Engineering Workshop

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 Module 1
Lecture 1
Metal casting Introduction, casting system,
casting tools, tools for preparing mold

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 Introduction

• Metal casting is a process in which molten liquid metal is

poured into a mold (cavity) made of sand, metal or
ceramic, to form geometrically complex parts.

• Most engineering components made of iron, aluminum,

magnesium, zinc, steel and copper-based alloys are
produced by casting  process .

• Casting is a 6000 year old process

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Casting metallic hammers
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• Molten metal poured into the flask inside which the mold is created
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Molding flask
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Wooden flasks
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 Casting Tools
• Flask • Pouring Basin
• Drag • Sprue
• Cope • Runner
• Cheek • Gate
• Pattern • Chaplet
• Parting Line • Chill
• Bottom Board • Riser
• Facing Sand • Vent
• Moulding Sand
• Core

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• Flask: a metal or wood frame in which the
mold is formed
• Drag: lower molding flask
• Cope: upper molding flask
• Cheek: intermediate molding flask used in
three piece molding
• Pattern: it is the replica od the object to be
made the mold cavity is made with the help of
pattern
• Parting line: this is the dividing line between
the two molding flasks that makes up the mold

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• Pouring basin: a small funnel shaped cavity at the
top of the mold into which the molten metal is
poured
• Sprue: the passage through which the molten metal
from the pouring basin, reaches the mold cavity in
many cases it controls the flow of metal into the
mold
• Runner: the channel through which the molten
metal is carried from the Sprue to the gate
• Riser: a column of molten metal place in the mold
to feed the castings as it shrinks and solodifies
• Gate: a channel through which molten metal enters
the mold cavity
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• Bottom Board: The board on which a mold rests
Facing sand:
• This sand is used directly next to the surface of the
pattern and comes into contact with the molten metal
when the mould is poured.
• This sand also provides a smoother casting surface and
should be of fine texture. It is made of silica sand and
clay, and some additives without the addition of used
sand.
Molding sand:
• It is also known as foundry sand, it is a sand that when
moistened and compressed tends to pack well and hold
its shape. It is used in the process of sand casting for
preparing the mould cavity.
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• Core: a separate part of the mold, made of sand
and generally baked which is used to create
openings and various shaped cavities in the castings

• Chaplets: chaplets are used to support the cores

inside the mold cavity to take care of its own weight
and overcome the metallostatic force

• Vent: small opening in the mold to facilitate escape

of air and gases
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Chill:
• A chill is an object used to promote solidification in a specific
portion of a metal casting mold.

• Normally the metal in the mould cools at a certain rate

relative to thickness of the casting.

• When the geometry of the molding cavity prevents

directional solidification from occurring naturally, a chill can
be strategically placed to help promote it.

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 Tools for Preparing the mold

• Shovel:

A shovel is used for mixing the sand with other ingredients. It

is also used for handling the sand from one place to another
in the foundry shop. It consists of a square metal pan fitted
with a wooden handle

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• Riddle:
A riddle is used for cleaning the molding sand. It
removes the unwanted material like metal scrap,
iron and other metal parts, pebbles etc.

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• Rammers:
• A rammer is a wood or metal tool used for ramming or packing
the sand in the molding box. It has two parts peen and butt.
Rammers are available in different designs and constructions.
The popular and widely used rammers are peen-rammer,
bench-rammer, and floor-rammer etc.

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• Trowels:
• A trowel is used for finishing and repairing a mold. It consists
of a metal-flat with different shapes and wooden handle. It is
also used to smoothen the mold surfaces, shaping the
square corners, finishing the parting surfaces. It is available
in different shapes like rectangular, triangular, square, round
etc.,

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• Strike-Off Bar:
A strike-off bar is used for striking off the excess sand from the
mould to provide a smooth surface. It is a straight bar of wood
or steel and usually have rectangular cross-section

• Vent Wire:
A vent wire is used to form vents or holes in the rammed sand
to provide easy escape of gases or steam formed during pouring
of molten metal. It is a circular or rectangular long needle tool,
pointed edge at one end and handle at the other end
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• Lifter:

A lifter is used for picking up the unwanted dust and

damaged parts of the mould. It is a L- shaped steel tool with
long holding shank and a small toe. It is available in thin
sections of various width and lengths, according to the
shape of the mould

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• Slick:

A slick is used for repair and finishing the mould surface after
the removal of pattern. It is a double ended tool having a
spoon on one end and a flat on the other end

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• Swab:

A swab is used for moistening the sand around the edge

before the pattern is withdrawn. It consists of soft hair brush
to hold water at one end, and a rubber holder at the other
end

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• Bellow:

A bellow is used to blow loose particles of sand from the

cavity and surface of the mould. Sometimes, a compress jet
of air is used for this purpose

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• Gate Cutter:

A gate cutter is used for cutting the gate in the mold which
acts as a passage for the hot metal. It is U-shaped piece of
thin sheet metal

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• Sprue Cutter:

• A sprue cutter is used for creating a run-through or sprue for

the molten metal in the cope. It has tapered cylindrical
shape and made from wood

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• Draw Screw:

• A draw screw is used for drawing out the pattern embedded

in the molding sand. It is a pointed steel rod, with a loop at
one end. Wooden mallet is used for striking the draw screw,
also called draw spike

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• Mallet:

A mallet is used to loosen the pattern in the mould so that it

can be removed easily. It is used together with draw spike

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• Gagger:

A gagger is used for reinforcing the molding sand in the cope

part of the molding box. These are the iron rods or thick
wires bent at one or both the ends. The bottom end of the
gagger must be kept 5 to 8 mm away from the embedded
pattern

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• Rapping Plate:

A rapping plate is used for lift the large and heavy pattern
from the mould. It is a steel plate and firmly fixed to the top
of the pattern by means of bolts and screw. Rapping plates
are available in many shapes

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• Clamps:

The clamps are used for holding the top and bottom parts of
the mold so that the cope should not rise when the molten
metal is poured into the mould cavity

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• Sprit Level:

A sprit level is used to keep sand bed, molding box and table
in horizontal position. It consists of an air bubble inside a
curved glass tube

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