LABORATORY EXERCISE I

MOLD MAKING

Objective

1. To prepare a pattern for given object for lost form casting.

2. To prepare a molasses sand mold from the prepared pattern.

Introduction to Casting Processes

Objective

To study and observe various stages of casting through demonstration of Sand Casting Process.

Background

Casting is one of oldest and one of the most popular processes of converting materials into final

useful shapes. Casting process is primarily used for shaping metallic materials; although it can be

adopted for shaping other materials such as ceramic, polymeric and glassy materials. In casting,

a solid is melted, treated to proper temperature and then poured into a cavity called mold, which

contains it in proper shape during solidification. Simple or complex shapes can be made from

any metal that can be melted. The resulting product can have virtually any configuration the

designer desires. Casting product range in size from a fraction of centimeter and fraction of

kilogram to over 10 meters and many tons. Moreover casting has marked advantages in

production of complex shapes, of parts having hollow sections or internal cavities, of parts that

contain irregular curved surfaces and of parts made from metals which are difficult to machine.

Several casting processes have been developed to suit economic production of cast products with

desired mechanical properties, dimensional accuracy, surface finish etc. The various processes

differ primarily in mold material (whether sand, metal or other material) and pouring method

(gravity, pressure or vacuum). All the processes share the requirement that the material solidify
in a manner that would avoid potential defects such as shrinkage voids, gas porosity and trapped

inclusions. Any casting process involves three basic steps, i.e. mold making, melting and pouring

of metals into the mold cavity, and removal and finishing of casting after complete solidification.

SAND CASTING PROCESSES

Sand is one of the cheaper, fairly refractory materials and hence commonly used for making

mold cavities. Sand basically, contains grains of silica (SiO2) and some impurities. For mold

making purposes sand is mixed with a binder material such as clay, molasses, oil, resin etc.

Green Sand Molding

In green sand molding process, clay (a silicate material) along with water (to activate clay) is

used as binder. The mold making essentially consists of preparing a cavity having the same

shape as the part to be cast. There are many ways to obtain such a cavity or mold, and in this

demonstration you will learn to make it using a wooden ‘pattern’, metal ‘flasks’ and ‘green-sand’

as mold material. A pattern is a reusable form having approximately the same shape and size as

the part to be cast. A pattern can be made out of wood, metal or plastic; wood being the most

common material. Green sand refers to an intimate mixture of sand (usually river sand),

bentonite clay (3-7 percent by weight of sand, to provide bonding or adhesion between sand

grains), and water (3-6 percent by weight of sand, necessary to activate the bonding action of the

clay). Mixing the above ingredients in a sand-muller best provides the intimate mixing action. In

practice, a major part of this sand mixture consists of ‘return sand’, i.e. the reusable portion of

the sand left after the solidified metal casting has been removed from the mold. Molding flasks

are rectangular frames with open ends, which serve as containers in which the mold is prepared.

Normally a pair of flasks is used; the upper flask is referred to as ‘Cope’ and the lower one as
‘drag’. A riddle is a relatively coarse sieve. Riddling the green sand helps in breaking the lump

and aerates the sand.

Sometimes the casting itself must have a hole or cavity in or on it. In that case the liquid metal

must be prevented from filling certain portions of the mold. A ‘core’ is used to block-off portions

of the mold from being filled by the liquid metal. A core is normally made using sand with a

suitable binder like molasses. Core is prepared by filling the core-box with core sand to get the

desired shape and the baking this sand core in an oven at suitable temperature.

During mold making a suitable ‘gating system’ and a riser’ is also provided. The gating system is

the network of channels used to deliver the molten metal from outside the mold into the mold

cavity. The various components of the gating system are pouring cup, sprue, runners and gates.

Riser or feeder head is a small cavity attached to the casting cavity and the liquid metal of the

riser serves to compensate the shrinkage in the casting during solidification.

