METAL CASTING

PROCESSES
Overview of Casting Technology
Casting is usually performed in a foundry
Foundry = factory equipped for
• making molds
• melting and handling molten metal
• performing the casting process
• cleaning the finished casting

Workers who perform casting are called foundrymen

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Foundry
Jobbing Foundries

- These foundries are mostly independently owned.

They produce castings on contract, within their
capacity.
 Captive Foundries

- Such foundries are usually a department of a big

manufacturing company. They produce castings
exclusively for the parent company.
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Sand Casting
 Casting
Process in which molten metal flows
by gravity or other force into a mold
where it solidifies in the shape of the
mold cavity
 The term casting also applies to the

part made in the process

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Casting Process
Melting the metal

Pouring it into a previously made mould or cavity which

conforms to the shape of desired component

Allowing the molten metal to cool and solidify

in the mould

Removing the solidified component from the mould,

cleaning it and subjecting it to further treatment, if
necessary

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Solidification Processes
We consider starting work material is either a liquid or
is in a highly plastic condition, and a part is created
through solidification of the material
Solidification processes can be classified according to
engineering material processed:
Metals
Ceramics, specifically glasses
Polymers and polymer matrix composites (PMCs)

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Classification of solidification processes
Steps in Sand Casting
The cavity in the sand mould is formed by packing
sand around a pattern, separating the mold into two
halves • The mould must also contain gating and riser
system For internal cavity, a core must be included in
mould A new sand mould must be made for each part.
1. Pour molten metal into sand mould
2. Allow metal to solidify
3. Break up the mould to remove casting
4. Clean and inspect casting
5. Heat treatment of casting is sometimes required to
improve metallurgical properties.
Sand Casting Production Sequence
The steps include not only the casting operation but also
pattern‑making and mold‑making.

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Casting

Refractory mold  pour liquid metal  solidify, remove  finish

• VERSATILE: complex geometry, internal cavities, hollow sections

• VERSATILE: small (~10 grams)  very large parts (~1000 Kg)

• ECONOMICAL: little wastage (extra metal is re-used)

• ISOTROPIC: cast parts have same properties along all directions

A large sand casting weighing over 680 kg for an air compressor
frame
Capabilities and Advantages of Casting
• Can create complex part geometries that can not be made
by any other process
• Can create both intricate external shapes and complex
internal profiles
• Can produce very large parts (with weight more than 100
tons), like m/c bed
• Casting can be applied to shape any metal that can be
heated to the liquid state.
• Some casting methods are suited to mass production
• Can also be applied on polymers and ceramics

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Disadvantages of Casting
Different disadvantages for different casting

processes:
Limitations on mechanical properties

Poor dimensional accuracy and surface finish for

some processes; e.g., sand casting

Safety hazards to workers due to hot molten metals

Environmental problems 15
Moulding Sand
Constituents of Moulding Sand
 Silica sand grains
 80-90% Silicon dioxide
 Quartz rock
 Imparts refractoriness, chemical resistivity, permeability.
 Binders: Organic Linseed oil, molasses, pitch or resin)and
inorganic (Clay bentonite , fire clay)
 5-20%
 Bonding Strength and cohesiveness
 Moisture –WATER : workablility to moulding sand
 2-8%
 Additives : improve properties
 Coal dust, silica flour, wood flour, Limestone, magnesia, soda
and potash.
Properties of Moulding Sand
Types of Moulding Sand
Green Sand
18-30% Silica
6-8% water
Soft, light and porous
Dry Sand
Green sand dried and baked
Large castings
Loam Sand
50% of clay
Large Castings
Types of Moulding Sand
Facing Sand
Face of mould
Surface of pattern
20-30 mm
Backing Sand
Back up facing sand
System Sand
No facing sand
Reactivated sands
Parting Sand
Avoids sticking of pattern to mould sand
Avoids sticking of cope and drag
Core Sand
Silica and core oil, to prepare core
 Types of sand
a) Green-sand - mixture of sand, clay, and water,Binders (Molases,
Linseed oil); "Green” means mold contains moisture at time of
pouring.
b) Dry-sand - organic binders rather than clay and mold is baked to
improve strength
c) Skin-dried - drying mold cavity surface of a green-sand
- mold to a depth of up to 25 mm, using torches or heating
d)Core Sand
e)Baking sand
f)Loam Sand:Loam is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size >
63 µm), silt (particle size > 2 µm), and a smaller amount of clay
(particle size < 2 µm). Its composition is about 40–40–20%
concentration of sand-silt-clay, respectively.
g)Parting sand, Etc
Patterns
Patterns are the replica or physical models of the final
required shape of the casting, made by wood
(teak,magony,pine), plastics, Metals, Plaster of paris etc.,
Types of patterns.
1.Solid pattern
2.Split piece pattern
3.Three piece pattern
4.Loose piece pattern
5.Match plate pattern
6.Segmental pattern
7.Sweep patten
8.skeleton Pattern
9.shell Pattern.
The Pattern
A full‑sized model of the part, slightly enlarged to account
for shrinkage and machining allowances in the casting
Pattern materials:

Wood - common material because it is easy to work, but

it warps
Metal - more expensive to make, but lasts much longer

Plastic - compromise between wood and metal

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Types of Patterns
Types of patterns used in sand casting:
(a) solid pattern
(b) split pattern
(c) match‑plate pattern
(d) cope and drag pattern

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Types of Pattern
Single Piece Pattern Split piece pattern
Types of Pattern
Cope and Drag pattern
Types of Pattern
Gated Pattern
Types of Pattern
Loose Piece Pattern
Types of Pattern
Sweep Pattern
Types of Pattern
Skeleton Pattern Segmental Pattern
Types of Pattern
Shell Pattern
Pattern Allowance
Allowance are the extra dimensional compensation
give to the pattern in order to attain the correct shape
and size of the final solidified metal casting.Five
types of allowances were taken into consideration for
various reasons.

