Sand Molding Processes: Thanuj Kumar M

Manufacturing Process
Sand
Molding
Processes
Thanuj Kumar M.
Associate Professor,
Dept. of Mech. Engg.
RRCE, B’luru, Karnataka, India
Metal Casting And Welding 17ME35
Green Sand Molding:

 Green sand is an aggregate of sand, Bentonite clay, pulverized
coal and water. Its principal use is in making molds for metal
casting.
 The largest portion of the aggregate is always sand, which can be
either silica or olivine.
 Green sand is usually housed in flasks which are nothing other
than boxes without a bottom or lid. The box is split into two
halves which are stacked together in use. The halves are referred
to as the top (cope) and bottom (drag) flask respectively.
 Green sand is not green in color, but "green" in the sense that it
is used in a wet state with some amount of clay in it.
Thanuj Kumar M. 2/64 2/47

The basic steps in Green-Sand molding are as follows:
Silica Sand (85-92%), Clay (Bentonite as Binder) of 6-12%, Water 3-5%

and Additives are mixed in suitable proportions together to prepare the
green sand mixture.
 The pattern is placed on a flat surface with the drag box

enclosing it. Parting sand is sprinkled on the pattern
surface to avoid green sand mixture sticking to the
pattern.
 The drag box is filled with green sand mixture and
rammed manually till its top surface. The drag box is now
inverted so that the pattern faces the top. Parting sand is
sprinkled over the mould surface of the drag box.
 The cope box is placed on top of the drag box and the
sprue and riser pin are placed in suitable locations. The
green sand mixture is rammed to the level of cope box.
 The sprue and the riser are removed from the mold. The
cope box is lifted and placed aside, and the pattern in the
drag box is withdrawn by rapping it carefully so as to avoid
damage to the mould. Gates are cut using hand tools to
provide passage for the flow of molten metal.
 The mold cavity is cleaned and finished. Cores, if any are
placed in the mould to obtain a hollow cavity in the casting.
 The cope is now placed on the drag box and both are aligned
with the help of pins. Vent holes are made to allow the free
escape of gases from the mold during pouring. The mould is
made ready for pouring.
Advantages:
 Less expensive Method.
 Sand can be reused many times after

reconditioning with clay and moisture.
 Preferred for simple, small and medium size

castings.
 Suitable for mass production.

Disadvantages:
 Molds prepared by this process lack in permeability,
strength and stability.
 They give rise to many defects like porosity, blow holes etc.
because of low permeability and lot of steam formation
due to their moisture content.
 Molds cannot be stored for appreciable length of time.
 Not suitable for very large size casting.
 Surface finish and dimensional accuracy of castings are not
satisfactory.
 Mold erosion is common in Green sand mold casting.
 Difficult to cast thin and intricate shapes.
Dry Sand Molding:
1. Dry sand casting is a
sophisticated form of green
sand process, in which the sand
mold is baked at a given
temperature to make it
stronger.
2. This process in mostly used in
large foundries to produce big
ferrous and non-ferrous
castings like engine blocks,
construction parts, etc.
3. Dry sand casting ensures precise size and perfect dimensions.

4. The factors affecting the casting process is the proper

baking of the mold and the accurate consideration of size,
weight and mass of the casting.
5. The key to this process is the proper baking time in
relation to the binder and the moisture content.
Applications:
 Both ferrous and non-metals can be cast using the dry sand
cast method.
 This process is largely used for producing intricate designs
for heavy applications.
 Some of the casting that are produced are engine blocks,
large gears, big housings, construction parts, big gear
boxes, transmission housings, agricultural casting,
automotive parts, etc.
Advantages:
1. Complicate designs required for engines and automobiles
can be designed with relative ease.
2. Accuracy is terms of dimensions, size, designs, is the main
benefit.
3. Though an expensive process, accuracy is maintained in
every respect.
4. A process is favored by large foundries.

Disadvantages:
 Consumes more time, labour and cost due to baking
process. Hence, not suitable for mass production.
 Not suitable for large and heavy size castings, as they are
difficult to bake.
 High capital cost of bake ovens.
 Under baked or over baked molds is another disadvantage.

Cement Bonded Molding
 A mixture of silica sand containing 8-12% cement and 4-6%

water is used.
 When making the mold, the cement-bonded sand mixture
must be allowed to harden first, before the pattern is
withdrawn. The mold obtained is then allowed to cure for
about 3-5 days.
 When the metal is poured, heat causes the water of

crystallization of the cement to be driven off, and thus
steam must be allowed to pass off through the sand by
means of its porosity and suitably distributed vent holes.
 Large castings with intricate shapes, accurate dimensions
and smooth surfaces are usually produced by this method.
 The only shortcoming being the long time required for the
molding process.