Fig. 1.1 shows the various parts of a typical sand mold. Several hand tools, such as

rammer, trowel, sprue pin, draw spike, slick, vent wire, gate cutter, strike off bar etc. are used as

aids in making a mold.

Fig: 1.1: Cross Section of a typical two-part sand mold, indicating various mold comoponents

and terminology.

The various steps involved in making mold from green sand (see Fig. 1.2) would be shown

during the demonstration.

Fig 1.2: Schematic illustration of the sequence of operations for sand casting

Source: Steel founders society of America.

Melting and Pouring of Metals

The next important step in the making of casting is the melting of metal. A melting process must

be capable of providing molten metal not only at the proper temperature but also in the desired

quantity, with an acceptable quality, and within a reasonable cost.

In order to transfer the metal from the furnace into the molds, some type of pouring device, or

ladle, must be used. The primary considerations are to maintain the metal at the proper

temperature for pouring and to ensure that only quality metal will get into the molds.

The operations involved in melting of metal in oil fired furnace/induction furnace and pouring of

liquid metal into the mold cavity will be shown during the demonstration.

Removal and Finishing of Castings

After complete solidification, the castings are removed from the mold. Most castings require

some cleaning and finishing operations, such as removal of cores, removal of gates and risers,

removal of fins and flash, cleaning of surfaces, etc.

 LABORATORY EXERCISE II

SAND CASTING USING TWO PIECE SPLIT MOLD

Objective.

1. To melt and pour iron metal into the mold.

Equipment and Materials

Pattern, core box, molding flasks, molding tools, sand muller, riddle, sand, molasses, bentonite,

core baking oven, thermocole, melting furnace, fluxes, pouring ladle, pyrometer, hacksaw, file.

Procedure Core making

(i) Prepare the core sand

(ii) Assemble (clamp) the core-box after applying some parting sand

(iii) Fill the core box cavity with core sand and ram it

(iv) Make vent holes or insert reinforcing wire as desired

(v) Tap the mold box on all sides to loosen the core from the box, unclamp the core box

and carefully transfer the core on to a baking plate or stand.

(vi) Keep the core in the baking oven and bake it for desired length of the time at a

predetermined temperature. After baking take the core out of the oven and allow it to

cool at room temperature.

Mold Making

(i) Place the drag part of the pattern with parting surface down on ground or molding

board at the center of the drag (flask).

(ii) Riddle molding sand to a depth of about 2 cm in the drag and pack this sand carefully

around the pattern with fingers.

(iii) Heap more molding sand in the drag and ram with rammer carefully.

(iv) Strike off the excess sand using strike bar.

(v) Make vent holes to within 1 cm of the pattern surface in the drag.

(vi) Turn this complete drag and place the cope portion (flask) over it.

(vii) Place the cope half of the pattern over the drag pattern matching the guide pins and

apply parting sand over the parting surface. Also place the sprue pin and riser pin in

proper positions.

(viii) Complete the cope half by repeating steps (ii) to (v).

(ix) Remove the sprue and riser pins and make a pouring basin. Separate the cope and

drag

halves, and place them with their parting faces up.

(x) Moisten sand at the copes of the pattern and remove pattern halves carefully using

draw

spikes.

(xi) Cut gate and runner in the drag. Repair and clean the cavities in the two mold halves.

(xii) Place the core in position, assembled the two mold halves assemble and clamp them

together.

Melting and Pouring

(i) Melt the metal in the furnace. Use appropriate fluxes at proper stages and measure

metal

temperature from time to time.

(ii) Pour the molten metal into the pouring ladle at a higher temperature (say 100 OC

higher)

than the pouring temperature. As soon as the desired pouring temperature is reached,

pour the liquid metal into the mold in a steady stream with ladle close to the pouring

basin of the mold. Do not allow any dross or slag to go in.

(iii) Allow sufficient time for the metal to solidify in the mold. Break the mold carefully

and remove the casting.

(iv) Cut-off the riser and gating system from the casting and clean it for any sand etc.

