08-Mar-2019

Introduction
Fundamentals of Casting
➢ Casting involves:
➢ Pouring molten metal into a mold patterned after part to be manufactured
➢ Allowing it to cool
➢ Removing metal from the mold

Dr. Sunny Zafar

School of Engineering
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Applications Brief history of casting

➢ Started around 3500 BC
➢ Copper axes and other flat objects were made in open mold made of
stone or backed clay
➢ During, Bronze age (2000 BC) making hollow sockets in the objects was
invented
➢ Casting was greatly improved by Chinese around 1500 BC
Fig: Camera casing
Fig: Rail wheels Fig: Engine block

Fig: Fluid valves Fig: Engine casing

Fig: Pump/motor casing
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Typical casting process Typical casting process

Core making Pattern making

Sand Pattern Gating system

Mold

Melting of Pouring in Solidification Shakeout Heat

metal mold and cooling and treatment
removal
of risers
and gates
Furnace
Cleaning
and
finishing

Inspection

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Terminology of casting process Terminology of casting process

• Pattern: replica or model of the

Flask: supports mould
final casting.
• Molding material is packed around
Pouring basin: into which the pattern and pattern is removed
to produce a mold cavity
molten metal is poured • Flask: the box containing the
Sprue: through which molten molding aggregate
• Cope: is the top half of the pattern,
metal flow downwards flask, mold, or core in a two-part
mold
Runner: Passageway in the
• Drag: refers to the bottom half of
parting line through which the pattern, flask, mold, or core in a
two-part mold
molten metal flows • Core: A part that is inserted into the
mold to produce the internal
Mould cavity: Pattern to be features of a casting, such as holes
made
or passages for water cooling
• Core print: region added to the
Gate: inlet into mould cavity pattern, core, or mold which is used
to locate and support the core
Parting line: within the mold
Risers: Supply for additional
metal

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Functions of gating system

➢ To development suitable temperature gradient in melt to promote
directional solidification
➢ To feed the melt into the mold in minimum possible time
➢ To feed the molten metal for compensating the shrinkage (riser)
➢ To remove the impurities (dross and light floating impurities from the melt
➢ To minimize the turbulence in flow of molten metal, so as to reduce
excessive absorption of gases and oxidation of the metal and erosion of
mould.
Pattern : Materials, Types and
Allowances

Pattern Pattern
➢ A pattern is a replica or model of the object to be made by the casting ➢Factors affecting selection of pattern material:
process.
➢ Volume of production of castings
➢ Quality of the casting depends largely on the pattern material and its
design. ➢ Service requirements, i.e. quality and intricacy of castings, minimum
section size, degree of accuracy and finish required
➢ Use of expensive metallic patterns is justified only when the large
number of castings are to produced. ➢ Possibility of design changes
➢ For few castings, a loose pattern made of wood serves the purpose. ➢ Type of molding method to be used
➢ Possibility of repeat orders

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Pattern Pattern
➢Desired characteristics of pattern material: ➢Wood
➢ Good manufacturability ➢ Seasoning of wood minimizes the effect of subsequent moisture
➢ Light Weight i.e. high strength to weight ratio variations by adjusting the water content of wood

➢ Resistant to Wear and Abrasion, Corrosion, and Chemical Action ➢ Seasoning can be done by natural or artificial methods.
➢ natural seasoning: (exposed in air/water then dried)
➢ Dimensionally Stable and Unaffected by Variations in Temperature and
➢ artificial seasoning: (stacked and dried using hot air or in kiln)
Humidity
➢ electrical seasoning: high frequency current field used, fast only
few minutes
➢ Popular pattern materials ➢ chemical (salt) seasoning: immersed in salt solution and then
washed & dried in air)
➢ Wood (Pine, Mahogany, Teak, Walnut, and Deodar)
➢ Metals and Alloys
➢ Plasters
➢ Plastics and Rubber
➢ Wax

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Pattern Pattern
➢Metal and alloys ➢Plaster
➢ More expensive but are more dimensionally stable and more durable. ➢ Gypsum Plaster (Plaster of Paris): it expands on solidification and has
high compressive strength
➢ Metallic patterns are used where repetitive production of castings is
required in large quantities. ➢Plastics
➢ Metals commonly used are aluminium alloys, cast iron, steel and ➢Both Thermosetting and Thermoplastic Materials are Used for Pattern
copper based alloys such as brass or bronze. Making.
➢Thermosetting Plastics (Epoxy and Polyester Resins) are Used for
Making Long-lasting and Durable Patterns
➢Thermoplastic (Polystyrene) Materials are Used for Short-runs or Piece
work.