Plaster Molding:
 The mold material in plaster molding is gypsum or plaster of paris.

 To this plaster of paris, additives like talc, fibers, asbestos, silica
flour etc. are added in order to control the contraction
characteristics of the mold as well as the settling time.
 The plaster of paris is used in the form of slurry.

 This plaster slurry is poured over a metallic pattern confined in

a flask.
 The pattern is usually made of brass and it is generally in the
form of half portion of job to be cast and is attached firmly on a
match plate which forms the bottom of the molding flask.
 Wood pattern are not used because the water in the plaster
raises the grains on them and makes them difficult to be
withdrawn.
 Some parting or release agent is needed for easy withdrawal of
the pattern from the mold.
 The plaster material is allowed to set, finally when the plaster is
set properly the pattern is then withdrawn.

Plaster Molding:
 As the flask is filled with the slurry, it is vibrated so as to bubble
out any air entrapped in the slurry and to ensure that the mold is
completely filled up.
 The plaster mold thus produced is dried in an oven to a
temperature range between 200-700 degree centigrade and
cooled in the oven itself.
 In the above manner two halves of a mold are prepared and are
joined together to form the proper cavity.
 The necessary sprue, runner etc. are cut before joining the two
parts.
Plaster Molding:

Advantages:
 In plaster molding, very good surface finish is obtained and
machining cost is also reduced.
 Slow and uniform rate of cooling of the casting is achieved

because of low thermal conductivity of plaster and possibility of
stress concentration is reduced.
 Metal shrinkage with accurate control is feasible and thereby

warping and distortion of thin sections can be avoided in the
plaster molding.

Disadvantages:
 There is evolution of steam during metal pouring if the plaster

mold is not dried at higher temperatures avoid this, the plaster
mold may be dehydrated at high temperatures, but the strength
of the mold decreases with dehydration.
 The permeability of the plaster mold is low. This may be to a

certain extent but it can be increased by removing the bubbles
as the plaster slurry is mixed in a mechanical mixer.

Shell Molding:
 Metal pattern is heated (200 to 300ºC) and is covered
with a mixture of fine sand and 5 – 10% of thermosetting
phenolic resin (phenol formaldehyde) which acts as
binder.
 To prevent the sticking of shell with the pattern a release
agent silicon is sprayed over the hot pattern.
 This causes a skin of about 3.5mm of sand/plastic
mixture to adhere to the pattern.
 The shell thickness will depend upon the time of contact
of mixture with the heated pattern.

Ejector pins
Heated metal pattern
Dump Box
Sand+Resin+Binder
Step - 1
Step - 2 Pattern is inverted
Step - 3
Shell after cooling

 Once more heated for around 420ºC for 3mins for

curing of shell.
 This skin is removed from the pattern to form the

"shell mold".
 The two halves of the shell mold are secured

together and the metal is poured in the shell to form
the part.
 Once the metal solidifies, the shell is broken.

Heated to 4200C
Shell removed
from pattern
Step - 1
Shell in sand mold
Step - 2
Step - 3 Molten metal is poured

in to the shell mold
Recap of Shell Molding:

 Shell mold casting is a metal casting process similar to sand
casting.
 Mold is a thin-walled shell created from applying a sand-
resin mixture around a pattern.
 Shell mold casting requires the use of a metal pattern,
oven, sand-resin mixture, dump box and molten metal.
 Shell mold casting allows the use of both ferrous and non-
ferrous metals.
 Examples: Cast iron, Carbon steel, Alloy steel, Stainless
steel, Aluminum alloys and Copper alloys.
Advantages:
 Better surface finish and dimensional tolerances.
 Higher throughput due to reduced cycle times.
 Less sand is used.
 This process can produce complex parts with good surface
finish 1.25µm to 3.75µm and dimensional tolerance of
0.5%.
 A fairly high capital investment is required, but high
production rates can be achieved. The process overall is
quite cost effective due to reduced machining and cleanup
costs.
Disadvantages:
 High pattern cost and resin cost.

 Uneconomical for small runs.
 Size of the casting is limited.
 Serious dust and fume problems.
 Relatively slow process.
 Used primarily for production of prototypes.