(v) Inspect the casting visually and record any surface and dimensional defects observed.

Report The Following

1. Sketches of the product made, pattern and core.

2. Composition of molding sand and core sand used.

3. Melting and pouring temperature of the used metal.

4. List the allowances that are generally provided on a pattern.

5. Type, amount and manner of addition of fluxes, if any used.

6. Defects produced in your casting.

 LABORATORY EXERCISE III

Vacuum arc melting cum Suction casting machine

Objective.

1. Preparation of as-cast and suction-cast Cu-Sn alloy samples through demonstration of Vacuum

arc melting cum Suction casting technique.

Equipment and Materials

20.8 at% Sn, 79.2 at% Cu, Vacuum Arc Melting Unit, button shaped copper Mould, 6 mm dia

copper mould, Argon gas cylinder.

Introduction

Arc Melting is used for melting metals– typically to form alloys. Heating is via an electric arc

struck between a tungsten electrode and metals placed in a depression (crucible) in the copper

hearth. In vacuum arc melting the chamber is evacuated and then back filled with argon gas.

Hence, melting is performed in argon atmosphere.

Basic Principle: A standard Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding unit is used as a power source.

Heat generated by the electric arc struck between the electrode and the metals serves to melt the

metals placed in the crucible to form an alloy. Repeated melting is performed to improve the

homogeneity of the alloy. Evacuation of the chamber avoids oxidation of the melt (Ar being an

inert gas does not react with molten metal).

Salient Features
a. The metals can be heated to a temperature in excess of 3000ºC.

b. A batch of nine alloys can be made in a single evacuation, as there are nine crucibles in

the copper hearth.

c. There are three main parts to the system: power source (TIG– 600Amp), chiller and

vacuum unit.

d. The vacuum unit with rotary and diffusion pumps can attain a vacuum of 106 m bar.

e. The cold circulation water from the chiller cools both the copper hearth and the

electrodes.

f. Apart from the above-mentioned hearth with nine crucibles, an additional hearth has been

provided for arc melting setup such as finger shaped and pan caked moulds

g. Apart from the above-mentioned copper hearth for arc melting, some crucibles having

different shape and size has been provided for suction casting setup.

Technical Specification
Operating Voltage 415 V
Capacity As per the mould size and density of elements
Mould Pure Copper
Max. Temp Upto 3000 ℃
Attachments 1) Vacuum arc melting
2) Suction casting

Safety Instructions:
Following figures shows the complete details of the setup and material

Mould used for Vacuum arc melting and suction casting

Procedure
Operating Procedure:-

 Turn ON the main switch, chiller and the third switch of melting component.
 Switch ON the compressor and system mains.
 Switch ON control and vacuum pump.
 Switch ON the pirani gauge showing 1000mbar pressure.
 GH -1 for backing pressure up to turbo vacuum.GH -2 showing on roughing
pressure.
 Press select button for getting information from GH -1.
 Switch ON backing valve.
 Reading of GH-1 up to 0.01 mbar, if reading is more than 0.05 mbar valve is not
working.
 Switch ON the lamp.
 GH-1 “LO” means pass the unit of .001bar.
 After reading the GH-1, Switch ON the GH-2 mode and closes the backing valve.
 Open the Rough vacuum valve.
 Both indicator, show the satisfactory vacuum in chamber.
 0.07 mbar and less than it ok.
 After 5min or GH-2 reaching 0.02 switch on Turbo pump.
 Close rough vacuum valve, open backing valve and high vacuum valve.
 Press first button of the turbo controller reading going up to 100rpm.
 After 5 min switch on the penning gauge.

Working Procedure:-

1. After reaching the required vacuum, switch off the penning gauge.
2. Switch off High vacuum valve, turbo pump and Backing gauges.
3. Switch ON the Surcasting valve.
4. Argon cylinder is connected to purge valve.
5. Before entering Argon gas, purge valve should be on.
6. After reaching zero reading, close the purge valve.
7. Start the welding unit.

