FOUNDRY SHOP

WORKSHOP MANUAL

LAB IN CHARGE
Dr. N YUVARAJ
CENTRAL WORKSHOP
DELHI TECHONOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

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 FOUNDRY SHOP
CONTENTS
S. NO. Description Page No.
1 Introduction 3
2 Process flow diagram of a typical sand casting process 4
3 Moulding Sand 4
4 Pattern 6
5 Core, Core Print and Core Box 8
6 Moulding Tools 9
7 Step by Step Process of Green Sand Mould Preparation 12
8 Special casting Techniques 13
9 Exercises 15
10 Exercise No. 1 15

12 Exercise No. 2 19

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1 INTRODUCTION:

Casting is the process consists of introducing the molten metal into a cavity called mould
and allowed to solidify, when it is removed from the mould, the casting is of same shape but slightly
smaller, due to contraction of metal, we take this contraction also into account by providing an
allowance called shrinkage allowance.

Advantages of Casting:

1. Casting is very cost-effective process for mass production.

2. Operation is speedy. Moulds and cores can be used immediately after processing.
3. Most appropriate for intricate shapes.
4. Semi-skilled labors can be used.
5. Even better accuracy and tolerance can be obtained by some special casting process.

Limitations:

1. One needs to take care of many allowances (shrinkage, distortion, rapping allowance etc.)
2. Moulds and cores deteriorate noticeably after being stored under normal atmospheric
conditions for more than 24 hours.
3. Uneconomical for small run and simpler shapes.
4. Even we need to take care of shrinkage factor as per the moisture level of the sand used in
casting.

Safety Precautions:

In casting process, the temperature is very high so we have to take following safety precautions:

1. Always wear protective head gear.

2. Always wear shoes in the foundry shop.
3. Protective glasses must be worn in the working area.
4. Hot or molten metal should not come in contact with water as it may generates steam at
an explosive rate.

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2 Process flow diagram of a typical sand casting process:

Fig.1 Casting flow diagram

3 Moulding Sand:

It is a special type of sand used to prepare mould.

Its constituents are:
1. Silica grains
2. Binders
3. Moisture

Silica grains: It is mainly grains of silicon dioxide which is enable to withstand very high
temperature of molten metal.

Binders: Binders are the ingredients of moulding sand which provide cohesive property to the

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moulding sand. Binders bind the sand particles together and bring strength to the mould.

There are three types of binders

(a) Clay type binders (eg. Bentonite)

(b) Organic binders (eg. Resin)
(c) Inorganic binders (eg. Sodium silicate)

Moisture: Moisture improves the binding property of moulding sand. Nearly 6 to 10% moisture is
added to the moulding sand.

Additive: By adding an additive, properties like strength, refractoriness and permeability can be
increased. E.g. Seacoal, woodflour, starch, silica flour and saw dust.

Properties of Moulding Sand

1. Porosity: It is the property of the moulding sand by which the sand allows the hot gasses
to pass through. When the hot molten metal comes into contact with the moist sand, water
vapours are produced. These vapours pass through the porous sand failing which blowholes
are formed in the casting.
2. Flowability: It is the property of the sand to flow in all corners inside the moulding box.
Due to this property the sand follows the shape of the pattern to make the exact mould.
Flowability of the sand should be such that the exact mould is produced while ramming.
3. Cohesiveness: This is the ability of the sand particles to stick to each other to give strength
to the mould.
4. Adhesiveness: It is the ability of the moulding sand to stick to the sides of the moulding
box so that the moulds do not collapse while taking the pattern out of it.
5. Refractoriness: The moulding sand must be capable of withstanding high temperature of
the molten metal without fusing. When the molten metal is poured into the mould the sand
should not burn.

Types of moulding sands:

1. Green sand: It is the mixture of silica sand with 18 to 30% clay and having having the
moisture content from 6 to 8%. Clay and water give cohesive strength to the moulding sand.
It is porous, retains shape as well as provides good surface finish to the casting.
2. Parting sand: It is the sand with very coarse grains. It is used in separating the two layers
of the moulding sand while preparing the mould.

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4 Pattern

It is the replica of the casting to be made. It is used to create the cavity in the moulding sand which
when filled with the molten metal, the casting is produced.

1. The pattern material should be easily worked so that we can give the desired shape to it.
2. The pattern material should be corrosion resistant as it comes in contact with the wet sand.
3. It should be able to withstand the abrasive action of the sand.
4. It should be strong enough to withstand the pressure during ramming the moulding sand.