Investment Casting:
 Investment casting is one of the oldest manufacturing
processes, in which molten metal is poured into an
expendable ceramic mold.
 Investment casting is also called lost-wax process or
precision Investment Casting because the wax pattern is
melted out of the mold after it has been formed.
 The pattern is surrounded, or "invested", into ceramic slurry
that hardens into the mold.
 Metals that are hard to machine or fabricate are good
candidates for this process.
 The mold is made by making a pattern using wax or some
other material (disposable piece) that can be melted away.
 Term investment derives from the fact that the pattern is
invested with the refractory material.
Schematic Illustration of Investment Casting

1. Wax Injection:
Wax replicas of the desired castings are
produced by injection molding. These replicas
are called patterns.
Sprue
Wax
Runner & gating pattern
system
2. Assembly of Patterns :
The patterns are attached to a central wax stick
called a sprue to form a casting cluster or
assembly.

Ceramic Shell Wax Pattern
3. SHELL BUILDING :
The shell is built by immersing the assembly in
a liquid ceramic slurry and then into a bed of
extremely fine sand. Up to eight layers may be
applied in this manner.
Hollow Ceramic
Shell
4. Dewaxing :
Once the ceramic is dry,
the wax is melted out,
creating a negative Flask
Ceramic
Molten impression of the
Slurry
Wax assembly within the
shell.

Molten Metal
5. Conventional Casting:
In the conventional process, the shell is
filled with molten metal by gravity pouring.
As the metal cools, the parts and gates,
sprue and pouring cup become one solid
casting.
Hollow Ceramic
Shell
6. Knockout:
When the metal has cooled and solidified,
the ceramic shell is broken off by vibration
or water blasting.

7. Cut Off:
The parts are cut away from the central sprue using a high speed
friction saw.
8. Finished Castings:
After minor finishing operations, the metal castings - identical to the
original wax patterns - are ready for shipment to the customer.
Finished Casted Part

Advantages:
 Parts of greater complexity and intricacy can be casted
 Close dimensional control 0.075mm are achieved.
 Superior surface finish.
 Un machinable alloys can be casted.
 The lost wax can be reused.
 Additional machining is not required in normal course.
 Preferred for casting weight up to less than 5 kg.
 Maximum dimension less than 300mm, Thickness is usually

restricted to 15mm.
 High-melting point alloys.
 Al, Cu, Ni, Carbon and alloy steels, tool steels etc. are the common
materials that are casted by this method.
Disadvantages:
 Process is expensive.
 Size and weight is limited.
 Some times refractory are difficult to separate from casting.
 Requires more processing steps then other processes.

Sweep Mold Castings:

 In sweep mold, the cavity is formed as
the pattern sweeps the sand all
around the circumference, creating the
cavity in it.
 A thin wooden piece is attached to
spindle (pivoted at the centre) at one
edge while the other edge has a
contour depending on the desired
shape of the casting. Sweep Pattern
 The spindle is rotated at the centre of the mold and rotated so that the wooden
piece sweeps the sand and generate the cavity.
 Cavities in the following sands can be made ex: Green sand, loam sand, solidum
silicate sands.
There are six steps in this process:
1. Place a pattern in sand to create a mold.

2. Incorporate the pattern and sand in a gating system.
3. Remove the pattern.
4. Fill the mold cavity with molten metal.
5. Allow the metal to cool.
6. Break away the sand mold and remove the casting.

There are six steps in this process:
1. Sweep Pattern in the shape is made either
using wood or any other materials.
2. These patterns are called as scraper blade
patterns. 1 2
3. First create top mold box (cope) by

using sweep pattern so that after
creating drag box it will be placed
with out any delay.
4. Sweep 3600 to create cavity in the
3 4 mod box.

5. With Sweep pattern now create drag box

cavity by sweeping the sand out of the
box.
5
6. Place the cope box on the drag box so the
cavity is complete. Create runner, gating
system.
6 7 7. Pour the molten metal in to the cavity.
8. The finished casting is removed from the box and if

required further machining operations are carried
8
out.
Advantages:
 Large circular products
 Less pattern usage
 Easy of operation
Disadvantages:
 Only Circular parts can be casted
 Skill labour required
Applications:
 Circular Discs,
 Rims, Wheels,
 Large kettles
 Large Bell Shapes Products
CO2 Molding Process:
 Carbon dioxide CO2 molding is a
sand casting process that
employs a molding mixture of
sand and liquid silicate binder.
 The molding mixture is then

hardened by blowing carbon
dioxide gas through it.
 It reduces production time as well as fuel costs and reduces

the number of mould boxes required for making moulds with
great deal of accuracy in production.
 This method offers a great deal of advantages over other

forms of sand molding.
 In addition, one can be sure of getting dimensionally
accurate castings with fine surface finish.
 The process is basically a hardening process for moulds
and cores.
 This process is not economical when compared with
green sand casting process.