Closing Procedure:-
1. Switch off the penning gauge and Turbo controller.
 2. Switch off Turbo Pump and High vacuum valve.
3. Then venting the chamber , open purge valve reading goes to zero in manual air gauge
and switch off purge valve as soon as zero reading.
4. After putting the material in the chamber.
5. 2-3 times purge after closing the rough vacuum

Report the following

1. Sketches the mould and casting with dimensions.
2. Inspect the casting visually and write the surface and dimensional defects observed.
3. Write the melting and pouring temperature of the used metal.
4. Write the whole procedure in your words.
5. Special features of the used machine.
 LABORATORY EXERCISE IV

Stir and Squeeze Casting machine

Objectives
1. To prepare a rod of required alloy with 30mm diameter and 300mm length in homogeneous mixture
using vacuum die casting unit.
2. To prepare a rod of required alloy with 50mm diameter and 300 mm length using squeeze casting unit.

Introduction
Casting is one of oldest and one of the most popular processes of converting materials into final
useful shapes. Casting process is primarily used for shaping metallic materials. In casting, a
solid is melted, treated to proper temperature and then poured into a cavity called mould, which
contains it in proper shape during solidification. Simple or complex shapes can be made from any metal
that can be melted.
In our case, we are using a bottom pouring type stir casting furnace which is a special designed furnace
in which pouring of melt into the mould happens from its bottom through a remote-control switch. This
type of furnace does not require the user to lift and pour the melt into the mould. The maximum operating
temperature of this furnace is 1000 deg.C and any metal that melts at or below 1000 deg.C can be used in
this furnace to form an alloy. Presently maximum researchers are using this furnace to form MMC in
Aluminium and its alloys and alloys in Magnesium.

Salient Features
 Remote operated motorized bottom pouring control.
 Gas shield while pouring to avoid firing of Mg.
 Digital gas mixing control to mix SF6 & Ar at required rate.
 Pre-Heating Furnace for reinforcement (Max.800 0C).
 Pre-Heating Furnace for metal granules (Max.800 0C).
 Vacuum Casting at 760mmHg.
 Squeeze Casting up to 40 Tons.
 Rotary centrifugal casting at 1500 RPM (Variable).
 Die heater with temperature control.

Technical Specification

Operating Voltage 400 to 440 VAC

Frequency 50 Hz
Power 15 KW
 Capacity 5 Kg of Al/Mg
Retort SS 310 grade
Max. Temp 1000 0C
Preheating Furnaces 8 800 0C
Insulation Ceramic Fiber
Attachments 1) Vacuum die casting
2) Squeeze casting

Safety Instructions:
 Necessarily use safety accessories such as high-temperature asbestos gloves, aprons, mask,
shield and safety shoes while operating the machine.
 Remember to apply thin layer of non-stick coating in the crucible, blade, stirrer rod, melt
thermocouple, pouring tube, runway tube and mould.
 Fix the split type moulds firmly.
 Fix the rotary mould firmly in its setup.
 Ensure that there is no obstruction for the piston while moving into the squeeze casting
mould.
 Remove the melt temperature sensor before switching ON the stirrer.
 In case of melt blocked in the pouring tube, use necessary tools to clean it.
 Ensure that the temperature sensors of Runway & mould heater are placed in the heating
zone while heating.
 Use dry sand to extinguish the fire caused by Magnesium.

Following figures shows the complete details of the setup

Fig.1 (a) Complete diagram of bottom pouring type stir casting unit (b) Schematic diagram of squeeze
casting cum stir casting unit (c) Vacuum Die casting setup c) Squeeze casting setup

Mould used for vacuum die casting and squeeze casting

Fig. 2 (a) Required mould and Product used for the vacuum die casting (b) Required mould and
product (φ50mm) used for the squeeze casting
How to start the casting process?
1) Cleaning & applying Non-Stick Coating:
 The below parts must be cleaned, applied with non-stick coating at room temperature and
dried at 250 to 300 ̊C for 30 minutes.
 Stainless steel retort must be cleaned and coated every time when cooled down and
heated again.
 Bottom pouring tube, L type handheld sensor at the tip, Stirrer rod and blade, Tongs and
spoons, Die / Mold and all other parts of the furnace which is getting in touch with the
melt should be coated.

