Introduction to Pattern Making

• A pattern is a mold forming tool in the hands of foundry men.

• A pattern is a model or the replica of the object to be cast.

• Except for the various allowances a pattern exactly resembles the

casting to be made.

• A pattern is required even if one object has to be cast.

• A pattern may be defined as a model or form around which sand is

packed to give rise to a cavity known as mold cavity in which when,
molten metal is poured, the result is the CAST OBJECT.

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 2

 Difference between Pattern & Casting
• The main difference between a pattern and the casting is their
dimensions.
• A pattern is slightly larger in size as compared to the casting, because a
pattern,
– carries Shrinkage allowance, it may be of the order of 1 to 2 mm/ 100
mm.
– is given a Machining allowance to clean and finish the required
surfaces.
– carries a Draft allowance of the order of 1 and 3 degrees for external
and internal surfaces respectively
– carries core prints.
• A pattern may not have all holes and slots which a casting will have. Such
holes and slots unnecessarily complicate a pattern and therefore can be
drilled in the casting after it has been made.
• A pattern may be in two or three pieces whereas a casting is in one piece.
• A pattern and the casting also differ as regards the material out of which
they are made. Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 3
 Functions of a Patterns
• A pattern prepares a mold cavity for the purpose of making a
casting.
• A pattern may contain projections known as core prints if the
casting requires a core and need to be made hollow.
• Runner, gates and risers (used for introducing and feeding molten
metal to the mold cavity) may form a part of the pattern.
• A pattern may help in establishing locating points on the mold and
therefore on the casting with a purpose to check the casting
dimensions.
• Patterns establish the parting line and parting surfaces in the mold.
• A pattern may help position a core (in case a part of mold cavity is
made with cores), before the molding sand is rammed.
• Patterns that are properly made and having finished and smooth
surfaces, reduce casting defects.
• Properly constructed patterns minimize overall cost of the castings.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 4
 Pattern Materials
Selection of pattern materials
The following factors assist in selecting proper pattern material:
• The number of castings to be produced. Metal patterns are
preferred when the production quantity is large.
• The desired dimensional accuracy and surface finish required
for the castings.
• Nature of molding process i.e., sand casting, permanent mold
casting, shell molding, investment casting etc.
• Method of molding i.e., hand or machine molding.
• Shape, complexity and size of the casting.
• Type of molding materials i.e., sand etc.
• The high probability of changing the casting and hence the
pattern in near future.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 5
 Materials for Making Patterns
• Patterns may be constructed out of the following
materials.

1) Wood

2) Metal

3) Plastic

4) Plaster (POP)

5) Wax

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 6

 Wood
The most common materials for making patterns for sand casting
is the wood.
Advantages
• Inexpensive.
• Easily available in large quantities.
• Easy to machine and to shape to different configurations and
forms
• Easy to join to acquire complex and large pattern shapes
• Light in weight
• Easy to obtain good surface finish
• Wooden patterns can be preserved for quite long times with
the help of suitable wood preservatives.

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 7

 Wood
Limitations
• Wooden patterns are susceptible to shrinkage and swelling.

• They possess poor wear resistance.

• They are abraded easily by sand action.

• They absorb moisture, consequently get deformed and

change shape and size.

• They cannot withstand rough handling.

• They are weak as compared to metal patterns.

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 8

 Metal
• Metal patterns are employed where large number of castings have
to be produced from the same patterns.

• Metal patterns are cast from wooden patterns.

• The different metals and alloys used for making patterns are,

– Aluminium & Aluminium alloys

– Steel

– Cast Iron

– Brass

– White Metal
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 9
Advantages of Metal Patterns
• Unlike wooden patterns, they do not absorb moisture. They
retain their shape.
• They are more stronger and accurate as compared to wooden
patterns.
• They possess life much longer than wooden patterns.
• They can withstand rough handling.
• They do not distort
• They possess greater resistance to abrasion. They have accurate
dimensional tolerances. They are far stable under different
environments.
• It is easy to obtain smooth surface finish.
• They possess excellent wear resistance and strength to weight
ratio.

