CH 11-Metal Caasting

METAL CASTING PROCESSES
1. Sand Casting
2. Other Expendable-Mold Casting Processes
3. Permanent-Mold Casting Processes
4. Foundry Practices
5. Casting Quality
6. Metals for Casting
7. Product Design Considerations
CASTING PROCESS CLASSIFICATION
In terms of mold:
1. Expendable (mold is destroyed for each casting)

2. Permanent (mold is used for many casting)
Expendable casting: sand, investment, and so on
Permanent casting: die casting, and so on

SAND CASTING
• Widely used casting process

• Used for metals with high melting temperatures (e.g.
Steel, Nickel, Titanium etc)
• All casting alloys can be sand casted
• Sand casting include:
(a) casting operation (b) fabrication of the pattern (c)
making of the mold
©2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P

Groover, Fundamentals of Modern
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PATTERNS & CORES
Pattern: A full-sized model of the part, enlarged to

account for shrinkage and machining allowances in the
final casting.
Materials of Pattern:
• Wood
• Metal
• Plastic

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TYPES OF PATTERN
• Solid Pattern – same geometry as the casting, adjusted
in size for shrinkage and machining
• Split Pattern – consists of two pieces, dividing the part

along a plane coinciding with the parting line of the mold
• Match-plate Pattern – the two pieces of the split pattern

are attached to opposite sides of a wood or metal plate.
Holes in the plate allow the top and bottom (cope & drag)
sections of the mold to be aligned accurately

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• Cope-and-drag Pattern – similar to match-plate patterns
except the split pattern halves are attached to separate
plates so that the cope & drag sections of mold can be
fabricated independently, instead of using the same
tooling for both.

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MOLDS & MOLD MAKING
Foundry sands are silica (SiO2) or silica mixed with other

minerals.
In making the mold, the grains of sand are held together

by a mixture of water and bonding clay. A typical mixture
(by volume) is 90% sand, 3% water and 7% clay.
Other bonding agents can be used in place of clay,

including organic resins (e.g., phenolic resins) and
inorganic binders (e.g., sodium silicate and phosphate)

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To form the mold cavity, the traditional method is to
compact the molding sand around the pattern for both
cope and drag in a container called flask.
The packing process is performed by various methods:

• Hand ramming (by a foundry worker)
• Squeezing the sand around the pattern by pneumatic
pressure
• A jolting action in which the sand, contained in the flask
with the pattern, is dropped repeatedly in order to pack it
into place

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• A slinging action, in which the sand grains are impacted
against the pattern at high speed.
An alternative to traditional flasks for each sand mold is

flask less molding, which refers to the use of one master
flask in a mechanized system of mold production. Each
sand mold is produced using the same master flask.

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Several indicators are used to determine the quality of
the sand mold:
1. Strength – the mold’s ability to maintain its shape and
resist erosion caused by the flow of molten metal.
2. Permeability – capacity of the mold to allow hot air and
gases from the casting operation to pass through the
voids in the sand.
3. Thermal stability – ability of the sand at the surface of
the mold cavity to resist cracking and buckling upon
contact with the molten metal

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4. Collapsibility – ability of the mold to give way and allow
the casting to shrink without cracking the casting; it also
refers to the ability to remove the sand from the casting
during cleaning
5. Reusability – can the sand from the broken mold be

reused to make other molds

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CLASSIFICATION OF SAND MOLDS
• Green Sand Mold
These are made of a mixture of sand, clay and water. The world
green referring to the fact that the mold contains moisture at the
time of pouring.
Advantages:
(a)Posses sufficient strength for most applications
(b)Good collapsibility
(c)Good permeability
(d)Good reusability
(e)Least expensive

