Principles of Gating System

• The term gating

system refers to all
passageways
through which the
molten metal
passes to enter the
mold cavity.
• The gating system
is composed of
– Pouring cups
and basins
– Sprue
– Runner
– Gates
– Risers. Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 2
 Principles of Gating System
• Since the way in which liquid
metal enters the mold has a
decided influence upon the quality
and soundness of a casting, the
different passages for the molten
metal are carefully designed and
produced.
• A gating system should avoid
sudden or right angle changes in
direction.
• Sudden change in direction causes
mold erosion, turbulence and gas
pick-up.
• If possible the gating system
should form a part of theProf.
pattern
J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 3
 Requirements, Purposes or Functions of The Gating
System
A Gating system should,
– fill the mold cavity completely before freezing;
– introduce the liquid metal into the mold cavity with low velocity
and little turbulence, so that mold erosion, metal oxidation and
gas pickup is prevented;
– incorporate traps for the separation of non metallic inclusions
which are either introduced with the molten metal or are
dislodged in the gating system;
– regulate the rate at which liquid metal enters into the mold;
– be practicable and economical to make and;
– consume least metal. In other words, the metal solidified in
sprue, runner, gates and risers should be minimum because
gates, risers etc., are removed from the final casting; the gating
system should provideProf.
for the maximum yield.
J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 4
Characteristics
Gates
• A gate is a channel which connects runner with the mold cavity and
through which molten metal flows to fill the mold cavity.
• A gate should feed liquid metal to the casting at a rate consistent
with the rate of solidification.
• The size of the gate depends upon the rate of solidification.
• A small gate is used for a casting which solidifies slowly and vice-
versa.
• More than one gates may be used to feed a fast freezing casting.
• A gate should not have sharp edges as they (i.e., edges) may break
during pouring and (sand pieces) thus be carried with the molten
metal into the mold cavity..
• Moreover, sharp edges may cause localized delay in freezing, thus
resulting in the formation of voids and inclusions in the cast objects.
• A gate may be built as a part of the pattern or it may be cut in the
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 5
mold with the help of a gate cutter.
 Types of Gates
• The major types of gates are,
1. Top Gate
2. Bottom gate
3. Parting line side gate
1. Top gate
• A top gate is sometimes also called
as Drop gate because the molten
metal just drops on the sand in the
bottom of the mold
• In top gate, a stream of liquid metal
impinges against the bottom of
mold cavity until a pool is formed
and this is kept in a state of
agitation until the mold is filled.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 6
Advantages of Top Gating
• Simplicity for moulding.
• Low consumption of additional metal.
• Generation of favourable temperature gradients to enable
directional solidification from the casting towards the gate which
serves as riser too.
Disadvantages of Top Gating
• The dropping liquid metal stream erodes the mold surface.
• Dropping metal does cutting action, lifts portions of the surface
and causes scab (Skin).
• Splashing of molten metal associated with the liquid metal stream
increase chances of oxidation.
• There is lot of turbulence and pick-up of air and other gases.

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 7

2. Bottom Gate
• A bottom gate is made in
the drag portion of the
mold.
• In a bottom gate, liquid
metal fills rapidly the
bottom portion of the
mold cavity and rises
Simple bottom gate
steadily and gently up the
mold walls.
• Types of bottom gate are
– Simple bottom gate
– A horn gate

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva A horn gate 8

Advantages of Bottom Gating
• There is no scouring(Rubbing) and splashing in the bottom gate.
• As compared to top gate, a bottom gate involves little turbulence
and metal erosion.
• Bottom gate produces good casting surfaces.
Disadvantages of Bottom Gating
• In bottom gates, liquid metal enters the mold cavity at the bottom.
If freezing takes place at the bottom, it could choke off the metal
flow before the mold is full.
• A bottom gate creates an unfavorable temperature gradient and
makes it difficult to achieve directional solidification especially
when the bottom gate has a riser at the top of the casting.
• A bottom gate involves greater complexity of molding.
• The liquid metal cools as it rises the mold walls and results in cold
metal and cold mold near the (top) riser and hot metal and hot
mold near the gate. Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 9
3. Parting line side gate
• In parting line gates, the liquid metal enters the mold cavity from
the side of the mold (cavity) at the parting line separating cope and
drag at or the level of mold joint.
• Parting line gate can be made by the pattern itself or it can be cut
afterwards.
• As regards fluid flow, parting line gates stand in between top and
bottom gates.
• A parting line gate has sprue formed in the (sand of the) cope.
Where in figure
A. Pouring cup
B. Pouring basin
C. Spure or Down gate
D. Skin bob
E. Ingate
F. Choke
G. Mold cavity
H. Riser Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 10
• A recess is generally provided at the base of the sprue to avoid the
cutting of sand at this place.
Advantages of Parting Line Gating
• Parting line gates are simple to construct.
• Parting line gates are very fast to make.
• Parting line gates produce very satisfactory results when drag is not very
deep.
• Parting line gating makes best compromise between molding convenience
and the ideal gating arrangement.
Disadvantages of Parting Line Gating
• In case the parting line is not near the bottom of the mold cavity or the
drag portion is deep, some turbulence will occur as the liquid metal falls
into the mold cavity.
• Cascading (Spilling) of molten metal from a height in the mold cavity will
cause erosion or washing of the mold.
• Cascading in non-ferrous metals will promote air pickup by the liquid
metal and thus result in an inferior casting.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 11
 Principles of Risering
Definition
• A riser or a feeder head
is a passage of sand
made in the cope
(mold) during ramming
the cope.
• The molten metal rises
in the feeder head after
the mold cavity is filled
up.
• This metal in the feeder
head (or riser)
compensates the
shrinkage as the casting
solidifies.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 12
 Functions of Riser
• Metals and their alloys shrink as they cool and solidify. It creates a
partial vacuum within the casting. Partial vacuum leads to a
shrinkage void. This shrinkage void will grow and form shrinkage
cavity if extra liquid metal from outside the mold (cavity) is not
supplied.
• The primary function of the riser (attached with the mold) is to
feed metal to the solidifying casting so that shrinkage cavities are
get rid of.
• A riser permits the escape of air and mold gases as the mold cavity
is being filled with the molten metal.
• A riser full of molten metal indicates that the mold cavity has
already been completely filled up with the same.
• A casting solidifying under the liquid metal pressure of the riser is
comparatively sound.
• Risers promote directional solidification.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 13
 Risers
Types of Risers
1. Open Riser
2. Blind Riser