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 10

Limitations of Metal Patterns
• Expensive as compared to wood patterns.

• Are not easily repaired e.g. (Aluminium patterns).

• Ferrous patterns get rusted.

• They (ferrous patterns) are heavier than wooden patterns,

• They cannot be machined so easily as wooden ones.

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 11

 Plastic
Advantages
• Durable
• Provides a smooth surface.
• Moisture resistant.
• A plastic pattern does not involve any appreciable change in its size or
shape.
• Lightweight.
• Wear and corrosion resistant.
• Provides good surface finish.
• It possesses low solid shrinkage.
Limitations
• Plastic patterns are fragile and thus light sections may need metal
reinforcements.
• Plastic patterns may not work well when subject to conditions of
severe shock as in machine moulding.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 12
 Plaster
Advantages
• can be easily worked by using wood working tools.
• Intricate shapes can be cast without any difficulty.
• It has high compressive strength (up to 285 kg/cm2)
Disadvantages
• Can be used for small castings only
Plaster Patterns Material:
• Plaster patterns may be made out of Plaster of Paris or Gypsum
cement.
Applications: Plaster is used for making
1) Small and intricate patterns
2) Core boxes.

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 13

 Wax
• Advantages
• Wax patterns provide very good surface finish

• They impart high accuracy to the castings.

• After being molded, the wax pattern is not taken out of

the mold like other patterns; rather the mold is inverted and
heated; the molten wax comes out and/or is evaporated.
Thus there is no chance of the mold cavity getting damaged
while removing the pattern.
• Applications
• Wax patterns find applications in Investment casting
process. Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 14
 Pattern Allowances
• A pattern is always larger in size as compared to the final
casting, because it carries certain allowances.

• The various pattern allowances are below:

a) Shrinkage or Contraction allowance.

b) Machining or Finish allowance.

c) Draft or Taper allowance.

d) Distortion or Camber allowance.

e) Shake or Rapping allowance.

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 15
 Shrinkage Allowance
• Almost all cast metals shrink or contract volumetrically after
solidification and therefore to obtain a particular sized casting, the
pattern is made oversize by an amount equal to that of shrinkage
or contraction.
• Different metals shrink at different rates because shrinkage is the
property of the cast metal or alloy.
• The metal shrinkage depends upon
• The cast metal or alloy.
• Pouring temperature of the metal or alloy.
• Casting dimensions (size).
• Casting design aspects.
• Molding conditions (i.e., mold materials and molding
methods employed).

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 16

 Shrinkage Allowance
• Cast iron poured at higher temperatures will shrink more than
that poured at lower temperature.

• Wood patterns used to make metallic patterns are given double

allowance; one for the shrinkage of the metal of the pattern and
the other for that of metal to be cast.

Before Solidification After Solidification

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 17
 Machining Allowance
• A casting is given an allowance for machining, because
– Castings get oxidized in the mold and during heat treatment;
scales etc., thus formed need to be removed.
– It is intended to remove surface roughness and other
imperfections from the castings.
– It is required to achieve exact casting dimensions.
 How much extra metal or how much Machining allowance should
be provided, depends upon:
• Nature of metal i.e., ferrous or non-ferrous. Ferrous
metals get scaled whereas non-ferrous ones do not.
• Size and shape of the casting. Longer castings tend to
warp and need more material (i.e., allowance) to be
added to ensure that after machining the casting will be
alright. Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 18
 Machining Allowance
• The type of machining operation (i.e., grinding, turning,
milling, boring etc.) to be employed for cleaning the' castings.
Grinding removes much lesser metal as compared to turning.
• Casting conditions i.e., whether casting conditions result in a
rough casting or a semi-finished one. Casting conditions include the
characteristics of mold-materials etc.
• Molding process employed. Die casting produces parts which
need little machining (allowance) whereas sand-casting, require
more machining allowance.
• Number of cuts to be taken. Machining allowance is directly
proportional to the number of cuts required for finishing the
casting.
• The degree of surface finish desired on the cast part.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 19
 Draft or Taper Allowance
• It is given to all surfaces perpendicular to the parting line.

