Manufacturing Processes

ME - 222

Metal Casting Processes & Equipments

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed
 Metal Casting
v Casting is a process in which molten metal
flows by gravity or other force into a mold
where it solidifies in the shape of the mold
cavity.

v The term Casting is also applied to the part

that is made by this process. It is one of the
oldest shaping processes, dating back 6000
years.

v The principle of casting seems simple:

melt the metal, pour it into a mold and let it
cool and solidify; yet there are may factors
and variables that must be considered in
order to accomplish a successful casting
operation.

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

 Advantages of Casting
v Near Net Shape

v Low Scrap

v Relatively Quick Process

v Intricate (Having many complexly arranged

elements) Shapes

v Large Hollow Shapes

v No Limit to Size

v Reasonable to Good Surface Finish

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

Types of Parts Made

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

 Metals Processed By Casting
v Sand Casting – 60%
v Investment Casting – 7%
v Die Casting – 9%
v Permanent Mold Casting – 11%
v Centrifugal Casting – 7%
v Shell Mold Casting – 6%

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

 Shapes
Expendable Molds
v Sand
v Shell
v Slurry Permanent Mold (Cavity)
v Investment v Die Casting
v Lost Wax v Hot Chamber
v Lost Foam v Cold Chamber
v Centrifugal
o Pipes
o Spinning

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

 Capabilities
Dimensions
v Sand Casting - As Large as You Like
v Small - 1 mm Or So

Tolerances
v 0.005 in to 0.1 in

Surface Finish
v Die Casting 8-16 Micro-inches (1-3 mm)
v Sand Casting - 500 Micro-inches (10-25 mm)

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

 Solidification

Reference: Manufacturing Engineering Handbook by HWAIYU GENG (Available in HITEC University Library)

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

 Shrinkage

Reference: Manufacturing Engineering Handbook by HWAIYU GENG (Available in HITEC University Library)

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed
 Casting Steps
v Quick Route From Raw Material To Finished
Product

o Melt Metals
o Pour / Force Liquid Into Hollow Cavity (Mold)
o Cool / Solidify
o Remove
o Finish

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

Sand Casting Flow Diagram

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed
ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed
THE CROSS SECTION OF A SAND CASTING MOLD

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

 THE CROSS SECTION OF A SAND CASTING MOLD
1. POURING CUP: This is where
the metal is poured into the mold.
2. SPRUE: The vertical channel
from the top of the mold to the
gating and riser system.
3. RUNNER: The portion of the
gate assembly that connects the
sprue to the casting in gate or
riser.
4. GATE: The end of the runner in
a mold where molten metal enters
the mold cavity.

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

5. RISER: A reservoir of molten
metal provided to compensate for
the contraction of the metal as it
solidifies.
6. MOLD CAVITY: The impression
in a mold produced by the removal
of the pattern. When filled
with molten metal it forms a
casting.
7. COPE: Upper or top most section
of a flask, mold or pattern.
8. DRAG: Lower or bottom section
of a flask, mold or pattern.
9. PARTING LINE: A line on a
pattern or casting corresponding to
the separation between the parts
of a mold.

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed
ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed
 Basic Gravity Casting System

Reference: Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, By Kalpakjian (Available in Google Books)

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

 The Sand Casting Process
1. Use a Pattern to Create a
Sand Mold
2. Add Your Gating System
3. Remove the Pattern
4. Pour in the Metal
5. Cool
6. Remove the Casting.

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

 The Mould
v In sand casting, the primary piece of equipment is the mold, which
contains several components.
v The mold is divided into two halves - the cope (upper half) and the
drag (bottom half), which meet along a parting line.
v Both mold halves are contained inside a box, called a flask, which itself
is divided along this parting line.

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

Over View of Casting Technology
v The Mould:
o A cavity whose geometry
determine the shape of the
cast part. Metal is heated until
its liquid and is then poured
into this cavity to form the
desire part.
v There are two types of molds
o Open Mould
o Closed Mould

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed
Sand Casting Parts

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

 The Pattern
v The main tooling for sand casting is the pattern that is used to create
the mold cavity.
v The pattern is a full size model of the part that makes an impression in
the sand mold.
v The pattern is actually made to be slightly larger than the part because
the casting will shrink inside the mold cavity.
v Also, several identical patterns may be used to create multiple
impressions in the sand mold, thus creating multiple cavities that will
produce as many parts in one casting.
v Several different materials can be used to fabricate a pattern, including
wood, plastic, and metal.
v Wood is very common because it is easy to shape and is inexpensive
v Metal, on the other hand, is more expensive, but will last longer and has
higher tolerances.

