MEKELLE UNVERSITY SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL AND

INDUSTRIAL ENGNEERING

DEPARITMENT OF MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING

COURSE ADIVANCED MANUFACTURING PROCESS

GROUP 1
DANIEL HAREGEWEYN --------------------------------------------------EITM/UR 118986/09
G/HER GOITOM--------------------------------------------------------------EITM/UR 118969/09
SELEMON WELDU----------------------------------------------------------EITM/UR 121683/09
ZEFERU G/HANIS------------------------------------------------------------EITM/UR 118992/09

SUBMITTED TO ABRHA MERESSA (M.SC)

CHAPTER 3 ADVANCED CASTING PROCESS
Casting process is a manufacturing method that produces desired-shape metal parts by pouring molten metal
into a mold and solidifying and cooling it to the room temperature. It’s capable of producing complex and
intricate parts, irrespective of their sizes. Casting can produce isotropic metal parts in bulk quantities, as a
result, making it suitable for mass production. Furthermore, to meet specific user requirements, there are
different types of casting that differ by the material and mold used.
3.1 Metal mold casting:
Refers to a molding method in which liquid metal fills a metal mold under the action of gravity and
cools and solidifies in the mold to obtain a casting.
Advantages:

The metal mold’s thermal conductivity and heat capacity are large, the cooling speed is fast, the
structure of the casting is dense, and the mechanical properties are about 15% higher than that of
the sand casting.

Castings with high dimensional accuracy and low surface roughness can be obtained, and the quality
stability is good.

Because sand cores are not used or rarely used, the environment is improved, dust and harmful gases are
reduced, and the labor intensity is reduced.

Disadvantages:

The metal mold itself has no air permeability, and certain measures must be taken to export the air in
the cavity and the gas generated by the sand core;

The metal type has no concession, and the casting is prone to cracks when it solidifies;

The metal mold manufacturing cycle is longer and the cost is higher. Therefore, good economic effects
can only be shown when mass-produced in large quantities.

Application: Metal mold casting is not only suitable for the mass production of non-ferrous alloy
castings such as aluminum alloys and magnesium alloys with complex shapes, but also for the
production of iron and steel metal castings and ingots.
3.2 Continuous Casting
As the name suggests, it allows consistent mass production of metal profiles with a constant cross-
section. This type of casting is popular in the production of steel bars. Also, the vertical cast creates
semi-continuous casting like billets, ingots, bars, etc.

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In this process, molten metal is poured at a calculated rate in a water-cooled, open-ended mold that
allows a surface of solid metal to form on the liquid metal in the center. Metal solidification, thus,
happens from the outside in. After this process finishes, strands of metal can be continuously
extracted from the mold. Predetermined lengths of products can be cut off by mechanical shears or
traveling oxyacetylene torches.

Generally, the products created using continuous casting are homogeneous, consistent, and dense.
However, it also limits its use to such applications. Some other advantages and disadvantages are:

Advantages Disadvantages Diverse size range of casting products varying from a few millimeters
thick strip to larger billets and slabs Requirement of continuous cooling of the molds, otherwise,
center-line shrinkage develops Lower costs due to continuous production Casting of only simple
shapes with a constant cross-section Lower material wastage Requires large ground space and high
initial investment

3.3 Squeezing Casting

Liquid forging or squeeze casting is a hybrid metal forming process that merges permanent mold casting
and die forging in a single step. In this process, a specific amount of molten metal alloy is injected into a
die, and pressure is applied to shape it. Then, the metal part is heated over melting temperature and
extracted from the die.

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Particularly, squeezing die casting is a potential casting process for safety-critical parts in
automotive systems. For example, space frame joints, aluminum front steering knuckles, chassis
frames, brackets, or nodes.

This type of metal casting combines the benefits of casting and forging processes. For example, the
high pressure applied during solidification helps prevent shrinkage and porosities. However, due to
specific tooling requirements, it is not as popular as other casting processes for mass production.

Advantages Disadvantages Eliminates internal defects like pores, shrinkage holes and shrinkage
porosity Less flexibility in part geometry Low surface roughness Lower productivity It can prevent
casting cracks High machining requirements High strength components Requires accurate
controlling, slowing down the overall process No wastage of material

3.4 Vacuum Casting

Vacuum casting, as the name suggests, is the type of casting where production occurs under vacuum
pressure of 100 bar or less to exhaust gas from the mold cavity. In this process, molten metal is
poured into the mold cavity inside a vacuum chamber in order to eliminate bubbles and air pockets.
The vacuum evacuation of the die cavity reduces the entrapment of gases within the cavity during
the metal injection process. Finally, the metal is cured in a heating chamber and removed from the
mold.

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The vacuum die casting process is popular in various industries including automobiles, aerospace,
electronics, marine, telecommunication, etc. As a result, some components fabricated by this
manufacturing process include structural chassis components and automotive body parts.

Advantages Disadvantages Reduce porosity, improve mechanical properties and surface quality of
die casting High tooling cost Production of thin walled products the mold used in the process has a
short life Welding and heat treatment of products is possible Potential hollowness issues Suitable
for low volume production No requirement for expensive hard tool finishing Diminishes air pockets
and bubbles at early stages

3.5 Evaporative pattern casting (EPC)

process Evaporative pattern casting (EPC) Process is a sand molding process that makes use of
evaporative patterns produced industrially by steam molding or machined out from a block of
expandable polystyrene foam (EPS). The pattern is buried in the sand mold and the melted casting
material is poured into the mold without removing pattern, unlike the traditional sandcasting
method that makes use of wooden, plastic and metallic pattern which is removed from the mold
before molten metal is advanced.

