Exercises chapter 3

3.1
It is common for some unevenness, in the form of a flash on the surface, to occur when
casting metal workpieces. Which of the following casting processes is least prone to the
formation of such a flash?
sand casting
shell moulding
lost wax process
basic permanent mould casting
injection moulding
low pressure casting
3.2
Risers are used during sand casting to prevent the formation of shrinkage cavities.
How is the formation of shrinkage cavities prevented in
a. the lost wax process;
b. basic permanent mould casting;
c. low pressure casting;
d. injection moulding.
3.3
An aluminium foundry needs to produce a casting with the following main dimensions
LP x WP x HP = 1200 x 500 x 200 mm. From the literature it is known that the casting alloy in
question has a volumetric shrinkage and a total shrinkage of 6.6%. Calculate the main
dimensions LM x WM x HM of the required pattern in order to produce the respective casting
through hand moulding.
3.4
The image below shows the rotor of the turbo compressor of a gas turbine. The rotor is
manufactured by casting from a titanium alloy in a batch of 25 pieces. Determine which
casting process is best suited to produce these parts and motivate your choice.
 

3.5a
See the accompanying figure. A series of 3000 parts of the aluminium component according
to the adjacent drawing is to be manufactured by casting. The surfaces marked with a surface
roughness symbol are to be machined after casting.
 
Which moulding and casting method would you use to manufacture this product?
 hand moulding in green sand,
 moulding in green sand using a moulding machine,
 shell moulding,
 lost-wax method,
 moulding in CO2 cured sand,
 moulding in furan resin sand,
 basic permanent mould casting,
 die casting.
 

3.5b
Explain your choice and also state why you have rejected the other casting or moulding
methods.
3.5c
Indicate in the drawing what the casting mould or the die would look like. Consider the
parting of the mould or die, the positioning of any cores, the gating system and the riser(s).
Indicate in the drawing which surfaces must have a draft angle.
3.6a
See the accompanying figure. A series of 100 parts of the grey cast iron component according
to the adjacent drawing is to be manufactured by casting. The surfaces marked with a surface
roughness symbol are to be machined after casting.

Which moulding and casting method would you use to manufacture this product?
 hand moulding in green sand,
 moulding in green sand using a moulding machine,
 shell moulding,
 lost-wax method,
 moulding in CO2 cured sand,
 moulding in furan resin sand,
 basic permanent mould casting,
 die casting.
 

3.6b
Explain your choice and also state why you have rejected the other casting or moulding
methods.
3.6c
Choose a parting plane and sketch the core(s).
3.6d
Sketch the contours of the pattern for the chosen casting method.
3.6e
Which change would you provide in the design of the casting to simplify the moulding
considerably?
3.7
To grasp the similarities and differences between the very large number of manufacturing
processes, it is useful to characterize these processes per group on the basis of a number of
distinctive properties. Make such a characterization for the primary shaping processes.
3.8
The same workpiece can be made of a metal, a thermoplastic, a thermoset or an elastomer
using injection moulding. Compare the material structure of the workpiece will obtain in the
four cases mentioned above.
3.9
Look at the accompanying figure of a cake dome. The cake dome has a diameter of ø 300 mm
and a wall thickness of 2 mm. The wall must be made by means of injection moulding of
plexiglass (PMMA). The injection moulding pressure is 80 MPa and the influence of the
nozzle diameter can be neglected. Calculate the clamping force FS required to press the two
mould halves together. Try to make a representation of the calculated clamping force.
 
 

3.10
The tube extrusion process is used for the manufacture of a PVC electricity pipe and the
manufacture of synthetic rubber hose. Can both products be produced on the same production
line? If not, why not?
3.11
Which of the following plastic shaping processes is not suitable for the processing of
thermosets?
extrusion
injection moulding
transfer moulding
semi centrifugal casting
pultrusion
pressure impregnation
3.12
View the accompanying image of a pond liner. The overall dimensions of this pond liner are
225 x 118 x 70 mm. Can this pond liner be produced from thermoplastic polymer by means of
semi centrifugal casting? Briefly explain your answer and state some of the advantages and
disadvantages of the semi centrifugal casting process.
 
 
 3.13
In the adjacent figure, four details of plastic products are shown (see a, b, c and d) which are
to be made by means of injection moulding. Details a and b are not optimally designed. In
detail c, the sink mark is unacceptable for aesthetic reasons. In detail d, the outer angle must
become much sharper. Suggest ways for bringing about the desired improvements.
 

3.14
Which shaping process for plastics is the most suitable to produce the following products?
a. Lids for swing-top bottles (see detail a) for beer, to be produced in large batches from two
different plastics.
b. A case for a pizza courier (see detail b) of approximately 450 x 450 mm, to be manufactured
in a total production volume of 500 pieces.
c. Parts made of sheet-moulding compound (glass fibre and thermoset) (see detail c) in relatively
large batches.
d. A profile (see detail d) consisting of polypropylene (yellow) and a highly flexible
thermoplastic elastomer (black), to be manufactured in large quantities.
e. A plastic hollow profile luggage rack (see detail e), to be manufactured in relatively large
batches.
 
3.15
Powder metallurgy is commonly used for the production of gears and bearings. Explain why.
 
 
3.16a
A simple PM product is produced from iron powder. The figure shows two process steps:
(a) the powder is poured loose into the mould and levelled off; and (b) the powder is
compacted by the movement of the tool halves.
 

 
What must the height h0 of the moving tool part be during the filling with loose powder, in
order to achieve a density equal to 80% of the theoretical density after compaction?
3.16b
How high is the required pressure force to achieve the required density of the product?