2) Setting the Equipment:

 Connect the furnace power cable to the Mains Power Supply.
 Check whether the below items are clean. If it is not clean, remove all slag and apply a
layer of high-temperature nonstick coating on the same: (i) Retort (ii)Stirrer blade and stirrer
rod.
 Switch ON the Mains power supply. Input power will be indicated on the power meter, as
well as the RYB indicators will glow.
 Set the required temperature on the furnace temperature controller & pre-heating
temperature controller.
 Lift the stirrer by pressing the switch.
 Add the Magnesium/Aluminium and other materials duly weighed in the retort.
(Calculate the volume of die/mould used and add exact amount of Magnesium/Aluminium
duly weighed!).
 Bring down the stirrer to close the lid using the switch.
  Insert the gas tube into the retort and purge the gas to remove to remove Oxygen from the
retort.
 Insert the L type sensor into furnace to know the melt temperature in the indicator.
 Once the set temperature is reached, the furnaces will automatically cut off and if the
temperature falls down than the set limit then the controller will switch ON the furnaces to
maintain the set temperature.
 Give sufficient time for the alloy to melt and then switch ON the stirrer.
 Once metal is melted, bring down the stirrer so as to immerse the blade into the melt.
 Switch ON the stirrer in the stirrer speed regulator.
 Gently increase the required speed by pressing the push switch in the stirrer speed
regulator.
 Stop the stirrer to add the alloying metal.
 Open the pre-heating valve to introduce the heated alloy metal into the melt.
 Stirrer speed should be less than 400RPM while adding abrasive alloying material to
avoid flying of powders.
 Place the die/mould below the bottom pouring tube.
 Keeps the bottom pouring toggle switch at POUR position.
 Take the remote-control panel and by pressing the push switch to pour the melt into the
die/mould and release the switch to stop the melt pouring.
 While pressing this switch gas will be passed around the pouring tube thereby creating a
gas shield which will prevent the melt from getting in contact with the external atmosphere.
 Once the bottom pouring is complete: (i) Switch OFF all pouring switch and stirrer
switch (ii) Stop the temperature program execution (iii) Follow the equipment shutdown
instructions.

How to perform Vacuum Die Casting?

 Place the die/mould into the Vacuum Casting Chamber with silicone rubber gasket.
 Place the die heater & its sensor into the die and heat the die to the required temperature.
Once heated remove the die heater.
 If L type runway tube is fitted, remove it.
 Slide the vacuum casting set up in such a way that the melt from bottom pouring tube
will fall into the die directly.
 Switch ON the vacuum pump, this will generate vacuum on the vacuum chamber and
vacuum created will be shown on the gauge. Wait till the vacuum gauge reaches
650mmHg.
 Vacuum in the high vacuum chamber will not be released until the bottom pouring is ON,
this is controlled by an electric solenoid valve.
 Pour the melt into the die/mould as per the instruction given above.
 Switch OFF the vacuum pump once the pouring process is complete.
 Slide the vacuum chamber away from the pouring tube.
 Wait for the cast to cool and remove the cast from the mould.
How to perform Squeeze Die Casting?
 Apply thin layer high-temperature non-stick coating on the piston, mould and runway in
cold condition.
 Fix the pathway/runway tube heater below the bottom pouring tube.
 Place the die heater & its sensor into the die and heat the die to the required temperature.
Once heated remove the die heater.
 Fix the required die/mould in the squeeze casting set up firmly.
 Bring the equipment near to the squeeze casting setup and place it in such a way that the
pathway tube is placed on the mould so as flow the melt into the mould.
 Switch ON the hydraulic power pack.
 Bring down the piston and check if the piston goes into the mould without any
obstruction.
 Keep the piston in the bottom position and set the pressure in the digital controller (Max.
Pressure: 40 Tons).
 Bring back the piston to the top position in such a way to get a clear way for the melt to
pour from the runway to the mould freely.
 Set the temperature (750 to 800 0C) in the pathway/runway tube heater so as to avoid
solidification of the melt in this tube and allow it to heat with this temperature for at least 30
mins.
 After the stirring process is complete, press the bottom pouring switch. This will allow
the mixed melt to flow into the squeeze casting mould.
 Once the melt has been transferred into the squeeze casting mould, close the bottom
pouring.
 Use the Press button in the control panel to apply the set load on the molten metal.
 Release the piston and remove the split mould to obtain the cast.
Note: During hot condition, the piston gets stuck with the cast and lifts the mould when
releasing. If so, use the stopper provided to stop the mould from lifting UP.
Removal and Finishing of Castings