Pattern Materials:

Wood, plastic, plaster of Paris and aluminium alloys are some commonly used pattern materials.

Pattern allowances:

1. Shrinkage and contraction allowance: When the molten metal solidifies and cools down,
its size is reduced due to contraction. So we prepare the mould slightly bigger in size to
compensate the contraction.
2. Machining and finishing allowance: The work piece produced by casting are not of
accurate size and has a bad surface finish too. So it has to be machined to make it accurate
in size and to give it good surface finish. So the original casting is made slightly bigger than
the required size.
3. Draft allowance: When a pattern is drawn from a mould, there is always some possibility
of injuring the edges of the mould. This danger is greatly decreased if the vertical surface
of the pattern is tapered inwards slightly. This allowance is known as draft allowance.
4. Distortion allowance: Due to the variable thickness of the casting, uneven shrinkage
occurs resulting in the bending of the job. So the pattern is made slightly bent in shape in
the opposite direction to overcome this defect. This is known as distortion allowance.
5. Rapping allowance: When the pattern is removed from the mould, the cavity is slightly
increased in size. So, to overcome it, the pattern is made slightly smaller. This is known as
rapping allowance.

Fig.2 Distortion allowance

Different types of patterns:

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 1. One piece pattern: This pattern is the single piece without any joint. This type of pattern
is used for simple jobs.
2. Split pattern: This pattern consist of two parts. One part make the cavity in the cope and
other in the drag. The alignment between the two parts is governed by the dowel pins.
3. Loose piece pattern: Some patterns cannot be withdrawn once they are embedded in the
moulding sand. Such patterns are made with one or more loose pieces to facilitate their
removal from the mould. These loose pieces are attached to the pattern with the help of
dowel pins.
4. Match plate pattern: When split pattern is mounted with one half on one side of the plate
and the other half directly opposite on the other side of the plate, it is known as match plate
pattern.

Fig.3 Types of pattern

5 Core, Core Print and Core Box:

Core: It is a sand mass used to make cavity or holes in a casting. The shape of the core is similar
to the required hole in the casting. Core is made my core sand in core boxes.

Core Print: It is the projection pattern. It forms a seat in the mould. The core is supported in the
seat formed by the core print.

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Core Box: A core box is a pattern made of either wood or metal, into which sand is packed to form
the core. Wooden boxes are commonly used for making a core box but metal boxes are used when
cores are to be made in large number.

Fig.4 Core, Core Print and Core Box

Core Making Procedure:

Core making is done in the following steps

1. Moulding a green sand core
2. Baking
3. Finishing
4. Coating

Moulding a green sand core: Core sand is mixed thoroughly with binder, additive and water.
Core is moulded by hand or machine. Large cores are reinforced with rods for strength. Then the
core sand is placed in a core box and ramming process is done. After ramming the core box is
separated. In this stage, the core is called green sand core.

Baking: The green sand cores are heated in core baking ovens at temperature varying from 200 oC
to 300oC. During heating, moisture is removed. The core becomes very strong.

Finishing: After baking, the rough surfaces of core and unwanted projections are removed by
filling. If the core is made of two pieces, they are pasted together.
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Coating: This finished cores are given a surface coating. Coating gives smooth surface to the
castings. Coating will prevent metal leaking into the core. The coating material generally used is
powered graphite or silica or mica. Coating is applied by brushing and spraying.

6 Moulding Tools:

Shovel: It is instrument used for mixing and tempering moulding sand and for moving from a pile
to the working place.

Riddle: A riddle sometimes called a screen, consists of a circular or square wooden frame fitted
with a standard wire mesh at the bottom .it is used for removing foreign materials such as shot
metal, splinters of wood, etc., from the moulding sand.

Rammer: A hand rmamer is a wooden tool uses for packing or ramming the sand into the mould.
One end called the peen, is wedge shaped, and the opposite end, called the butt, has a flat surface.
Floor rammers are similar in construction but have long handles.

Trowel: A trowel consists of a metal blade fitted with a wooden handle, trowels are employed in
order to smooth or sleek over the surface of moulds. They are also used in repairing the damaged
portion of mould.

Strike –off bar: The strike of bar is a piece of metal or wood with a straight edge. It is used to
strickle or strike-off excess sand from the mould after ramming to provide a level surface.

Sprue pin: A sprue is a tapered peg pushed through the cope to join the moulds, as the peg is
withdrawn it removes the sand, leaving an opening for the metal. The sprue pin forms the riser pin.