1. Open Riser
• The top of the open riser is open Open Riser

i.e., exposed to atmosphere.

• The liquid metal in the riser is fed to the solidifying casting under
force of gravity and atmospheric pressure till the top surface of the
riser solidifies and thereafter gravity is only the feeding force.
• An open riser is connected either at the top of cope, or on the
side at the parting line.
• An open riser is generallyProf.
cylindrical.
J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 14
 Risers
Advantages of Open Riser

• An open riser is easy to mold as compared to a blind riser.

• An open riser is open to atmosphere, thus it ensures that unlike a

blind riser it will not draw metal from the casting as a result of
partial vacuum in the riser.

Limitations of Open Riser

• Open riser is not placed in the drag.

• Open riser is generally larger than a comparable blind riser.

• An open riser is more difficult to remove from the casting as

compared to blind riser.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 15
 Risers
2. Blind Riser
• A blind riser is closed at its top; however, a vent or permeable core
at the top of the riser may be provided to have some exposure to
the atmosphere otherwise the vacuum created between the top of
the riser and the liquid metal level in the riser may not permit
proper feeding of liquid metal from riser to the casting. Gravity is
the only feeding force.
• A blind riser is connected, either at
the top of cope, or on the side of the
casting at the parting line or in the
drag.
• A blind riser is a rounded cavity and it
represents the minimum practical
ratio of surface area to volume and
thus associates a slow cooling rate
and is more efficient. Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva
Blind Riser
16
 Risers
Advantages of Blind Riser

• Blind risers can be placed at any position in the mold.

• A blind riser is smaller than a comparable open riser.

• A blind riser can be removed more easily from a casting.

• Blind risering promotes directional solidification better than the

open risering.

Limitations of Blind Riser

• It is difficult to mold a blind riser.
• A blind riser may draw liquid metal from the solidifying casting.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 17
 Fettling & Cleaning of Castings
• Fettling is the name given to cover all those operations which help
giving the casting a good appearance after the same has been
shaken out of the sand mold.

• Fettling includes

1. Removal of cores from the casting.

2. Removal of adhering sand and oxide scale from the casting

surface (surface cleaning).

3. Removal of gates, risers, runners etc. from the casting.

4. Removal of fins, and other unwanted projections from the

castings.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 18
.
 Fettling & Cleaning of Castings
1. Removal of Cores
• It may be difficult to remove dry sand and hardened cores in the
absence of suitable equipment.

• Hammering or vibrations imparted to cores does loosen and break

them up.

• Sand portions sticking inside the castings are removed by poking

action using a metal rod.

• Cores from larger castings may be removed effectively by

pneumatic rapping and hydro blasting.
.

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 19

 Fettling & Cleaning of Castings
2. Cleaning of Casting Surfaces
• The outside and inside surfaces of castings are cleaned of adhering
refractory (sand) particles and oxide scale and they (i.e., surfaces)
look smooth and pleasing.
• The extent of surface cleaning required depends upon the metal/
alloy of the casting and size of the casting.
• Steel castings (because of their high melting and pouring
temperatures and consequent burning of the sand in contact with
the molten metal) require considerable more cleaning than those of
iron and brass.
• Aluminium castings are virtually free from burned-on sand.
• Since heavy castings suffer more than light castings from the
burning-on of sand, their cleaning is more difficult.
• Sand may be removed from the surfaces of castings using hand
methods or mechanical equipment
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 20
 Fettling & Cleaning of Castings
3. Removal of gates and risers
• Numerous methods are available for removing feeding and gating
systems.
• The choice of a particular method depends upon the type of
metal/alloy,
— size of the casting,
— size of runners, gates and risers.
• A few commonly used methods are given below:
1. Chipping hammers 5. Abrasive wheel slitting
2. Flogging (knocking off). 6. Machining.
3. Shearing. 7. Flame cutting.
4. Sawing
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 21
 Fettling & Cleaning of Castings
4. Removal of Fins And Other Unwanted Projections From Castings
• Castings are trimmed to remove fins, chaplets, wires, parting line
and the stumps of feeder heads and ingates. All these unwanted
projections are dressed flush with the surface.
• The methods employed to remove unwanted projections from the
castings are
– Chipping
– Sawing
– Flame cutting
– Flame gouging and flame scarfing.
– Grinding
– Abrasive belt machining
– Rotary tools cutting
– Trimming and sizing.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE, Kherva 22