After complete solidification, the castings are removed from the mould. Most castings require

some cleaning and finishing operations, such as removal of gates and risers, cleaning of surfaces,

etc.

Report the following

1. Sketches the mould and casting with dimensions.
2. Inspect the casting visually and write the surface and dimensional defects observed.
3. Write the melting and pouring temperature of the used metal.
4. Write the whole procedure in your words.
5. Special features of the used machine.
 LABORATORY EXERCISE V

Effect of Cooling rate on microstructure formation (Chvorinov’s Rule)

Objective
To understand the effect of Cooling rate on microstructure formation of suction cast samples.

LABORATORY EXERCISE VI
 Solidification Modelling: Understanding fluid flow and temperature distribution during

casting process

Objective
1. To visualize the solidification behavior using ANSYS Fluent CFD software during the
casting of a rod.
2. Understanding fluid flow and temperature distribution during casting process by
Solidification Modelling.

Introduction
In the manufacturing process, the casting of the metals is the most important method which is
used to produce useful products in the required shape and size [1-2]. Many difficulties are there
during the casting process which can vary according to the melting point of the alloy [3]. There
are a lot of defects during the casting due to these difficulties. Rejections of the casting due to
these defects are a major concern in the industries. Energy waste during the casting process is
one of the important losses because, in the present scenario, the energy demands of human
beings have increased. As we know that our conventional energy resources are very limited and
the use rate is very high. So it is important to conserve energy during the casting process [4]. If
we can predict the defects before the casting, then we can save energy, time, money & material
[1]. To predict the defects before casting, solidification simulation analysis is an important tool.
To find the optimum value of process parameters, solidification simulation is completed by
ANSYS Fluent computer software for the selected casting process with the required size and
shape. Ansys Fluent provides a wide range of flow problems. In ANSYS Fluent software, a wide
range of mathematical model for heat transfer and reactions is given with complex geometries
[5]. Therefore, we are using simulation software using ANSYS FLUENT to simulate the
solidification behaviour and to study the cooling process & phase transition behaviour during the
solidification process. To track the solidification behaviour of the metal or alloy CFD
(Computational Fluid Dynamics) technique is widely used [5]. Temperature profile at a different
location in the selected domain is used to compare the numerical results with the experimental
results for validation [6].
Salient Features
a. Phase transition behaviour can be analyzed
b. Energy, time, money and material can be saved to predict the defects before casting.
c. Temperature distribution and fluid flow during the solidification can be analyzed.

How to perform Simulation for casting process?