Bellow: Bellows are used to blow loose particles of sand from the pattern and the mould cavity,
moulding machine is also provided with a compressed air jet to perform this operation.

Swab: A simple swab is a small brush having long hemp fibers a bulb swab has a rubber bulb to
hold the water and a soft hair brush at the opening end.

Gate cutter: It is a small piece of tin plate shaped such as to cut the gate for removal of extra metal.
This serves as a tool for cutting gates and runners in the mould.

Mallet: A raw hide mallet is used to loosen the pattern in the mould so that it can be withdrawn
without damage to the mould.

Vent rod: A vent rod or wire shaped is used to make a series of small holes to permit gases to
escape while the molten metal is being poured.

Draw spike or screw: It is a pointed steel rod, with a loop at one end. It is used to rap and draw
patterns from the sand. The draw spike is threaded on the end to engage Metal pattern.

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Spirit level: The spirit level is used by the moulder to ensure that his bed of sand moulding machine
table is horizontal.

Types of sand mouldings:

1. Green sand moulding

2. Dry sand moulding
3. Skin dried moulding
4. Loam moulding

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Fig.5 Moulding Tools

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7 Step by Step Process of Green Sand Mould Preparation:

1. The pattern whose casting is made is placed on the wooden board with flat side on the
board.
2. The drag box is taken and it is cleaned from inside so that no loose sand remains attached
to it.
3. The drag is placed on the board.
4. Parting sand is applied slightly over the pattern and the board.
5. Sand is packed in the corners of the board.
6. Sand is filled over the pattern.
7. Using rammer packing is done first from the peen side afterwards from the butt side.
8. Clean the strike –off bar and then by using the strike-off bar remove the excess amount of
sand.
9. The drag is turned upside down.
10. Using bellows loose sand is blown off.
11. The cope box is taken and clay wash is given inside, as done in the case of drag box.
12. The cope is now placed on the drag box.
13. The riser pin and sprue pin are placed opposite to each other in the pattern.
14. Parting sand is applied on the pattern.
15. A vent rod is used for making the escape path for the gases that come out at the time of
casting in the cope.
16. After ramming riser pin and sprue pin are removed.
17. The hole made by the runner has to widen up to facilitate pouring of metal.
18. Draw pin is inserted in the pattern and using gate cutters a gate is cut in drag portion.

Fig. 5 Cross-section of a typical two-part sand mold

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8 Special casting Techniques:

Die casting:

It is a special type of casting used for materials having low melting point. The process
consists of two blocks of heat resistant metals having cavities machined accurately to make the
permanent mould. The molten metal is pushed into the cavity either by gravity or by external
pressure. Fine vents are cut to allow the air to escape as the metal enters. If air gets trapped inside
the mould while pouring the metal, it results in the formation of blow holes in the job.

If the molten metal is poured into the die under the action of gravity, it is called gravity die
casting. And if the metal is injected under external pressure, it is called pressure die casting. By
this method we may have very smooth castings with accurate dimensions. If the parts are small,
several parts may be cast at one time using multiple-cavity die. This process is suitable for lead,
magnesium, tin and zinc alloys.

Advantages:

1. The parts produced by this method are dimensionally accurate and hence the machining
required is very low.
2. The true shape of die can be retained for a longer period e.g. ,it is possible to produce as
much as 100,000 castings in case of zinc base alloys ,75,000 castings in case of copper
base alloys with a single die.
Limitations:

1. Special skill is required for maintenance and supervision of die.

2. Die casting usually contain porosity due to the entrapping of air.

Centrifugal casting:

In this method the molten metal is poured into the mould while it is rotating. The molten
metal is poured at the center of the mould and moves out under the action of centrifugal force. In
this method the impurities, being lighter, remains at the center and hence getting separated from
the outer part. Thus the outer parts of the casting consist of dense and pure metal. The
solidification of the metal starts from the periphery and advances towards the center creating
weak areas at the center. This is caused by meeting of the grain boundaries at final solidification
and entrapping the impurities at the central part.

Advantages:

1. The castings produced are sounder, cleaner and foreign materials are eliminated
completely.
2. Any metal can be cast by this process.

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 Limitations:

1. The process is limited to cylindrical and annular parts with a limited range of sizes.
2. Too high speed may result in surface cracks caused by high stresses set up in the mould.

Investment Casting:

This process is also known by the names like lost wax process or precision casting. In this
process a wax pattern is used that leaves a cavity having all the dimensions of the original piece.
Castings obtained by this process have very close tolerance of the order of ±0.005 mm,
generally this process is used for producing light and intricate parts.

