MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF

ENGINE BLOCKS
The main housing of hundreds of parts
in modern engines.

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 Objective: To recognize the manufacturing process of engine blocks.

Content:
1. Quiz question
2. Grey Cast Iron Alloys
3. Aluminum Alloys
4. Compacted Graphite Cast Iron
5. Tooling required for Casting Engine Block
6. Manufacturing Process of Engine Block

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 1. Quiz question

❑ What is the main tool needed for sand casting and what materials is it
made from?

a) The engine block: made from a mixture of cooper, clay, and iron.

b) The drilling machine: made from a mixture of nickel, wood, and zinc.

c) The mold: made from a mixture of sand, clay, and water.

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 2. Grey Cast Iron Alloys

Gray cast iron is the first and most widely

used material for the manufacture of engine
blocks. It contains 2.5 - 4% Carbon, 1 - 3%
Silicon, 0.2 - 1% Manganese, 0.02 - 0.25%
Sulfur, and 0.02 - 1% Phosphorus. It has
excellent damping absorption, good thermal
and wear resistance, and is easily machinable
and lower cost due to its availability.

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 3. Aluminum Alloys

❑ Its main feature is its low weight,

which reduces the weight of the
engine and the vehicle.
❑ Its main disadvantage is its cost.
❑ It has good machinability properties.
❑ There are two aluminum alloys that
are mainly used in the manufacture of
engine blocks: A319 and A356.

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 a) Aluminum Alloy A319
Contains 85.8 - 91.5% Aluminum, 5.5 - 6.5%
Silicon, 3 - 4% Copper, 0.35% Nickel, 0.25%
Titanium, 0.5% Manganese, 1% Iron, 0.1%
Magnesium, and 1% Zinc. It has good
casting characteristics, corrosion resistance
and good thermal conductivity. Under heat
treatment, it generates high strength and
rigidity for the engine block. It has a
modulus of elasticity of 74 GPa.

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 b) Aluminum Alloy A356

Contains 91.1 - 93.3% Aluminum,

6.5 - 7.5% Silicon, 0.25 - 0.45%
Magnesium, 0.2% Copper, 0.2%
Titanium, 0.2% Iron and 0.1%
Zinc. Under heat treatment, it
gains higher strength than A319.
But it has a lower modulus of
elasticity: 72.4 GPa.

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 4. Compacted Graphite Cast Iron

Has a higher tensile strength and

modulus of elasticity compared to

gray cast iron. It has good damping

absorption and thermal conduction,

but poor machinability.

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 5. Tooling required for Casting Engine Block

The main tool needed for sand casting is

the mold, which is made from a mixture
of sand, clay, and water.
1. The pattern is the main tool needed
to form the mold.
2. The pattern is held on the wooden or
metal frame and the sand mixture is
poured.

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 3. Then, vibrations are applied so that the

mixture is freed from air bubbles.

4. When the mold hardens, it is poured.

5. Once the casting is complete, the

surface finish and dimensions of the cast

engine block are corrected with

computerized milling and drilling machines.

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 6. Manufacturing Process of Engine Block

Mainly done by sand casting because it

is more cost-effective than die casting.

Die wears out easily due to the high

temperature of the molten metal. The

cast engine block is then machined for

surface finish and coolant passages.

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 The most widely used casting in engine block
casting is green sand mold casting (it denotes the
presence of moisture in the sand mold). A
combination of silica sand, clay, and water is
poured into the middle of the pattern of aluminum
blocks with a wood or metal frame. The mold is
then compacted by applying pressure or vibration
to the metal frame. This process is repeated for
the other half of the mold. Then both halves are
removed from the pattern.

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 Quiz question answer

❑ What is the main tool needed for sand casting and what materials is it
made from?

a) The engine block: made from a mixture of cooper, clay, and iron.

b) The drilling machine: made from a mixture of nickel, wood, and zinc.

c) The mold: made from a mixture of sand, clay, and water.

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 Recommendation

Do not forget to review this ppt, watch the

video and solve the two tests that are provided.

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