1) Steps involved in the solving a problem using ANSYS Fluent
1.1. Pre-analysis
We want to solve a real-world Engineering problem numerically using ANSYS FLUENT. Then
we will need boundary condition. We will observe the real physical situation, or we will obtain
data so that you Can represent the actual case.
1.2. Geometry

We have to make the geometry. We can use ANSYS design modeler software, which can be use
from ANSYS WORKBENCH. We can also use any other CAD Software such as AutoCAD,
Solidworks, CATIA, AutoCAD Inventor etc.
1.3. Meshing

Meshing is one of the most important steps for the simulation. Simulation results depend on
Mesh quality. Low quality Mesh can produce poor simulation result, even divergence.
1.4. Physical Setup

It is done in the solver ANSYS. In physical setup step, we give inputs for solution accuracy,
boundary condition, physics involved, material involved, properties of involved etc. In a
nutshell, here we numerically depict the real situation that we want to simulate.
1.5. Numerical Solution

In this step, we will get the results. We can Analyze the simulation results. We can obtain the
temperature profile with time, Fraction of liquid and cooling curves during the solidification
process

1.6. Verification & Validation

In this step, we will verify our simulated results with the experimental results and validated with
the experimental values.
2) Governing equations

The volume of fluid (VOF) approach [17] was used with the governing equations to track the
temperature variation during the solidification process. The governing equations [18,19] used in
the solidification simulation model are given below:
∂ ⃗v
Momentum equation: ρ { + ∇. ( ⃗
v . ⃗v )} + ∇. P = µ. ∇ 2 ⃗v (1)
∂t
Mass equation: ∇. ⃗v = 0 (2)
Energy equation: ∂/∂t (ρH) + ∇. (ρ ⃗v H) = ∇. (k∇T) + S (3)
where P, H, ρ, µ, ⃗v and S are represented as pressure, enthalpy, density, the viscosity of the
fluid, velocity, and source term respectively.
In the enthalpy porosity method [14,18], using equation 3, enthalpy is calculated with the help of
the energy conversation equation.
The specific enthalpy can be expressed by H = h + ∆H (4)
where h is the representation of the sensible heat and ∆H is the representation of the latent heat.
The latent heat, ∆H can be defined as ∆H = βL (5)
where β is the representation of the liquid fraction and ∆H can be defined on the base of liquid
fraction variation as given below
L if T ˃ Tliquidus
T −T solidus
∆H = L if Tsolidus ˂ T ˂ Tliquidus (6)
T liquidus −T solidus

0 if T ˂ Tsolidus
where T represents the temperature in the mushy region during the solidification process, Tliquidus
& Tsolidus represent the liquidus and solidus temperature which are the temperature limits of the
solidification range. In each iteration of the simulation process, the temperature is evaluated by
the iterative process between equation 3 and equation 6.
3) Material Properties
The thermophysical properties of the selected alloy (casting metal) and the copper mould are
given in table 1.
Table 1: Thermophysical properties of the casting metal and mould

Properties Value
Casting Metal Mould
Thermal Conductivity 50 W/m-K 0.52 W/m-K
Specific Heat Capacity 795 J/Kg-K 1172.3 J/Kg-K
Density 7870 Kg/m3 1494.71 Kg/m3
Latent Heat 270000 J/Kg -
Viscosity 0.0010 Kg/m-K -
Liquidus Temperature 1810 K -
Solidus Temperature 1815 K -

4) Problem Description

This manual demonstrates the setup and solution procedure for a heat transfer problem involving
solidification. Ansys software programs were used to simulate the solidification of pure iron in
green-sand molds.The following procedures were adopted for the simulations:

 Geometrical design of the part: For this purpose, a corner piece of pure iron was used,
a material with homogeneous and isotropic characteristics, as illustrated in Figure 1. The
geometry of the cast part was designed together with the green sand mold. This geometry
is illustrated in Figure, which represents the symmetry in three dimensions. In this work
the analysis was made for half symmetry in 2-D, which is illustrated in Figure.
5) Numerical Results
Report the following
1. Write the requirement of simulation for casting industries.
2. Sketches the mould and casting with dimensions.
3. Write the melting and pouring temperature of the used metal.
4. Write the whole procedure in your words.
5. Special features of the simulation model.
 LABORATORY EXERCISE VII

Comparison of mechanical properties of Al-based ex-situ composite prepared by stir

casting and squeeze casting techniques.