The wax pattern is prepared from the master mould; process doesn’t require split mould for
its manufacturing. The plaster of Paris, gypsum products can be used for non-ferrous material’s
casting. Ethyl silicate or sodium silicate is used for preparation of mould of steel castings.

Advantages:

1. The lost wax or investment casting process can easily reproduce surface finish and every
minute detail of the dimension of the job.
2. In this process the thickness of the piece is not a restriction for the casting even very thin
sections in fractions of mm can be cast.

Limitations:

1. Quite expensive so can only be used for very intricate parts.

2. This process is suitable only for small sized parts.

Permanent mould casting:

The difference between the permanent mould casting and the sand casting is that in sand
casting the moulds are destroyed after solidification of casting while in case of permanent mould
casting the mould is made of such a material having high melting point and can withstand erosion
by the liquid metal at pouring temperature, a enough strength not to deform in repeated use.This
method is mostly used for metals zinc, copper, aluminium, lead, magnesium and tin alloys, grey
iron castings can also be produced by this method.

Advantages:

1. The casting produced by this method has high dimensional accuracy.

2. Casting can be produced in larger quantities and at a faster rate thus making it an economical
process.

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 EXERCISES

Exercise No. 1

Aim: To make the mould of an octagon stepped pulley pattern.

Material required: Moulding sand, parting sand, facing sand, octagon stepped pulley pattern,
moulding boxes etc.

Tools required

Showel, Sieve, Trowel, Rammers, Sprue pin, Strike off bar, Lifter, Gate cutter, Runner, Riser, Vent
rod, Draw spike, Bellow

Sequence of operations:

1. Sand preparation
2. Core preperation
3. Placing the pattern on the moulding board
4. Ramming of drag
5. Placing runner and riser
6. Ramming of cope
7. Removal of pattern, runner, riser
8. Gate cutting

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Working steps:

1. The octagon stepped pulley pattern is placed on the moulding sand board.
2. A suitable core is prepared and placed in the hole of the octagon pulley pattern.
3. Clay washing is done inside the drag surface.
4. Parting sand is applied over the pattern.

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 5. Box is filled with smooth moulding sand and proper ramming done using flat and peen
rammers.
6. Excess sand is removed using the strike off bar.
7. The drag is turned upside down.
8. The cope is placed on the drag after doing clay wash.
9. The runner and riser are placed over the pattern.
10. After applying parting sand, moulding sand is filled over the pattern.
11. Ramming is done to get a rigid mould.
12. Using strike off bar excess sand is removed.
13. Vent holes are made using vent rod.
14. Runner and riser are removed and a funnel shape is made on the runner hole.
15. Cope is kept aside and the pattern is removed using draw spike.
16. Gate is prepared using gate cutter.
17. The cope is placed on the drag.

Result: Thus the desired octagon stepped pulley mould is prepared and is ready for pouring the
molten material.

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Exercise No. 2

Aim: To make the mould of a grooved pulley pattern.

Material required: Moulding sand, parting sand, facing sand, grooved pulley pattern, moulding
boxes etc.

Tools required: Showel, Sieve, Trowel, Rammers, Sprue pin, Strike off bar, Lifter, Gate cutter,
Runner, Riser, Vent rod, Draw spike, Bellow

Sequence of operations:

1. Sand preparation
2. Core preperation
3. Placing the pattern on the moulding board
4. Ramming of drag
5. Placing runner and riser
6. Ramming of cope
7. Removal of pattern, runner, riser
8. Gate cutting

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Working steps:

1. The two half parts of grooved pulley pattern are fitted and placed on the moulding board.
2. A suitable core is prepared in the hole of the grooved pulley pattern.
3. Clay washing is done inside the cheek box surface.
4. Parting sand is applied over the pattern.
5. Cheek box is filled with smooth moulding sand and proper ramming is done using flat and
peen rammers.
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 6. Excess sand is removed using the strike off bar.
7. Cope box is fitted with cheek and the sand is filled and ramming is done after placing a
sprue pin.
8. The assembly is turned upside down.
9. Now drag is fitted and moulding sand is rammed.
10. It is drawn up to remove top half pattern.
11. Entire assembly is rolled over again.
12. The cope is drawn and remaining part of pattern is removed from cheek.
13. Finally the cheek and cope box is assembled over the drag box.

Result: Thus the grooved pulley mould is prepared and for casting.

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