MET 143

Materials and Processes I:

Sand Casting
C. Zehrung

Rev: 1.4 3/15

Key Points
Back to weekly lecture quiz schedule!
Weekly Lab Quizzes (Labs 8 11)
Lab attendance each week will be work 50/100pts. The other
50pts will be constituted by a weekly quiz. The quizzes will run
from Thursday to Thursday (starting and ending at the same
time as the weekly lecture quizzes!)

Lab Safety Quiz!

Must be completed to participate in Labs 8,9,&10
No Exceptions!

Foam Patterns due week of 3/24!

Review
Massive amount of new vocabulary:
Mold (Expendable, Permanent)
Flask (Cope, Drag)
Parting Line
Pouring Cup
Sprue
Sprue Well
Runner
Riser (Top, Side, Blind, Open)
Gate
Mold Cavity
Pattern (Core Print, Draft)
Core

Source: DeGarmos 11th ed. P.270

Sand Casting
Sand Casting An expendable casting (i.e. one-time use)
process that uses a refractory material, mixed with a binding
agent (clay, plastic, epoxy, etc).
Most extensively used metal casting process!
This process accounts for approx. 90% of all metal casting
processes. Thus, we will be focusing on the metal casting
aspect of the sand casting.
48,186 metal casting plants worldwide3
91,673,839 gross tons of cast material each year3
Thus, approx. 82,500,000 gross tons are produced using sand
casting methods.

Green Sand
Granular refractory material mixed with small amounts of
other materials, such as clay and water (DeGarmos 11 ed., p.292)
th

Basically, it is sand (either silica, zircon, olivine, or chromite)

mixed with clay (which acts as an adhesive when wet) and a bit
of water.
Our green sand is comprised of Silica Sand and Bentonite
Clay, a clay derived from volcanic ash.

Green sand derives its name from the fact that it is used in
a wet, unfired or cured, state.
The properties of green sand are dependent upon the grain
size, clay content, and moisture content.

Green Sand Testing

So that manufacturers are able to produce consistent, quality
products, sand testing is regularly performed to ensure that the
mixture is correct.
Grain Size A known weight of pure (no clay or water) refractory
sand is passed through a set of sieves by shaking for 15min.
The grain size will help determine the possible surface finish of a final
part, compactability, and permeability.

Moisture Content A known weight of mixed (sand with clay and

water) is subjected to a drying procedure. The amount of weight lost
is correlative to the sands moisture content.
Water in green sand activates the clay binder, and helps to provide
strength for the mold.
Too little water - The clay will not bind the sand particles to one another.
Too much water - The clay will be oversaturated, causing the particles
not to bond to one another.

Green Sand Testing Contd.

Clay Content A known weight of dry, mixed green sand
(sand with clay, no water) is washed, so that all of the clay
is removed. It is then dried and reweighed. The amount of
weight loss is correlative to the clay content.
Too little clay - The sand particles will not stick to one another,
causing a decrease in strength.
Too much clay - The sand will lose its permeability. However,
additional strength can be gained, as long as the moisture
content is adjusted. (Azhar, Shamsuddin, Baharudin, Ariffin, & Vijayaram, 2011).

Green Sand Testing Contd.

AFS Permeability A plug of sand with known dimensions is
placed in a chamber with a known flow. The amount of back
pressure presented by the sand is a direct relation to the
amount of air passing through the sand plug.
Too much permeability The surface finish and mold strength
can decrease.
Too little permeability Air will become trapped in the mold
cavity, causing voids and porosity.

Green Compressive Strength A plug of sand with known

dimensions is subjected to increasing loads, until it
ultimately fails.
This is simply a test of how much stress the sand can take
before failing (a function of moisture and clay content).

Permeability Test

Source: DeGarmos 11th ed., p.297

Green Sand Testing Contd.

Compactability A tube of sifted sand is subjected to a
known force. The change in height of the sifted column of
sand is known as the sands compactability.
This is directly proportional to the moisture and clay content of
the sand.

Hardness Determined the same way a metals hardness is

found using a Rockwell Hardness Tester, resistance to
penetration from an outside indenter.
Can provide a clue to the sands permeability and strength of
the mold.