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• A Dry-Sand mold
It is made using organic binders rather than clay and the
mold is baked in a large oven at temperatures ranging
from 200 C to 320 C.
It gives better dimensional control in the cast product.
• Skin-Dried Mold
The advantage of a dry-sand mold is partially achieved
by drying the surface of a green-sand mold to a depth of
10 to 25 mm at the mold cavity surface using torches,
heating lamps or other means.
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• No-Bake Molds
In addition to above classifications, chemically bonded
molds have been developed that are not based on either
of these traditional binder ingredients.
Some of the binder materials used in these type of

Molds include furan resins (consisting of furfural alcohol,
urea, and formaldehyde), phenolics and alkyd oils.
No-bake molds are growing in popularity due to their

good dimensional control in high production applications
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THE CASTING OPERATION
After the core is positioned (if one is used) and two

halves of the mold are clamped together, then casting is
performed.
Casting consists of pouring, solidification and cooling of

the cast part.
Air and gases must be allowed to escape.

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BUOYANCY FORCE
Buoyancy results from the weight of molten metal being

displaced by the core, according to Archimedes’
principle.
The force tending to lift the core is equal to the weight of

the displaced liquid less the weight of the core itself.
In equation form:
Fb = Wm - Wc

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Where
Fb = Buoyancy force, (N)

Wm = Weight of the molten metal displaced, (N)
Wc = Weight of the core, (N)
Weights are determined as the volume of the core multiplied

by the respective densities of the core material (typically
sand) and the metal being cast.

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Other Expendable Mold Processes
• Shell Molding
• Vacuum Molding
• Lost-Foam Process
• Investment Casting
• Plaster Mold and Ceramic Mold Casting

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Shell Molding
• It is a casting process in which the mold is a thin shell

(typically 9 mm) made of sand held together by a
thermosetting resin binder.
• It was developed in Germany during the early 1940s.

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Advantages
• The surface of Shell mold cavity is smoother than a

conventional green-sand mold.
• Finishes of 2.5 µm can be obtained.
• Good dimensional accuracy is also achieved, with

tolerance of +- 0.25 mm possible on small – to – medium
– sized parts.

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Disadvantages
• The metal pattern used is more expensive than the

corresponding pattern of green-sand molding.
• Shell molding can be mechanized for mass production

and is very economical for large quantities.
• It is particularly suited to steel castings of less than 20 lb

like gears, valve bodies, bushings and camshafts.

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Vacuum Molding
• This process uses a Sand mold held together by vacuum

pressure rather than by a chemical binder.
• It is also called V-process and was developed in Japan

around 1970.

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Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages:
• Since no binder is used in Vacuum Molding, recovery of

sand after casting operation is easy.
• The sand does not require extensive mechanical re

conditioning normally done when binders are used in the
molding sand.
• Since no water is mixed with the sand , moisture related

defects are absent from the product.
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Disadvantages:
• Vacuum Molding is a relatively slow process.
• It is also not readily adaptable to mechanization.

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Expanded Polystyrene Process
 Very similar to the sand casting process, but instead

of using a removable/reusable pattern to make the
mold cavity, an expendable polystyrene foam pattern
is used
 How it works: uses a mold of sand packed around

the foam pattern which vaporizes when molten metal
is poured into mold
 Foam pattern includes sprue, risers, gating system,

and internal cores (if needed)
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Steps in Expanded Polystyrene Process
• Polystyrene
foam pattern is
coated with
refractory
compound

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• Foam pattern is
placed in mold box,
and sand is
compacted around
the pattern

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• Molten metal is poured
into the portion of the
pattern that forms the
pouring cup and sprue

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• Applications:
– Mass production of castings for automobile
engines
Advantages and Disadvantages
• Advantages of expanded polystyrene process:
– Pattern is not removed from the mold

• Can have more complex shapes & no need
for parting lines
– Simplifies and speeds mold‑making, because
two mold halves are not required as in a
conventional green‑sand mold

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• Disadvantages:
– A new pattern is needed for every casting