• Draft allowance is given so that the pattern can be easily removed

from the molding material tightly packed around it without
damaging the mold cavity.

Pattern having No Draft on vertical edges Pattern having Draft on vertical edges
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 20
 Draft or Taper Allowance
• The amount of Taper depends upon
– Shape and size (length) of the pattern in the depth direction in
contact with the mold cavity.
– Molding method.
– Mold materials.
• Draft allowance is imparted on internal as well as external
surfaces; of course it is more on internal surfaces.

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 21

• Fig. shows two patterns — one with taper allowance and the other
without it. It can be visualized that it is easy to draw the pattern
having taper allowance, out of the mold without damaging mold
walls or edges.
• Taper on external surfaces = 10 to 25 mm/metre
• Taper on internal surfaces = 40 to 65 mm/metre

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 22

 Distortion Allowance
A Casting will distort or warp if:
• It is of irregular shape,
• All its parts do not shrink uniformly i.e., some parts shrink
while others are restricted from doing so,
• It is U or V-shaped,
• It has long, rangy arms as those of the propeller strut for the
ship,
• It is a long flat casting,
• The arms possess unequal thickness,
• One portion of the casting cools at a faster rate as compared
to the other, etc.

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 23

 Distortion Allowance
• Distortion can be practically eliminated by providing an allowance
and constructing the pattern initially distorted i.e., outsize in the
opposite direction so that the casting after cooling neutralizes the
initial distortion given on the pattern and acquires the correct shape.
• The amount of distortion allowance may vary from 2 to 20 mm
depending upon the size, shape and material of the casting.

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 24

 Shake Allowance
• A pattern is shaken by striking the same with a wooden piece
from side to side. This is done so that the pattern is loosened a
little in the mold cavity and can be easily removed.

• In turn, therefore, shaking enlarges the mold cavity which results

in a bigger sized casting.

• Shake allowance is normally provided only to large castings

because it is negligible in case of small castings and is thus
ignored.

• The magnitude of shake allowance can be reduced by increasing

the taper.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 25
TYPES OF PATTERNS

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 26

• For selecting a particular kind of pattern for making a
casting, one may consider the following points:
• Quantity of castings to be produced.

• The size and the complexity of the shape of the casting to be

produced.

• Type of molding method to be used (i.e., hand or machine

molding).

• Problems associated with the molding operation such as

withdrawing the pattern from the mold etc.

• Other difficulties resulting from poor casting design or pattern

design. Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 27
• The different types of patterns commonly
used are:
1) One piece(Solid) pattern
2) Split pattern
3) Loose piece pattern
4) Match plate pattern
5) Cope and Drag pattern
6) Sweep pattern
7) Gated pattern
8) Skeleton pattern
9) Follow board pattern
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 28
One Piece (solid) Pattern

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 29

 One Piece (solid) Pattern
• It is the simplest type of pattern.

• As the name suggests the pattern is made

from one piece and does not contain
loose pieces or joints.

• It is inexpensive.

• It is used for making a few large size simple castings

• One piece pattern is usually made up of wood or metal depending

upon the quantity of castings to be produced.

• For making the mold, one piece pattern is accommodated either in

the cope or in the drag. Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 30
Split Pattern

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 31

 Split Pattern
• Patterns of intricate (shaped) castings cannot be made in one piece
because of the inherent difficulties associated with the molding
operations (e.g. withdrawing the pattern from the mold etc.) , such
patterns are, then, made as split or two piece patterns.
• The upper and the lower parts of the split pattern are
accommodated in the cope and drag portions of the mold
respectively.
• Dowel pins are used for keeping the alignment between the two
parts of the pattern.
• The parting (surface or) line of the pattern forms the parting
(surface or) line of the mold.
• Patterns for still more intricate castings are made in more than two
pieces for facilitating their molding and withdrawing.
• A pattern having three pieces will require a three piece flask for the
molding purposes Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 32
Loose Piece Pattern

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 33

 Loose Piece Pattern
• Certain patterns cannot be withdrawn once they are embedded in
the molding sand. Such patterns are usually made with one or more
loose pieces.