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By evaluation and practices, the process is known to take care of intricate and complex shapes
without the use of cores; this is not achievable in traditional sand-casting methods. The surface
finish of the castings produced has an edge over the ones of green sand method. Very slender
elements are produced with ease using EPC which is very difficult in other sand-casting methods.
Precision in terms of dimensional accuracy is better.

The first division is a six-step operation.

The step 1 is the pattern molding. Beads of polystyrene foam are injected into molding machine
under pressure. The foam material together with the amount of applied pressure for compaction
determines the density of the polystyrene pattern that would be employed for casting.

Step 2 is the inspection of the patterns produced industrially or manually. Dimensional accuracy and
correctness of the shape are inspected at this level. Distortion of the patterns is avoided.

Step 3. To provide ability to withstand thermal energy from advancing liquid metal and prevent
sand penetration in evaporative pattern castings, refractory coating which is made from highly
refractory materials is sprayed on the patterns.

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Step 4 takes care of this. The patterns are left to dry. The drying period is within a matter of seconds;
maximum 15 s. is possible because of the reducer/carrier which is usually methyl alcohol at 99%
concentration that is employed in the transfer of the coating to spraying the pattern.

Step 5 the drying process is done.

Step 6 deals with compaction of the coated patterns in the sand mold. Immediately the bed is laid,
the pattern is put inside the molding flask then it is filled with molding and backing sand. The
pattern is not removed from the mold.

The second division deals with casting production and inspection.

Step 1 deals with metal pouring. Casting materials are charged into the furnace and allowed to
melt. Each metal has its melting temperature. The foundry man takes the melt from the furnace
with pouring equipment and pours into the prepared mold. Solidification of the casting takes place
inside the mold.

Step 2 takes care of shakeout and de-gating of the casting. The process of removing the casting
from the mold is the shakeout while removal of sprue, runner bar and in gates from the casting is
the de-gating.

Step 3 which is the last of all sees to the cleaning and finishing of the casting. Here brushes are
employed to clean by removing sand attached to the casting. Unnecessary projections are also cut
off.

EPC also offers some advantages over lost foam casting, including: Improved surface finish, Reduced
porosity

3.6 Hybrid Evaporative pattern casting (HEPC)

HEPC is a casting process that combines elements of both sand casting and lost foam casting. It
uses a pattern made from a material that evaporates when the molten metal is poured into the mold.
However, unlike lost foam casting, the pattern is surrounded by sand instead of being completely
encapsulated.

Advantages over traditional casting methods, including: High dimensional accuracy, High surface finish,
Complex shapes, Minimal waste Environmentally friendly,

Disadvantages, including: Complex process, can be expensive to implement, Limited materials:

Working principle of HEPC:

HEPC works by first creating a pattern from a material that evaporates when the molten metal is
poured into the mold. The pattern is then surrounded by sand, and the mold is heated. The heat

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causes the pattern to evaporate, leaving behind a cavity in the sand mold. Molten metal is then
poured into the mold, and the casting is formed.

The sand mold helps to support the pattern and prevent it from collapsing during the casting process.
This helps to improve the surface finish and reduce the porosity of the casting. HEPC is a relatively
new casting process, but it is quickly gaining popularity due to its many advantages over traditional
casting methods.

It uses an expanded polystyrene foam pattern which is then surrounded by sand, much like sand
casting. The metal is then poured directly into the mold, which vaporizes the foam upon contact.
This casting process is advantageous for very complex castings that would regularly require cores.
There are two primary types of evaporative-pattern casting: lost-foam and full mold. While both
types involve pouring molten metal into a pre-shaped mold to force the mold's material to
evaporate, they use different types of sand to perform this task

3.7 ceramic shell casting.

The ceramic shell casting process starts with wax injection. A die, or tool, is filled with wax,
injected in a liquid or a paste form, so it flows into the detail of the mold. Once cooled, the wax
piece, or pattern, is removed from the die. Several wax patterns are attached to a wax pole, or
sprue. Each pattern is attached to the sprue by smaller pieces of wax runners, typically referred to
as gates. Gates allow for the eventual creation of a space where molten metal can flow into the
hollow pattern cavity. The complete assembly is referred to as a tree.

Next, the wax tree is coated in a slurry, a mixture of liquid binder and flour refractory materials.
Binder and flour materials used vary depending upon the alloy being cast, drying time requirements
and the number of coats desired. Once the tree is dipped in the slurry material and excess material

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is drained from the tree, it is then coated with sand, or stucco. This can be completed in a variety
of methods including rainfall sanding, use of a fluidized bed or by hand covering (the cat box
method).

After each layer dries, the dipping and stuccoing steps are repeated and continue until the shell is
completed. The number of coats will vary depending in part on the pattern configuration and the
binder used in the slurry. Once the dipping sequence is completed and each coat has air dried
sufficiently, the wax is removed from the mold with either an autoclave or a Flash Fire dewax
system; which will melt the wax out of the shell leaving a hollow cavity. The shell is then placed
into an oven where it is fired for a predetermined time period. This assists in strengthening the shell
and removing any remaining waxy residue from inside the shell. Finally, the fired shell is placed in
a bed of sand with the pour cup opening facing up. Molten metal is poured into the shell. The shell
takes on the orange glow of the metal and eventually turns white as the metal cools. The shell is
then removed, the parts are cut off of the tree and the finishing area takes care of grinding away
any sign of metal from the gating.