Design considerations of casting

Design recommendations for casting

1. Compensate the shrinkage of the solidified of molten metal by making
patterns of slightly oversize.
 Fig. (a)

2. In sand casting, it is more economical and accurate if the parting line is on a flat
plane. Fig. (a)
Fig.(b)
3. In sand casting, it is recommended to attach the raiser near to the heavier section.
The thinnest sections are farthest from the raiser and solidify first & then the
solidification proceeds toward the direction of raiser i.e. towards the heavier section.
4. Sharp corners in a casting design cause uneven cooling & lead to formation of hot
spots in the final cast structure. Moreover sharp corner in a casting acts as a stress
raiser. Rounding the corner decreases the severity of the hot spot & lessens the
stress concentration.
5. Abrupt changes in sections should be avoided. Fillets and tapers are preferable to
sharp steps.
6. The interior walls & sections are recommended to be 20% thinner than outside
members to reduce thermal & residual stresses, & metallurgical changes.
7. When a hole is placed in highly stressed section, add extra material around the hole
as reinforcement.
8. To minimize the residual stresses in gears, pulley or wheel casting, a balance
between the section size of the rim, spokes and hub is maintained.
9. An odd number of curved wheel spokes reduces cast-in-residual stresses.
10. Similar to sand casting , permanent mould castings also require draft for the easy
withdrawal of the casting from the mould.
11. Due to pattern shrinkage , investment shrinkage and metal shrinkage during
solidification, there is always tendency for an investment part to “dish” (develop
concave surfaces where flat surfaces are specified). This condition takes place in
area of thick cross section. Dishing is minimized by designing parts with uniformly
thin walls.
12. When keys and keyways are required, the recommended ratio of width to depth is
1.0 or more. The minimum castable key width is 2.3 mm for ferrous metals and 1.5
mm for nonferrous metals.
13. Heavy bosses connecting to the surface can cause “sinks” due to the shrinkage of the
large mass of the metal in the boss during cooling. This shrinkage problem can be
reduced by moving the boss away from the surface & connecting it to the surface
with a short rib .
Sand Casting
Sand Casting

• The oldest known casting process, sand casting can be traced back to
earlier than 1000 B.C. Process controls, material options, tolerance
capabilities, the ability to produce elaborate parts, broad size ranges –
those have all come a very long way, of course. 

• But the metals fundamentals are relatively unchanged.  Create a cavity in

the shape of the part you want, and pour molten metal into it. 
       
• The result of centuries of development is that sand casting is the most
versatile, and probably the most widely used, metal casting method.
Design requirements (including shaping and dimensional needs), piece and tooling
cost, quantity needed, and even feasibility to manufacture dictate which
metalworking processes (including which casting processes) are most suitable when
choosing how to manufacture a product.  

Product manufactured using sand casting employ techniques that produce shaped
parts of nearly any design, including very large parts and those with internal
passageways.
There may be more optimal casting or metalworking processes for any specific
product based on:

•Needed tolerances
•Design intricacy
•Volume
•Tooling availability
•Lead time

But, it is likely that a casting in the needed configuration could be made using the
sand process.  That is a decision left to the design engineer.

The process is referred to as sand casting because the mold that contains the cavity
into which metal is poured is made of compressed or compacted sand. The sand
contains some other material that encourages it to hold its shape. 
Advantages
• 1. Nearly any alloy:
• Sand castings can be readily produced in nearly any ferrous or non-ferrous alloy. 
Some other casting processes will melt and pour super-alloys in a vacuum, but
that is not typically done as a sand casting. Some materials cannot be “worked”,
and must be produced as a casting. Many material can choice, like iron, steel,
Aluminium, Brass and so on, only the sand foundry have this material.
• 2. Low tooling cost:
• The relatively low cost of tooling makes sand casting a process of choice for lower
volume needs.  Patterns do wear so the material selected for the pattern
(typically wood, plastic, or metal) will depend on the expected usage quantity of
the part being produced. Though not necessarily cheaper in the short run, the use
of machined (or “patternless”) molds may be a cost-effective option for
components with expected lower usage over a longer period of time.
3. Versatile – Size, Weight, Shape:
        
Sand castings can be produced in weights from grams to 200+ tons. 
Through the use of cores, internal structures can be cast in place. 

Shaped parts rely mainly on the imagination of the designer.  Most sand castings,
however, will need at least some machined surfaces.

4. Any Quantity:
Because the tooling cost can be minimal, sand casting may be appropriate for a single
piece run.  Alternatively, there are automotive components that are produced using this
process, so it may also be used in high volume applications. 

5. Timing:
The casting process itself may be quicker than some others, like investment casting, but
it is important to consider the post-casting processes like machining that may be required
when computing total lead times.
Disdavantages:

1. Lower Dimensional Accuracy:

No-bake molding can deliver better dimensional accuracy and repeatability than green
sand molding, but this process will, on average, provide less precision than other common
casting processes.

2. Pattern Maintenance:
While of lower cost than tooling for other casting processes, there is still an art to pattern
creation. Patterns can be bulky so the storage must be managed; this is especially
significant if the casting is produced infrequently.  Patternless molding can relieve some
challenges of pattern storage and maintenance.  