– Process is highly dependent on cost of producing
patterns

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Investment Casting
(Lost Wax Process)
• A pattern made of wax is coated with a refractory material

to make the mold, after which wax is melted away prior to
pouring molten metal
• "Investment" comes from a less familiar definition of
"invest" - "to cover completely," which refers to coating of
refractory material around wax pattern
• It is a precision casting process
– Capable of producing castings of high accuracy and
intricate detail

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Steps in Investment Casting
• Wax patterns are

produced
• Several patterns are
attached to a sprue to
form a pattern tree

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• Pattern tree is
coated with a thin
layer of refractory
material
• Full mold is formed
by covering the
coated tree with
sufficient refractory
material to make it
rigid

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• Mold is held in an
inverted position and
heated to melt the wax
and permit it to drip out
of the cavity
• Mold is preheated to a
high temperature, the
molten metal is
poured, and it solidifies

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• Mold is broken away
from the finished
casting and the parts
are separated from
the sprue

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Applications
Typical Applications:
 Turbines
 Example: One‑piece compressor stator made by
investment casting (photo courtesy of Howmet Corp.)
Advantages and Disadvantages
• Advantages:
– Parts of great complexity and intricacy can be

cast
– Close dimensional control and good surface
finish
– Wax can usually be recovered for reuse
– This is a net shape process
• Additional machining is not normally required

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• Disadvantages:
– Many processing steps are required

– Relatively expensive process

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Plaster-Mold & Ceramic-Mold Casting
• Mold is made of plaster of paris (Gypsim – CaSO4 –

2H2O)
• Additives such as talc and silica flour are mixed with the
plaster to control contraction and setting time, reduce
cracking and increase strength.
• Metal and plastic patterns are used whereas wood

patterns are unsatisfactory due to the extended contact
with water in the plaster.

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Disadvantages
• Curing time for Plaster mold is about 20 minutes which is

a hurdle in high production rate. After curing time, mold
is heated for several hours to remove moisture.
If plaster mold is too dehydrated then mold strength is

lost and if moisture contents are present, they cause
casting defects in the product.
A balance approach should be adopted to minimize

these both undesirable defects.

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• The Plaster mold is not permeable which limits the
escape of dissolved gases from the mold cavirty.
This problem can be solved by:

(1) Evacuating air from the mold cavity before pouring
(2) Aerating the plaster slurry prior to mold making so
that the resulting hard plaster contains finely dispersed
voids
(3) Using a special mold composition and treatment
known as the Antioch process.

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The Antioch process involves using about 50% sand
mixed with the plaster, heating the mold in an autoclave
and then drying.
The resulting mold has greater permeability than a

conventional plaster mold.

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Ceramic Mold Casting
• In Ceramic Mold casting, the mold is made of refractory

ceramic materials that can withstand high temperatures
than plaster.
• Ceramic Mold Casting is used to cast steels, cast irons

and other high-temperature alloys.
• Ceramic Mold Casting advantages and surface finish

results are similar to that of Plaser mold casting

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Permanent Mold
Casting Processes
• Economic disadvantage of expendable mold casting:
– A new mold is required for every casting
• In permanent mold castings, the mold is reused many
times – great for mass production
• The processes include:

– Basic permanent mold casting
– Die casting
– Centrifugal casting

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The Basic Permanent Mold
Process
Uses a metal mold constructed of two sections designed

for easy, precise opening and closing
• Molds used for casting lower melting point alloys are
commonly made of steel or cast iron
• Molds used for casting steel must be made of refractory
material, due to the very high pouring temperatures
• Metals commonly cast in permanent molds include
Aluminum, Magnesium, Copper-base alloys & Cast iron

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Steps in
Basic Permanent Mold Casting
• Mold is preheated and coated for lubrication and heat
dissipation

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• Cores (if any
are used) are
inserted and
mold is closed

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• Molten metal is
poured into the mold,
where it solidifies

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Advantages
• Advantages of permanent mold casting:

