS
Sand Casting of Engine Block takes time, preparation, materials, and resources.
Foundry tools, equipment, machineries are also necessary. The foundries need about
30 to 45 days to create the metal patterns and samples before batch production and it
will depend on the order of the customer. Then the patterns could be used for batch
production after sample approval. Molding machines used for the shell molding process
to manufacture the sand shells and cores, which may be called sand molds. Often, it is
also needed to create some sand cores for the molding machine process, also known
as the Green sand molding process. Muller Mixer used to mix Silica sand (85-92%),
Clay (Bentonite as binders) (6-12%) And Water (3-5%). Normally, 7 days are required
for this process. You could call this time as the project initial time, or tooling time.

Green Sand molding Process

• The pattern is placed on a flat surface with the drag box enclosing it.
• The drag box is filled with green sand mixture and rammed manually till its top surface.
Parting sand is sprinkled over the mold surface of the drag box.
• The cope box is placed on the top of the drag box and the sprue and riser pin are placed
in suitable locations.
• The drag box is lifted and placed aside, and the pattern is withdrawn by rapping it
carefully. Gates are cut to flow molten metal.
• The mold cavity is cleaned and finished. Cores, if any are place in mold to obtain a
hollow cavity in casting.
• The cope is now placed on the drag box and both are aligned with the help of pins. Vent
holes are made to allow the free escape of gases from the mold.
 The Next step in manufacturing is preparation of Raw Materials. This Raw
material will undergo Melting process, the casting temperature for Cast Iron vary around
1200 to 1500 degrees Centigrade, by the used of Cupola furnace. This Furnace used
coke as an energy source, and their thermal efficiency ranges 20 – 30 percent. The
main inputs in these furnaces are pig iron 4.8%, ferrosilicon 75% Silicon 4%, and steel
or Cast-Iron scrap 91.2%. Unrecoverable metal losses, mainly due to oxidation, are
reported by foundries, to an average of 2%.

Cupola Furnace Process

The charge consists of alternate layers of
the metal to be melted, Coke fuel,
Limestone flux which rests on the charging
floor. The purpose of adding the flux is to
eliminate the impurities and protect the
metal from oxidation.

An air blast is introduced the wind box and

tuyeres located near the bottom of the
cupola. The air reacts chemically with the
fuel thus producing heat of combustion

The fuel is burnt in air through tuyeres

positioned above the hearth. The molten
metal was dropped to the bottom chamber.
Tap hole is the one who pour out the
molten metal.
 After melting, to keep the metal at casting temperature and with a consistent
composition, it is transferred and kept in the holding furnace as a buffer due to different
production rates. The energy per ton of liquid metal was measured to be 0.2 or 0.1
Gigajoule in two foundries. The holding furnaces in both foundries were electricity
powered. One of the biggest factors in the energy consumption during the holding
process is the holding time. This changes from foundry to foundry according to the
production rate, casting method, and of course the type of metal. In the holding process,
the foundries reported an unrecoverable metal loss of 2%.

Holding Process

Now the mold is ready for the casting. The molten metal is poured into the mold
through the smaller front center hole which fills the mold from bottom back up to the top
through the risers, which be 8 large holes. When the casting is cooling down the molten
metal in the riser is drawn back down into the casting. The risers act a main part in the
casting process by supplying required molten metal during shrinkage.

Casting process
 The core shown below provides the space for water jackets around the cylinders.
The core has been painted to seal the gas formed during the casting process within the
core. And the pink colored ends are not painted to let the gas escape to the outside.
Aluminum reinforcing rods are used to give more strength to the core. These rods get
melted due to the molten metal poured during casting.

The rough Cast Iron block casting is ready after the removal of the sand mold. The
sand is removed by applying vibrating on the casting. The casting must be machined to
remove secondary cavities, risers, runners, gates and get correct dimensions with
smooth surfaces.

Fettling Process
 Castings are produced volumetrically larger than required. Surfaces such as cylinder
bores, deck faces, crankshaft bores, etc. are casted with an excess material of 2–3 mm
that allows later dimensional corrections. Many holes must be drilled for oil circulation,
bolts, etc. The main machining operations in an engine block are cubing, boring, drilling,
and threading. The total energy consumption calculated for machining one cast-iron
block is 61 Megajoule. Usually, 10 kg of material is removed, which represents 20% of
the block.

Detailing of Engine Block

Quality inspection is undertaken throughout the casting process. Engine block

foundries aim to minimize their internal rejection rate to increase their efficiency by
applying strict internal inspection standards to not ship and transport bad product. Cast
Iron foundries reported an average of 3% internal scrap and 0.5% external scrap.
Internal scraped Cast Iron blocks are re-melted directly.
 RAW MATERIALS

Based on the functional requirements of the cylinder block and the material
properties required to meet the functional requirements, industries have used cast iron
and aluminum alloys to manufacture the blocks. Cast iron alloys are used because of
the combination of good mechanical properties, low cost, and availability. Certain
aluminum alloys combine the characteristics of iron alloys with low weight, thereby
making the material more attractive to manufacturers who are seeking a competitive
edge. Compacted graphite cast iron is lighter and stronger than gray cast iron, making
the alloy a more attractive alternative to the latter in the production of cylinder blocks,
particularly in diesel engines. Magnesium alloys, which were previously unsuited for use
as an engine block material, have the advantage of being the lightest of all the
mentioned metals, yet still retains the required strength demanded by a block.