• Pieces for facilitating their removal from the molding box and are
known as loose piece patterns.
• Loose parts or pieces remain attached with the main body of the
pattern, with the help of dowel pins.
• The main body of the pattern is drawn first from the molding box
and thereafter the loose parts are removed, the result is the mold
cavity.
• Loose piece patterns involve more labour and consume more time
in the molding operation.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 34
Match Plate Pattern

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 35

 Match Plate Pattern
• A match plate pattern consists of a match plate, on either side of
which each half of (a number of) split patterns is fastened.

• A number of different sized and shaped patterns may be mounted

on one match plate.

• The match plate with the help of locator holes can be clamped
with the drag.

• The match plate has runner and gates also attached with it.

• After the cope and drag have been rammed with the molding sand,
the match plate pattern is removed from in between the two (i.e.,
cope and drag.)
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 36
 Match Plate Pattern
• Cope and drag are then assembled and this completes the mold.

• Patterns, match plate, runner and gates — all may be made up of

aluminium, because it is light and relatively inexpensive.

• Match plate patterns are normally used in machine molding.

• Match plate patterns are preferred for producing small castings on

mass scale.

• They produce accurate castings and at faster rates.

• Piston rings of I.C. engines are produced with the help of match
plate patterns.

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 37

Sweep Pattern

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 38

 Sweep Pattern
• A sweep pattern is just a form made on a wooden board which
sweeps the shape of the casting into the sand all around the
circumference. The sweep pattern rotates about the post.
• Once the mold is ready, sweep pattern and the post can be
removed
• Sweep pattern avoids the necessity of making a full, large circular
and costly three dimensional pattern.
• Making sweep pattern saves a lot of time and labour as compared
to making a full pattern.
• A sweep preferred for producing large castings of circular sections
and symmetrical shapes.
• The manufacture of large kettles of cast iron requires a sweep
pattern.

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 39

Gated Pattern

castings

Gating system

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 40

 Gated Pattern
• Gated patterns are usually made of metal which increases their
strength and reduces the tendency to warp.

• The sections connecting different patterns serve as runner and

gates. This facilitates filling of the mold with molten metal in a
better manner at the same time eliminates the time and labour
otherwise consumed in cutting runners and gates.

• A gated pattern can manufacture many castings at one time and

thus it is used in mass production systems.

• Gated patterns are employed for producing small castings.

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 41

Skeleton Patten

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 42

 Skeleton Patten
• A skeleton pattern is the skeleton of a desired shape. The skeleton
frame is mounted on a metal base.
• The skeleton is made from wooden strips and is thus a wooden
framework.
• The skeleton pattern is filled with sand and is rammed.
• A strickle (board) assists in giving the desired shape to the sand
and removes extra sand.
• If the object is symmetrical like a pipe, the two halves (of the pipe)
can be molded by using the same pattern and then the two molds
can be assembled before pouring the molten metal.
• Skeleton patterns are employed for producing a few large castings.
• A skeleton pattern is very economical as compared to a solid
pattern, because it involves less material costs.
• Castings for turbine castings, water pipes, channels, etc., are
made with the help of skeleton patterns.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 43
Follow Board Pattern

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 44

 Follow Board Pattern
• A follow board is a wooden board and is used for supporting a
pattern which is very thin and fragile and which may collapse under
the pressure when the sand above the pattern is being rammed.

• With the follow board support under the weak pattern, the drag is
rammed, and then the follow board is withdrawn.

• The rammed drag is inverted, cope is mounted on it and rammed.

During this operation pattern remains over the inverted drag and
gets support from the rammed sand of the drag under it.

• Ultimately, the pattern is removed and the cope and drag are
assembled.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 45