Sand Hardness Test

Source: http://www.sandtesting.com/images/products/28ddf454da9b1e6336b34efef92a64ef5138951.jpg

Types of Patterns
Pattern A near net-shape object used to create the mold
cavity within the casting media. (i.e. It creates the space in
the mold that is to be filled with molten material)
Two Categories:
Single Use Expendable patterns that are consumed during
the casting processes.
Multiple Use Patterns that are able to be used over and over
again, to create multiple different molds. (Like the name
suggests)

For green sand casting, we will focus on multiple use

patterns.

Multiple Use Patterns

Depending on the amount of time it is to be used, these
patterns can be made of various materials:
Wood Single-part and limited quantity builds
Metal Mass production
Plastic Mass production, used when metal molds arent as
suitable.

Four main types:

One-piece
Split pattern
Match-plate pattern
Cope and Drag Patterns

Types of Patterns

One-Piece
Pattern

Split Pattern

Match Plate
Pattern

Cope-and-Drag
Pattern

Source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zrQRjG_FU_8/UNwi3X9RwfI/AAAAAAAAApA/zySQJhqSrx4/s1600/pattern.jpg

Cope-and-Drag Pattern

Source: DeGarmos 11th ed., p.295

Mold Creation
The processes to create a sand mold will greatly depend on
the type of pattern being used.
For the split pattern (pulley) used in lab, the process was a bit
more tedious, as the floating core had to be created, and the
mold had to be flipped multiple times to remove the pattern
halves.
For the one-piece pattern (propeller) used in lab, the mold
creation involved creating a non-linear parting line. Thus,
several portions of the cope had to be dug away to ensure that
the pattern could be removed.

Match-plate, as well as, Cope-and-Drag patterns help to

simplify and streamline the process.

Match-Plate Mold Creation

(A) - The match-plate
pattern is placed
between the cope and
drag of a snap flask,
and positioned with the
drag side up.
(B) - The drag half is filled,
packed, and leveled.
(C) - The cope half of the
flask has the sprue pin
(removable) attached to
the match plate.
(D) - Sand is packed
around match-plate,
open riser, and sprue
pin.
Source: DeGarmos 11th ed., p.292

Match-Plate Mold Creation Contd.

Source: DeGarmos 11th ed., p.292

(A) - The cope and matchplate are removed to

reveal the drag half of
the mold. (Note the
runner, mold cavity, and
core prints)
(B) - The match-plate is
removed from the cope
half revealing mold
cavity and openings for
the sprue and riser.
(Note the core prints)
(C) The two flask halves a
reassembled and the
pouring cup is dug away
for casting.
(D) - Depiction of the
resultant casting.

Follow Board
Simplistic, one-piece patterns can be used in a similar
method to the match-plate, or cope-and-drag, pattern
design, with the aid of a follow board.
The follow board helps support the sand, create an even
parting line, and level the pattern.

Source: DeGarmos 11th ed., p.292

Jolt and Squeeze

Source: DeGarmos 11th ed., p.299

Draft
Many patterns are noted as having tapered edges, when
creating voids that are perpendicular to the parting line.
When a pattern is removed from the sand, it is possible for it
to cause damage to the mold, by removing sand.
To reduce the frictional forces between the pattern and the
sand, patterns are created with extra material (remember
they are a near net shape). This extra material changes
the desired 90degree angle into a more subtle angle that
will aid in pattern removal.

Draft Contd.

Source: DeGarmos 11th ed., p.283

To Do:
Recommended Readings:
Chapter 12

For Next Time:

Sand Casting II

Additional Resources:
AFS American Foundry Society
www.afsinc.org

Foundry Educational Foundation

www.fefinc.org

References:
1. Black, J. T., & Kohser, R. A., (2012). DeGarmos materials and processes in
manufacturing. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
2. Azhar, A., Shamsuddin, S., Baharudin, B.T.H.T., Ariffin, M.K.H., Vijayaram,
T.R., (2011). The effect of bentonite clay on green compression strength for
tailing sands from old tin mines in Perak State, Malaysia for making green
sand casting mould. Key Engineering Materials, 471-471, 769-774. doi:
10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.471-472.769
3. American Foundry Society. (2010). 45th Census of world casting production.
Retrieved from: http://content.yudu.com/A1uut9/ModernCastingDec2011/
resources/index.htm