– Good dimensional control and surface finish
– Rapid solidification caused by metal mold results in a
finer grain structure, so castings are stronger
– Economical for large production quantities & process
can be automated
Limitations
• Limitations:
– Generally limited to metals of lower melting point
• Not suited well for steel
– Simpler part geometries compared to sand casting
because of need to open the mold
– Can only pour parts without thin sections because
molten metal is gravity fed
– High cost of mold, but generally lower than a die
casting
Variations of Permanent-Mold Casting
• Slush Casting
• Low-Pressure Casting
• Vacuum Permanent-Mold Casting

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Slush Casting
• In this process a hollow casting is formed by inverting

the mold after partial freezing at the surface to drain out
the liquid metal in the centre.
• Solidification progresses over time towards the middle of

the casting. Thickness of the shell is controlled by the
length of the time allowed before draining.
• It is used to make statues, lamp pedestals and toys od

low-melting point metals like lead, zinc, tin etc.

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Low-Pressure Casting
• Unlike Basic permanent mold casting and Slush casting

processes where the flow of metal into the mold cavity is
caused by gravity, in low-pressure casting, the liquid
metal is forced into the cavity under low pressure
(approx 0.1 Mpa) from beneath so that the flow is
upward.
• The advantage of this process is that clean molten metal

from the centre of the ladle is introduced into the mold,
rather than metal that has been exposed to air.

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Vacuum Permanent-Mold Casting
• In Vacuum permanent mold casting, a vacuum is used to

draw the molten metal into the mold cavity.
• The difference of this process form Low-pressure casting

is that reduced air pressure from the vacuum in the mold
is used to draw the liquid metal into the cavity, rather
than forcing it by positive air pressure from below.
• The advantages of this process are: air porosity and

related defects are reduced, and greater strength is
given to the cast product.
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Die Casting
A permanent mold casting process in which molten

metal is injected into mold cavity under high pressure
• Mold cavity is made by 2 mold halves (called dies)
that are closed together
• Use of high pressure to force metal into die cavity is
what distinguishes this from other permanent mold
processes
• Pressure is maintained during solidification, then
mold is opened and part is removed

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Die Casting Machines
• Two main types:
1. Hot‑chamber machine
2. Cold‑chamber machine

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Hot-Chamber Die Casting
Metal is melted in a container, and a piston injects liquid

metal under high pressure into the die
• High production rates
– 500 parts per hour not uncommon
• Applications limited to low melting‑point metals that
do not chemically attack plunger and other
mechanical components
• Casting metals: zinc, tin, lead, and magnesium
– Not aluminum because it chemically attacks

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Hot‑chamber die
casting cycle:
•with die closed and
plunger withdrawn,
molten metal flows
into the chamber

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• plunger forces metal
to flow into die,
maintaining pressure
during cooling and
solidification

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• Plunger is
withdrawn, die is
opened, and
casting is ejected

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Cold‑Chamber Die Casting
• Molten metal is poured into unheated chamber from an

external melting container, and a piston injects metal
under high pressure into die cavity
• High production but not usually as fast as hot‑chamber

machines because of pouring step
• Casting metals: aluminum, brass, magnesium alloys,

zinc, tin, and lead alloys

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Cold‑Chamber Die Casting Cycle
• With die closed and ram withdrawn, molten metal is

poured into the chamber

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• Ram forces metal to flow into die, maintaining pressure
during cooling and solidification

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• Ram is withdrawn, die is opened, and part is ejected

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Molds for Die Casting
• Usually made of tool steel, mold steel, or mar-aging steel

used to cast low melting point metal alloys
• Tungsten and molybdenum (good refractory qualities)
used to die cast steel and cast iron
• Ejector pins required to remove part from die when it
opens
• Lubricants must be sprayed onto cavity surfaces to
prevent sticking

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Advantages and Limitations
• Advantages:
– Economical for large production quantities &

process can be automated
– Good accuracy and surface finish
– Thin sections possible
– Rapid cooling (due to metal die) means good
strength in casting
©2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 4/e
• Disadvantages:
– Generally limited to metals with low metal points