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

 Types of Pattern
vSolid pattern
o A solid pattern is a
model of the part as a
single piece. It is the
easiest to fabricate, but
can cause some
difficulties in making the
mold.
o The parting line and
runner system must be
determined separately.
o Solid patterns are
typically used for
geometrically simple
ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

parts that are produced

 Types of Pattern
v Split Pattern
o A split pattern models the part as two separate pieces that meet along the
parting line of the mold.
o Using two separate pieces allows the mold cavities in the cope and drag to be
made separately and the parting line is already determined.
o Split patterns are typically used for parts that are geometrically complex.

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

 Types of Pattern
v Match-plate Pattern
o A match-plate pattern is similar to a split pattern, except that each
half of the pattern is attached to opposite sides of a single plate.
o The plate is usually made from wood or metal to ensures proper
alignment of the mold cavities in the cope and drag and the runner
system can be included on the match plate.

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

 Types of Pattern
Cope and Drag Pattern
o A cope and drag pattern is similar to a match plate pattern, except that
each half of the pattern is attached to a separate plate and the mold
halves are made independently.
o The runner system can be included on the plates.
o They are also used for larger production quantities and are often used
when the process is automated.

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

 Core
v Cores are additional pieces that form the internal holes and passages of the
casting.
v Cores are typically made out of sand so that they can be shaken out of the
casting. As a result, sand cores allow for the fabrication of many complex
internal features.

vEach core is positioned in the mold before the molten metal is poured.
vIn order to keep each core in place, the pattern has recesses called core prints
where the core can be anchored in place.
v The core may shift due to buoyancy in the molten metal. Further support is
provided to the cores by chaplets.
ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed
 Chaplets
vThese are small metal pieces that are fastened between the core and the cavity
surface.
vChaplets must be made of a metal with a higher melting temperature than that
of the metal being cast in order to maintain their structure.
vAfter solidification, the chaplets will have been cast inside the casting and the
excess material of the chaplets that protrudes must be cut off.

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

 Sand
vThe sand that is used to create the molds is
typically silica sand (SiO2) that is mixed
with a type of binder to help maintain the
shape of the mold cavity.

vUsing sand as the mold material offers

several benefits to the casting process:
o Sand is very inexpensive
o It is resistant to high temperatures, allowing
many metals to be cast that have high
melting temperatures.
ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed
 Types of Sand For Casting
v Greensand mold - Greensand molds use a mixture of sand, water,
and a clay or binder. Typical composition of the mixture is 90%
sand, 3% water, and 7% clay or binder. Greensand molds are the
least expensive and most widely used.

v Skin-dried mold - A skin-dried mold begins like a greensand

mold, but additional bonding materials are added and the cavity
surface is dried by a torch or heating lamp to increase mold
strength. Doing so also improves the dimensional accuracy and
surface finish, but will lower the collapsibility. Dry skin molds
are more expensive and require more time, thus lowering the
production rate.

v Dry sand mold - In a dry sand mold, sometimes called a cold box
mold, the sand is mixed only with an organic binder. The mold is
strengthened by baking it in an oven. The resulting mold has high
dimensional accuracy, but is expensive and results in a lower
production rate.

v No-bake mold - The sand in a no-bake mold is mixed with a liquid

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

resin and hardens at room temperature.

 The Sand for Casting
v The quality of the sand that is used also greatly affects the quality of
the casting and is usually described by the following five measures:

o Strength - Ability of the sand to maintain its shape.

o Permeability - Ability to allow venting of trapped gases through the
sand. A higher permeability can reduce the porosity of the mold.
Permeability is determined by the size and shape of the sand grains.
o Thermal stability - Ability to resist damage, such as cracking, from the
heat of the molten metal.
o Collapsibility - Ability of the sand to collapse, or more accurately
compress, during solidification of the casting. If the sand can not
compress, then the casting will not be able to shrink freely in the mold
and can result in cracking.
o Reusability - Ability of the sand to be reused for future sand molds.

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed

 Thank You!

See you next week with more Types of Casting

ME222 - Engr. M. Saqib Hameed