Metal Casting

Manufacturing Processes Lab

 Casting
• A manufacturing process that involves
pouring molten material into a mold
and then allowing it to cool and
solidify.
• Mold contains a hollow cavity of the
desired part shape and can be either
permanent or temporary.
• After solidification, the part is ejected
or broken out of the mold. The
solidified part is also called “cast.”
 Sand Casting
• Sand casting is a metal casting process that uses various types of
sand as the mold material. Over 70% of all metal casting are
produced via sand casting.
• The sand mold is enclosed in a box frame called flask and is held
together by a bonding agent.
Sand Mold Making
• The mold flask is designed and separated into two halves to
help in the process of mold making.
• The molding board holds the drag, which is nothing but the
bottom half of the mold. Since the molds are poured with
greater force, the cores must be of higher strength.
• Placed on top of the core is the cope, which is otherwise called
as the top of the mold. There is a parting line, which separates
the two halves of the molding.
• The gating system presented in mold designs is used for
smoother even application of the molten metal.
• The metal is poured in sprue and gates which causes it to pass
over the running system. This running system then carries the
molten metal to the next process called as casting cavity.
• The risers take up several functionality in the process of mold
making, such as; releasing gases through vents, helping in the
process of solidification before casting of cavity by usage of
reservoirs,
 Casting Allowances
• Since dimensional changes occur when
a material solidifies, appropriate
allowance is introduced into the pattern.
• To compensate for shrinkage of casting,
the pattern is over sized based on a set of
so called “shrink rules”.
• For example aluminum has a solidification
shrinkage of ~6.6 % and low carbon steel has
a shrinkage of ~2.5-3.0 %.
• A part from shrinkage allowance, a draft
is introduced into the pattern as well.
The draft is a slight taper in the pattern
that allows for easy retrieval of the
pattern from the mold.
 Common Defects in Castings

(a/b) Sand blow/ Pinholes is a defect consisting of a balloon-shaped/pinholes gas cavity caused by release of mold gases during pouring. It occurs at or
below the cast surface near the top of the cast. Low permeability, poor venting, and high moisture content of the sand mold are the usual causes.
(c) Sand wash which is an irregularity in the surface of the cast that results from erosion of the sand mold during pouring, and the contour of the
erosion is formed in the surface of the final cast part.
(d) Scabs are rough areas on the surface of the cast due to the movement of sand and metal it is caused by portions of the mold surface flaking off
during solidification and becoming imbedded in the cast surface.
(e) Penetration refers to a surface defect that occurs when the fluidity of the liquid metal is high, and it penetrates into the sand mold or sand core.
Upon freezing, the cast surface consists of a mixture of sand grains and metal harder packing of the sand mold helps to alleviate this condition.
(f/g) Mold shift refers to a defect caused by a sidewise displacement of the mold cope relative to the drag, the result of which is a step in the cast
product at the parting line. Core shift is similar to mold shift, but it is the core that is displaced, and the displacement is usually vertical. Core shift and
mold shift are caused by buoyancy of the molten metal.
(h) Mold crack occurs when mold strength is insufficient, and a crack develops, into which liquid metal can seep to form a ‘‘fin’’ on the final cast.