3. Surface Finish:
Sand castings tend to deliver a rougher surface finish than other casting processes. That
point may be moot if certain surfaces are machined anyway, or if surfaces in the as-cast
condition are acceptable.
5. Manual process
 
Manpower to Monitor and control this whole casting process, will cause
unstable quality.
 
6. Low strength
 
Sand casting is pouring molten material into by hand, no pressure, cause the
part inside is loose, and easy to have porosity defects, it is different with
Gravity Die Casting and High Pressure Die Casting.
Both ferrous and non-ferrous materials an be used for sand casting:
1.Aluminum Alloys
2.Brass Alloys
3.Bronze Alloys
4.Steel (BS3100)
5.Grey Iron (BS EN1561)
6.Spheriodal Graphite Iron (BS EN 1563)
Applications for Sand Castings

Sand casting is used for a variety of applications to produce a wide range of

parts including:

•air compressor pistons

•bearings
•blowers & impellers
•bushings
•cams
•electronic equipment
•engine crankcases
•engine oil pans
•fittings
•flywheel castings
•gas and oil tanks
•gears
•hardware
•low-pressure valves
•machine parts
•mining machine parts
•oil pans
•printing press
•pump bodies
•pump pistons
•screw nuts
•trailer parts
•truck chassis parts
•valves
•water jackets & crankcases
•worm gears
Bronze castings
Centrifugal pump castings
Exhaust Gas Manifold of an I C Engine
Reducer box Casing of the gear reducer
Differential casting used in I C Engines at real axle of trucks and cars
Sand Casting Cast Iron Wheel
Sand Casting video
Permenant mould/gravity
Casting
Permanent mold casting (gravity die casting) is a casting process involving pouring a
molten metal by gravity into a steel (or cast iron) mold.

The permanent mold casting is similar to the sand casting process . In distinction from
sand molds, which are broken after each casting a permanent mold may be used for
pouring of at least one thousand and up to 120,000 casting cycles with the rate 5-100
castings/hour.

Manufacturing metal mold is much more expensive than manufacturing molds for
Sand casting or investment casting process mold. Minimum number of castings for
profitable use of a permanent mold is dependent on the complexity of its shape.

Ferrous and no-ferrous metals and alloys are cast by the permanent mold casting
process: Aluminum alloys, Copper alloys, Magnesium alloys, zinc alloys, steels and
Cast irons.
Permanent mold casting process

•The interior surfaces of the two parts (cope and drag) of a permanent mold are coated
with a thin ceramic coating. The mold is preheated before coating to 300-500°F (150-
260°C).
•The cores are inserted and installed in the mold assembly.
•The mold is closed.
•The molten metal is poured into the mold.
•After the casting has solidified and cooled down to the desired temperature the mold
is opened and the casting is withdrawn from it.
•The gating system is cut away from the casting.
•The finish operations are carried out.
What is different about Permanent Mold Gravity Casting

One of the oldest methods used for casting metals and alloys is permanent
mold gravity casting. As its name suggests, the process involves molds that
can be re-used many times, making this process ideal for mass production.
While the production cost can be reduced for repeat projects, permanent
mold gravity casting still sits between sand casting and die casting in terms
of overall expense, with medium manufacturing and tooling costs. Check
out our animation on how the process works:
Permanent mold gravity casting has the following advantages:

•The mold can be reused

•The process can produce more complex shapes and designs (compare to
sand casting)
•This process offers more precise control over dimensional attributes
(compare to sand casting)
•Products have good as-cast surface finish (compare to sand casting)
•The process is highly repeatable and well-suited for high volume
production runs
•The process can also be automated
•The process usually has less shrinkage or gas porosity issues
The limitations and disadvantages of permanent mold gravity casting:

•Only materials with lower melting temperatures can be used in the

process
•When materials with a high melting point (such as cast iron) is used, the
high temperature may wear down the mold quickly
•Part geometry and size limited by die-making capability
•This process usually has higher tooling cost and longer set-up time
•Only economic viable for high volume production
Applications Of Permanent Mold Casting

Permanent mold casting is used heavily in the automotive industry to

create parts like gears, castings, suspensions, fuel injection housings, and
engine pistons. Aircraft parts are also often made via permanent mold
casting.
Permanent molds are typically made of strong metals and alloys, some of which
include aluminum, copper, steel, iron, graphite and lead.

Typical parts produced in the permanent mold process include automotive parts such
as aluminum pistons, steering knuckles, brackets, wheels, and pump impellers.

Parts are also produced in zinc, brass, copper, lead, and even gray iron.

Since the process has great design flexibility and is compatible with so many metals,
the types of products that can be produced are almost unlimited.
Electric Motor Housing
Front Fork Legs of two wheelers
Applications
This casting process find applications in a number of industries, ranging to include
the automotive industry, the electrical industry as well as the architectural industry.
In copper permanent mould casting, yellow brasses, high conductivity coppers and
engineering alloys are used to produce various parts and components ranging from
decorative faucets and sanitary fittings, to water pump impellers and cutout
hardware.
Other component manufactured includes engine components, gears, wheels,
insulating flanges, brackets for the textile industry, hand levers, filters for the
petroleum industry, valve bodies for the electrical industry, light domes for general
industries and electrical housing components, to name but a few examples.