– Part geometry must allow removal from die
– High mold costs

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Centrifugal Casting
• Centrifugal casting refers to several casting methods in

which the mold is rotated at high speed so that the
centrifugal force distributes the molten metal to the outer
regions of the die cavity.
• The groups include:

(1)True centrifugal casting
(2)Semi centrifugal casting
(3)Centrifuge casting

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True Centrifugal Casting
• In this process, molten metal is poured into a rotating

mold to produce a tubular part. Examples: pipes, tubes,
bushings, rings etc.
• Orientation of the axis of mold rotation can be either

horizontal or vertical. The horizontal axis rotation being
more common.

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• In figure, Molten metal is poured into a horizontal rotating
mold at one end. In some operations, mold rotation
commences after pouring has occurred rather than
beforehand.
• The high-speed rotation results in centrifugal forces that

causes the metal to take the shape of the mold cavity.
Therefore the outside shape of the casting can be round,
octagonal, hexagonal etc.

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(a) Horizontal Centrifugal Casting

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(b) Vertical Centrifugal Casting

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Semi centrifugal Casting
• In this process, centrifugal force is used to produce solid

castings rather than tubular parts.
• The rotation speed in this method is usually set so that

G-factors of around 15 are obtained and the molds are
designed with risers at the centre to supply feed metal.
• Wheels, Pulleys etc are made from this process.

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Centrifuge Casting
• In this process, the mold is designed with part cavities

located away from the axis of rotation, so that the molten
metal poured into the mold is distributed to these cavities
by centrifugal force.
• The process is used for smaller parts, and radial

symmetry of the part is not a requirement as it is for
other two centrifugal casting methods.

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Foundry Practice
In casting processes, the metal is heated to the molten

state to be poured into the mold. Heating and melting are
accomplished in a furnace.
The type of furnaces most commonly used in foundries

are:
• Cupolas
• Direct Fuel-Fired Furnaces
• Crucible Furnaces
• Electric-Arc Furnaces
• Induction Furnaces
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1. Cupolas
• A cupola is a vertical cylindrical furnace equipped with a

tapping spout near its base.
• Cupolas are used only for melting cast iron and largest
tonnage of cast iron is melted in cupolas.
• General construction and operating features of cupola

furnace are shown in the figure.

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2. Direct Fuel-Fired Furnaces
• A direct fuel-fired furnace contains a small open-hearth,

in which the metal charge is heated by fuel burners
located on the side of the furnace.
• The fuels used is natural gas and the combustion
products exit the furnace through a stack.
• At the bottom of the hearth is a tap hole to release the
molten metal.
• Direct fuel-fired furnaces are generally used in casting
for melting nonferrous metals such as copper-base
alloys and aluminium.

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3. Crucible Furnaces
These furnaces melt the metal without direct contact with

a burning fuel mixture. These are also called indirect
fuel-fired furnaces.
Types of Crucible furnaces are:

• Lift-out type
• Stationary pot
• Tilting pot

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(a) Lift-out type
• In this furnace, the crucible is placed in a furnace and

heated sufficiently to melt the metal charge.
• Oil, gas or powdered coal are typical fuels used in these

furnaces
• When the metal is melted, the crucible is lifted out of the

furnace and used as a pouring ladle.

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(b) Stationary pot
(c) Tilting pot
• These two types of furnaces are also referred as pot

furnaces, have the heating furnace and container as one
integral unit.
• In the Stationary pot furnace, the furnace is stationary

and the molten metal is ladled out of the container.
• In the Tilting pot furnace, the entire assembly can be

tilted for pouring.

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4. Electric-Arc Furnaces
• In this furnace, the charge is melted by heat generated

from an electric arc. Various configurations are available,
with two or three electrodes.
• Power consumption is high, but electric-arc furnaces can

be designed for high melting capacity (23,000 to 45,000
kg/hr or 25 to 50 tons/hr) and they are used primarily for
casting steel.