Principle of Working:
 The principle of working of the CO2 process is based on the
fact that if CO2 gas is passed through a sand mix containing
sodium silicate, the sand immediately becomes extremely
strongly bonded as the sodium silicate becomes a stiff gel.
Na2SiO3 +CO2 ————— → Na2CO3 + SiO2.xH2O (Silica Gel)
 This gel is responsible for giving the necessary strength to the
mould.
 The suitable sand mixture can then be packed around the
pattern in the flask or in the core box by machines or by hand.

 The sand used for the process must be dry & free from
clay, suitable additives such as coal powder, wood flour,
graphite may be added to improve certain properties like
collapsibility.
 When the packing is complete, CO2 is forced into the
mould at a pressure of about 1.45kgf/cm2 (142kn/m2) .
The gas is inert up to 15 to 30 seconds.
 The volume of CO2 required can be calculated if the
quantity of sodium silicate present is known.

 As a thumb rule, for every 1kg of sodium silicate, 0.50-

0.75kg of CO2 gas is required.
 Over gassing is wasteful and results in deteriorating the
sand.
 Patterns used in this process may be made of wood, metal
or plastic.
 In commercial operations, foundry men can assure
customers of affordable castings which require less
machining.

Mold preparation
with pattern
CO2Mold gas is
passed on to the
mold
Hardened Mold

Advantages:
 Compared to other casting methods cores and moulds are
strong.
 Reduces fuel cost since gas is used instead of to other costly
heating generating elements.
 Operation is speedy, moulds and cores can be immediately
after processing.
 Great dimensional accuracy can be attained than other
molding or core making process.
 Semi-skilled labour can be used.
 This process can be fully automated.

Disadvantages:
 Difficulty in reclaiming used sand.
 Bench life of sand mixtures is much shorter than for most
other mould and core mixes.
Application:
 CO2 casting process is ideal where speed and flexibility is
the prime requirement.
 Molds and cores of a varied sizes and shapes can be
molded by this process.


Sand Molding Processes: Thanuj Kumar M

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

Sand Molding Processes: Thanuj Kumar M

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Sand Molding Processes: Thanuj Kumar M

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Manufacturing Process

Green Sand Molding:

Thanuj Kumar M. 2/64 2/47

The basic steps in Green-Sand molding are as follows:

Silica Sand (85-92%), Clay (Bentonite as Binder) of 6-12%, Water 3-5%

 The pattern is placed on a flat surface with the drag box

 Less expensive Method.

 Sand can be reused many times after

 Preferred for simple, small and medium size

 Suitable for mass production.

Thanuj Kumar M. 6/64 6/47

3. Dry sand casting ensures precise size and perfect dimensions.

4. The factors affecting the casting process is the proper

can be designed with relative ease.

2. Accuracy is terms of dimensions, size, designs, is the main

3. Though an expensive process, accuracy is maintained in

4. A process is favored by large foundries.

Thanuj Kumar M. 10/64 10/47

process. Hence, not suitable for mass production.

 High capital cost of bake ovens.

 Under baked or over baked molds is another disadvantage.

Thanuj Kumar M. 11/64 11/47

 A mixture of silica sand containing 8-12% cement and 4-6%

 When the metal is poured, heat causes the water of

Thanuj Kumar M. 13/64 13/47

 The mold material in plaster molding is gypsum or plaster of paris.

Thanuj Kumar M. 14/64 14/47

 This plaster slurry is poured over a metallic pattern confined in

Thanuj Kumar M. 15/64 15/47

Thanuj Kumar M. 17/64 17/47

 Slow and uniform rate of cooling of the casting is achieved

 Metal shrinkage with accurate control is feasible and thereby

Thanuj Kumar M. 18/64 18/47

 There is evolution of steam during metal pouring if the plaster

 The permeability of the plaster mold is low. This may be to a

Thanuj Kumar M. 19/64 19/47

Thanuj Kumar M. 20/64 20/47

Heated metal pattern

Step - 2 Pattern is inverted

Thanuj Kumar M. 21/64 21/47

 Once more heated for around 420ºC for 3mins for

 This skin is removed from the pattern to form the

 The two halves of the shell mold are secured

 Once the metal solidifies, the shell is broken.

Thanuj Kumar M. 22/64 22/47

Step - 3 Molten metal is poured

Recap of Shell Molding:

 High pattern cost and resin cost.

Thanuj Kumar M. 26/64 26/47

Schematic Illustration of Investment Casting

Thanuj Kumar M. 28/64 28/47

Thanuj Kumar M. 29/64 29/47

Thanuj Kumar M. 30/64 30/47

Finished Casted Part

Thanuj Kumar M. 31/64 31/47

 Additional machining is not required in normal course.

 Preferred for casting weight up to less than 5 kg.