Aluminum alloy Cast Iron / Pig Iron Scrap

 In addition, some materials are needed:

• Ferrosilicon 75%
• Silicon 4%
• Carbon 3%
• Manganese 0.25%
• Sulfur and phosphorus 1%

This Material used to add in Furnace, it makes the Engine block excellent
damping capacity, good wear, temperature resistance, and to easily machinable.

Materials used in Mold making Pattern

Green Sand

Green Sand Castings are castings made using wet sand or “green sand”
molds. The sand is not green in color nor do the molds use “greensand,” a greenish
color sandstone. Instead the sand is called “green” because it has moisture in it like
green wood before the sand dries out when molten metal is poured in the mold.

• Silica sand (85-92%), Clay (6-12%) And Water (3-5%).

• Metal Frame
• Wood
• Crucible

Engine Block Pattern with Green sand mold

 DEFFECTS

Gas Holes

are pinholes and blowholes. This designation

belongs to size of the hole and not its origin. Blowhole
is very prevalent cause of casting scrap. The
blowholes are smooth walled cavities, essentially
spherical, often not contacting the external casting
surface. The largest cavities are often isolated. In
specific cases, the casting surface can be strewn with
blowholes.

Porosity Holes

any void or hole found in a casting. These voids

can be caused by gases and contaminants present
during the casting process and typically occur near the
outer parts, or at the top of a casting. Typically, the
voids do not pass all the way through the casting. They
can be as large as 3 mm or as small as 0.25 mm. They
are most exposed when a surface is machined.

Cold Shut

Is a visual and structural discontinuity caused by

separate metal flows or where two or more metals
streams have come together and fused. A dividing like
can be visually seen of the discontinuity. This can occur
especially in thin flat section of cylinder block.
 Mismatch

Mismatch in mold defect is because of the

shifting molding flashes. It will cause the
dislocation at the parting line. A mismatch is
caused by the cope and drag parts of the mold
not remaining in their proper position. It is also
caused by loose box pins, inaccurate pattern
dowel pins or carelessness in placing the cope
on the drag

Cracks

If the solidifying metal does not have

sufficient strength to resist tensile forces during
solidification, hot tears will appear. Cracks occur
as the casting cools, towards the end of
solidification. Hot tears are mostly caused by
poor mold design. Modifying the mold to
improve collapsibility can easily resolve these
issues.
 EQUIPMENT OF MACHINERIES

Cupola Furnace

very old device used in manufacturing for melting because

this system produces good cast iron from Pig Iron. This furnace
used in Engine block because it has wide range for melting
materials. It can remove the slag present in the Iron which is very
important in manufacturing of engine block. Compared to Electric
Arc Furnace, this is very less harmful and simpler and more
economical device.

Holding Furnace

Many aluminum alloys require melt pool cleaning

to eliminate unwanted accompanying elements and to
homogenize and degas. Holding furnaces or specially
designed rinsing stations are used for this purpose. The
holding furnaces are usually chamber furnaces and
depending on the application can be round or
rectangular, tiltable or stationary and with one or more
chambers, usually with bottom purging systems.

Ladle

are used in the aluminum and foundry industries

to transfer molten metal from one location to another,
generally from a melting furnace to a holding furnace.
They are often used to hold metal while it is treated by
degassing and/or fluxing. They are filled by tapping out a
furnace or utilizing a metal transfer pump.
 Robotic Fettling Machine

Fettling is a process of removing excess material

from castings often formed by the die’s parting lines
during the casting process when molten material is
injected into the mold. A process of removing excess
material from casting formed by the divided lines by the
casting process, using robot as a positioning tool.

Muller Mixer

It is widely used to mix a different type of sand in

foundry. Green sand molding contains, Silica sand, Clay
and bentonite as binder and Water. This machine ensures
ideal sand quality by enabling integration of dosing, mixing,
and moistening.
IV. REFERENCES
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and Energy Assessment of Automotive Component Manufacturing: The Dilemma
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__jg-Azc4EtnhgirVaTqFsZ_caf79uYUGacV6pXA

Jeter, P. (2019, January 10). How to Sand Cast an Engine Block. Retrieved
September 27, 2020, from https://itstillruns.com/sand-cast-engine-block-
8659057.html

Engine block manufacturing process. (n.d.). Retrieved September 27, 2020, from
http://newengineeringpractice.blogspot.com/2011/08/engine-block-manufacturing-
process.html

“Anatomy of an Engine – the New Northstar V8,” [Online], 7 April 2005-last visited,
Available: http://www.autospeed.com/cms/A_1569/article.html.

Anonymous, “Aluminum Cylinder Block for General Motors Truck/SUV engines,” A

Design Study in Aluminum Casings, pp. 1-31.

Mortimer, John: “New process widens use of iron-block diesels,” Automotive News
Europe, July 12, 2004.

Baumeiser T. et al (1979). Mark’s Handbook for Mechanical Engineers. 11th ed.

McGraw Hill Book Company. Retrieved from
http://dl.icdst.org/pdfs/files/d6ac8019727131bc202e32c1c55aede5.pdf