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5. Induction Furnaces
• An induction furnace uses alternating current passing

through a coil to develop a magnetic field in the metal,
and the resulting induced current causes rapid heating
and melting of the metal.
• The electromagnetic force field causes a mixing action to

occur in the liquid metal.
• Melting steel, cast iron and aluminium alloys are

common applications in foundry work.

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Casting Quality
During casting operation, some defects occur in the cast

product. Some defects are common to any and all
casting processes. These defects are described here:
a) Misruns, which are castings that solidify before

completely filling the mold cavity. Typical causes include
(1) fluidity of the molten metal is insufficient (2) pouring
temperature is too low (3) pouring is done too slowly,
and/or (4) cross section of the mold cavity is too thin.

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(b) Cold Shus, which occur when two portions of the metal
flow together but there is a lack of fusion between them
due to premature freezing. Its causes are similar to
those of a misrun.
(c) Cold Shots, which result from splattering during

pouring, causing the formation of solid globules of metal
that become entrapped in the casting.
(d) Shrinkage Cavity, is a depression in the surface or an

internal void in the casting, caused by solidification
shrinkage that restricts the amount of molten metal
available in the last region to freeze.
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(e) Microporosity consists of a network of small voids
distributed throughout the casting caused by localized
solidification shrinkage of the final molten metal in the
dendritic structure.
This defect is usually associated with alloys.
(f) Hot tearing, occurs when the casting is restrained from

contraction by an unyielding mold during the final stages
of solidification or early stages of cooling after
solidification.
In sand casting and other expandable-mold process, it is
prevented by compounding the mold to be collapsible. In
permanent-mold processes, hot tearing is reduced by
removing the part from the mold immidiately after
solidification
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Sand Casting Defects
Some defects are related to the use of sand molds, and

therefore they occurs only in sand castings. Some Sand
casting defects are given below:
(a)Sand blow is a defect consisting of a balloon-shaped

gas cavity caused by release of mold gases during
pouring. It occurs at or below the casting surface near the
top of the casting.
(b)Pinholes, also caused by release of gases during

pouring, consist of many small gas cavities formed at or
slightly below the surface of the casting.
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(c) Sand wash, which is an irregularity in the surface of
the casting 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 casting

due to encrustations of sand and metal. It is caused by
portions of the mold surface flaking off during
solidification and becoming imbedded in the casting
surface.

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(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.
(f) 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.
(g) Core shift is similar to mold shift, but it is the core that
is displaced, and the displacement is usually vertical.

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(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 casting.

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Inspection Methods
Foundry inspection procedures include:
(1)Visual inspection to detect obvious defects such as

misruns, cold shuts, and severe surface flaws
(2)Dimensional measurements to ensure that tolerances
have been met
(3)Metallurgical, chemical, physical and other tests
concerned with the inherent quality of the cast metal

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Tests in category (3) include:
(a)Pressure testing – to locate leaks in the casting

(b)Radiographic methods, magnetic particle tests, the use
of fluorescent penetrants, and supersonic testing – to
detect either surface or internal defects in the casting
(c)Mechanical testing to determine properties such as
tensile strength and hardness.

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Product Design Considerations
Some of the important guidelines and considerations for

casting, selected as the primary manufacturing process,
are described here:
• Geometric simplicity: Although casting is a process

that can be used to produce complex part geometries,
simplifying the part design will improve its cast ability.
• Corners: Sharp corners and angles should be avoided,

because they are sources of stress concentrations and
may cause hot tearing and cracks in the casting.
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• Section thicknesses: Section thicknesses should be
uniform in order to avoid shrinkage cavities. Thicker
sections create hot spots in the casting, because
greater volume requires more time for solidification and
cooling.
The figure describes the problem and offers some

possible solutions.