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Pattern Types of Pattern

➢Wax ➢ Single piece
➢ Wax patterns are excellent for the Investment Casting Process. ➢ Split pattern
➢ Commonly Used Waxes Paraffin wax, Shellac wax, Bees wax, Cerasin ➢ Cope and Drag Pattern (split, large and complex casting)
Wax, and Microcrystalline Wax.
➢ Match Plate pattern (small and accurate parts, gating
system included)

Fig: Types of patterns used in sand casting: (a) solid pattern, (b) split pattern, (c) match-plate pattern, and
(d) cope-and-drag pattern.
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Types of Pattern Pattern Allowances

➢ Gated pattern • Shrinkage allowance
• Draft and shake allowance
• Machining allowance
• Distortion allowance
• Rapping allowance

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Pattern Allowances Pattern Allowances

➢ Shrinkage allowance ➢ Shrinkage allowance
Shrinkage due to phase 1 and 2 are taken care of by using risers while
shrinkage allowance takes care of shrinkage due to phase-3

Fig: Solidification pattern for cast iron 21

Pattern Allowances Pattern Allowances

➢ Draft allowance ➢ Draft allowance
• The pattern having surfaces parallel to the direction of pattern withdrawal
then friction or any horizontal movement of the pattern during extraction
may damage the mold particularly severe at the corners.
• Incorporating a slight taper, or draft, on all surfaces parallel to the
direction of withdrawal, this difficulty can be minimized.

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Pattern Allowances Pattern Allowances

➢ Machining allowance ➢ Machining allowance
• casting surfaces to be machined for desired accuracy and finish are
provided machining allowance on the pattern
• Machining allowance depends on the
• metal cast
• type of molding used
• class of accuracy required on the surface
• complexity of surface details

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Pattern Allowances Pattern Allowances

➢ Distortion allowance
• Castings having long, thin flat portions of v, u, h or I section connected to
thick sections tends to take shape which is not expected.
• Distortion depends greatly on particular configuration/shape of casting.
• Pattern is given a distortion of equal amount in the opposite direction wrt
expected direction of distortion .
➢ Rapping allowance
• Before the removing from the sand mould, the pattern is rapped all
around the vertical faces to enlarge the mould cavity slightly, which
facilitate its removal.
• In an average sized casting, this increase in the size can be ignored.
• In large castings or in one that must fit without machining
• Negative allowance

Required Casting Distorted Casting Distorted Pattern

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Mould
➢ A cavity of desired Shape and Size
➢ Always produced with Due Allowances for Shrinkage of the
Solidifying Material
➢ Single-use Molds OR Multiple-use Molds
➢ Multi-use molds are generally made of metal or graphite.
Mould, Moulding Sand, Composition ➢ Multi-use molds, due to high cost, their use is generally
restricted to large production volumes.
and Properties

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Materials for Mould
➢ Sand: green sand (sand, clay, water, and additives) is the
most commonly used
➢ Metal: multiple-use mold casting processes
➢ Plaster: plaster of Paris (or gypsum),
➢ Ceramic: withstand the higher melting point metals.
➢ Graphite: powdered graphite, cement, starch, and water
➢ Rubber: flexible to permit stripping from an intricate pattern
and suitable only for small castings of low melting point
materials.
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Characteristics of Moulding Sand
• Flow ability: ability of moulding to flow around the pattern to
acquire the desired shape during molding.
• Green (compressive) strength: Ability of green sand to retain the
shape of the mold and the same is dry conditions is called Dry
strength.
• These determine the ability to take the metallostatic forces of
melt.
• Hot strength: Strength of the sand required to hold the shape of
the mold cavity at high temperature when the melt in the mold is
still in the liquid state.
• Adhesiveness: Capability of moulding sand to adhere to the
Molding Flask and pattern.
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Types of clay and their role
• The most popular types of clay used are
– fire clay (melting point: 1750 to 1787 °C)
– bentonite (melting point: 1250 to 1300 °C),
• sodium bentonite
• calcium bentonite
• Bentonite can absorb more water which increases its bonding
power.
• Sodium bentonites
– high dry strength which lowers the risk of erosion,
– better tolerance of variations in water content,
• Calcium bentonites have low dry strength but higher green
strength.
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Characteristics of Moulding Sand
• Refractoriness: Ability of the molding sand to withstand the high
temperatures of the melt so that it does not fuse with the melt.
• Cohesiveness: Rammed molding sand particles are bonded
together and depends on coatings of clay on sand grains and
moisture
• Permeability: Property of the molding sand due to which it allows
the gases inside the mold (during solidification of casting) to
escape to the surroundings.
• It depends on size of the sand particles, amount and type of clay,
moisture content, and compacting pressure
• Collapsibility: Ease of collapsing the mould after solidification of
the casting to facilitate contraction else it causes tears and cracks
in the casting.
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Components of moulding sand and their role
• Green sand
• sand (70-85%): for refractoriness
• clay (10-20%): act as binder with water and affects strength
and permeability of molding sand
• water (3-6%): activates the clay and affects flow
ability/strength
• organic additives (1-6%): to get permeability, collapsibility
• Good molding sand always has optimum:
• size of sand particles,
• amount of bonding agent (such as clay),
• moisture content,
• organic matter
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Role of water
• Clay is activated by water to develop the
necessary plasticity and strength.
• amount of water used should be
properly controlled because a part
of the water absorbed by clay helps
in bonding
• while the remainder up to a limit
helps in improving the plasticity
• further more water would decrease
the strength and formability.
• normal percentage of water used
ranges from 2 to 8%.
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