Allowance types –
Pattern Allowances
Shrinkage Allowances
Pattern Allowances
Draft allowances
Pattern Allowances
Distortion Allowances
Pattern Allowances
Machining Allowances
Pattern Allowances
Rapping Allowances or Shake Allowances
Negative Allowance
To rap the pattern from the sand
It creates some space around the pattern
 Sand Casting Mold Terms
Mold consists of two halves:
Cope = upper half of mold
Drag = bottom half
Mold halves are contained in a box, called a flask
The two halves separate at the parting line

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 Forming the Mold Cavity
Cavity is inverse of final shape with shrinkage allowance
Pattern is model of final shape with shrinkage
allowance
Wet sand is made by adding binder in the sand
Mold cavity is formed by packing sand around a
pattern
When the pattern is removed, the remaining cavity of
the packed sand has desired shape of cast part
The pattern is usually oversized to allow for shrinkage
of metal during solidification and cooling

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Foundry
Molding
Mold is the cavity of the required shape produced in
the sand into which molten metal is poured

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Foundry
Molding
Mold is the cavity of the required shape produced in
the sand into which molten metal is poured

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 Foundry
Molding
Mold is the cavity of the required shape produced in
the sand into which molten metal is poured

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 Foundry
Molding
Mold is the cavity of the required shape produced in
the sand into which molten metal is poured

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Use of a Core in the Mold Cavity
Cavity provides the external features of the cast part
Core provides internal features of the part. It is
placed inside the mold cavity with some support.
In sand casting, cores are generally made of sand

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Foundry

(a) Core held in place in the mold cavity by chaplets, (b) possible
chaplet design, (c) casting with internal cavity.

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 Gating System
It is channel through which molten metal flows into cavity
from outside of mold
Consists of a down-sprue, through which metal enters a
runner leading to the main cavity
At the top of down-sprue, a pouring cup is often used
to minimize splash and turbulence as the metal flows
into down-sprue

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 Riser
It is a reservoir in the mold which is a source of liquid metal
to compensate for shrinkage of the part during solidification
Most metals are less dense as a liquid than as a solid so
castings shrink upon cooling, which can leave a void at the
last point to solidify. Risers prevent this by providing molten
metal to the casting as it solidifies, so that the cavity forms
in the riser and not in the casting.

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Sand Moulding
Sand moulding Procedure
Sand Moulding Preparation
The machined component shown in Fig.1 is to be sand
casted. Smaller holes will be drilled and machined. Prepare
the step-by-step sand casting procedure for the manufacture
of the rough casting for the component shown
All dimensions are in centimeters
Molding Machine

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Sand Moulding
Sand Moulding
Moulding Sand Preparation
Mixing of sand (Sand ,binders and additives)
Sand Tempering (adding moisture)
Sand Conditioning
Muller Machine
Riddles (screening sand)
Magnetic Separators
Aerators(sand grains)
Moulding Tools
Showel
•Bellow
Riddle
•Swab
Rammer •Gate cutter
Trowel •Mallet
Slick •Vent Rod
Lifter •Draw spike
Strike-off bar
•Clamps
•Moulding boxes
Sprue pin
Core
A core is a device used in casting process to produce
internal cavities and reentrant angles. The core is
normally a disposable item that is destroyed to get it out
of the piece. They are most commonly used in sand
casting.
Core Requirements

Strong : have good strength for safe handling &

against the pressures generated by molten metal
Permeable: generated large volume of gas to escape –
more permeable than mould – larger grains – vents
provided
Refractory : highly against burning or fusing of its
constituents to avoid rough surface and metal
penetration
Stable: Sufficient green strength to retain the shape
before baking
Ease collapsable: - able to disintegrate – freeness in
the contraction of metal by oil binders
Lowest possible amount of gas created during the
pouring of casting
Core
Core Sand
Sand and Binder
Silica, zircon, olivine, carbon, chamotte
Not have more than 5% of clay.
Core Making
Core Sand Preparation
Roller Mills
Core mixers
Core Moulding
Core Blowing Machines
Core Ramming
Core Baking
Core ovens
 Batch type
 Continuous type

Dielectric Bakers
Core Finishing
Core dressing
Core coating
Core Ovens
Batch type Continuous Type
Horizontal Core : horizontal positions at the parting
line between two moulds
Vertical Core: vertical positions supported by core
prints
Balanced Core: one core print to produce blind cavity
– core print large and heavy to balance the weight of
core
Drop Core or stop-off Core: - cavity is either above or
below parting line
Hanging Core : hangs vertically with no support –
entire cavity in the drag only
Types of Core
Horizontal Core
Types of core
Vertical Core
Types of Core
Ram up core
Gating System

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