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• Draft: Part sections that project into the mold should
have a draft or taper. In expendable mold casting, the
purpose of this draft is to facilitate removal of the pattern
from the mold. In permanent mold casting, its purpose is
to aid in removal of the part from the mold.
The required draft need only be about 1º for sand

casting and 2º to 3º for permanent mold processes.

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• Use of cores: Minor changes in part design can reduce
the need for coring, as shown in figure.
• Dimensional tolerance: There are significant
differences in the dimensional accuracies that can be
achieved in castings, depending on which process is
used.
• Surface finish: Typical surface roughness achieved in
sand casting is around 6 µm. Similarly poor finishes are
obtained in shell molding, while plaster-mold and
investment casting produce much better roughness
values: 0.75 µm. Among the permanent mold processes,
die casting is noted for good surface finishes at around 1
µm.
Manufacturing 4/e
• Machining allowances: Tolerances achievable in many
casting processes are insufficient to meet functional
needs in many applications. In case of Sand casting,
portions of the casting must be machined to the required
dimensions. The additional material, called the
machining allowance, is left on the casting for
machining those surfaces where necessary.

Manufacturing 4/e
Semi-Solid Metal Casting
• Family of net-shape and near net-shape processes

performed on metal alloys at temperatures between
liquidus and solidus
• Thus, the alloy is a mixture of solid and molten
metals during casting (mushy state)
– To flow properly, the mixture must consist of solid
metal globules in a liquid
• Achieved by stirring the mixture to prevent
dendrite formation
• Uses molds that are similar to die casting

Manufacturing 4/e
Semi-Solid Metal Casting
• Advantages
– Complex part geometries
– Thin part walls possible
– Close tolerances
– Zero or low porosity, resulting in high strength of the
casting
• Materials typically include magnesium, zinc, and
aluminum alloys
Casting Principle of the process
Structure
Process modeling
Defects
Design For Manufacturing (DFM)
Process variation
Module 4a 113

CH 11-Metal Caasting

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CH 11-Metal Caasting

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METAL CASTING PROCESSES

1. Expendable (mold is destroyed for each casting)

Expendable casting: sand, investment, and so on

Permanent casting: die casting, and so on

• Widely used casting process

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Pattern: A full-sized model of the part, enlarged to

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• Split Pattern – consists of two pieces, dividing the part

• Match-plate Pattern – the two pieces of the split pattern

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Foundry sands are silica (SiO2) or silica mixed with other

In making the mold, the grains of sand are held together

Other bonding agents can be used in place of clay,

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The packing process is performed by various methods:

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An alternative to traditional flasks for each sand mold is

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5. Reusability – can the sand from the broken mold be

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Some of the binder materials used in these type of

No-bake molds are growing in popularity due to their

After the core is positioned (if one is used) and two

Casting consists of pouring, solidification and cooling of

Air and gases must be allowed to escape.

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Buoyancy results from the weight of molten metal being

The force tending to lift the core is equal to the weight of

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Fb = Buoyancy force, (N)

Weights are determined as the volume of the core multiplied

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• It is a casting process in which the mold is a thin shell

• It was developed in Germany during the early 1940s.

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• The surface of Shell mold cavity is smoother than a

• Finishes of 2.5 µm can be obtained.

• Good dimensional accuracy is also achieved, with

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• The metal pattern used is more expensive than the

• Shell molding can be mechanized for mass production

• It is particularly suited to steel castings of less than 20 lb

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• This process uses a Sand mold held together by vacuum

• It is also called V-process and was developed in Japan

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• Since no binder is used in Vacuum Molding, recovery of

• The sand does not require extensive mechanical re

• Since no water is mixed with the sand , moisture related

• Vacuum Molding is a relatively slow process.

• It is also not readily adaptable to mechanization.

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 Very similar to the sand casting process, but instead

 How it works: uses a mold of sand packed around

 Foam pattern includes sprue, risers, gating system,

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