4/10/2021

DAM 14201
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
WORKSHOP II
CASTING

HAFSA BINTI MOHAMMAD NOOR

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Centre for Diploma Studies
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

Outline
1. Manufacturing processes
2. Solidification processes – Casting of metals
3. Expendable casting
 Sand Casting
 Wax Casting – Plaster of Paris Mold (POP)
 Lost Foam Casting

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Manufacturing Processes
 Manufacturing is the process of
turning raw materials or parts into
finished goods through the use of
tools, human labor, machinery, and
chemical processing.

Classification of manufacturing processes

Solidification Processes
 Starting work material is either a liquid or is in a highly plastic
condition, and a part is created through solidification of the material
 Starting material is heated sufficiently to transform it into a liquid
or highly plastic state
 Examples: metal casting, plastic molding

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Classification of solidification processes

Metal Casting
• Casting is a manufacturing process whereby the desired material is heated
to the liquid state, then introduced into a previously prepared mold cavity
of proper design, and allowed to solidify in the mold before being
extracted, trimmed and cleaned.
• Casting processes involve the use of molten material, usually metal. This
molten material is then poured into a mold cavity that takes the form of
the finished part.
• Casting uses the idea that a liquid metal can take the shape of any vessel
containing it.
• When the metal cools it has taken the shape of its container.
• Casting is one of the most versatile manufacturing processes.

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Metal Casting Method

• Expendable mold/pattern
 Mold/pattern is sacrificed to remove part
 Advantage : more complex shapes possible
 Disadvantages : production rates often limited by time to make mold rather
than casting itself

• Permanent mold
 Mold is made of metal and can be used to make many castings
 Advantage : higher production rates
 Disadvantages : geometries limited by need to open mold

Manufacturing Process Metal

Casting

Method Expendable
Mold
Expendable
Pattern
Permanent
Mold

Technique Sand Shell Lost Foam Plaster Ceramic

Investment
Casting

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Advantages of Casting

 Low cost and quick

 Easier to manufacture
 Can produce intricate shapes and internal openings
 Can produce parts in one piece
 Best suited for composite components

Typical application
 Automotive
Engine block, pistons, rods, cam, crankshaft, manifolds, valve lifters, brake
drum, brake cylinder, transmission case, differential case, wheels

 Plumbing
Valve bodies, pipe fittings, pipe, control handles

 Aerospace
Avionics cases, seat parts, window bezels, turbine parts, handles, levers

 Machine Tools
Base, carriage, ways, tailstock, knee

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Casting Defects
 Those characteristic that create a deficiency or imperfection contrary
to the quality specifications imposed by the design and the service
requirement
 Major defects which cannot be rectified, resulting in rejection of the
casting and total loss
 Defects that can be remedied but whose cost of repair may not be
justify the salvage attempt
 Minor defects, which clearly allow the casting to be economically
salvaged and thereby leave a reasonable margin for profit.

Examples of hot tears in castings. These defects occur because the casting cannot
shrink freely during cooling, owing to constraints in various portions of the molds and
cores. Exothermic (heat-producing) compounds may be used (as exothermic padding) to
control cooling at critical sections to avoid hot tearing.

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Examples of common defects in castings. These defects can be minimized or eliminated

by proper design and preparation of, molds and control of pouring procedures

SAND CASTING

HAFSA BINTI MOHAMMAD NOOR

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Centre for Diploma Studies
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

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Sand Casting
 Sand casting is one of the older techniques. In this form a mold is made
from sand, and the part is cast into it. When the metal has hardened and
cooled the part is removed, and the sand removed
 Most commonly used method of casting
 Inexpensive tooling
 Can be used for most metals
 No limit to size, shape, or weight of cast parts
 Coarse finish may required extra machining
 Limited control of tolerances.

Sand Casting
Sand casting requires a pattern which defines the external
shape of the cast part. There are various types of pattern
such as solid pattern, split pattern, match plate pattern
and cope and drag pattern. In match plate pattern, the
two pieces of spilt pattern are attached to opposite sides of
wood or metal plate.

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Pattern
 Patterns are made of wood, metal and plastics – the material
must be stronger if a large number of molds are to be made.
 A parting agent can be used on a pattern to allow easy
removal after the mold is made
 Design of the patterns should include consideration of
shrinkage
 Slight taper should be added to the sides all patterns this will
make them easy to remove from the completed mold. i.e. a
cone is easier to remove than a cylinder
 Pattern types:
1. One piece patterns (loose or solid patterns) – low
quantity simple shapes
2. Split patterns – for complex shapes made in two
patterns for each half of the part.

Mold
• Contains cavity whose geometry determines
part shape
• Actual size and shape of cavity must be
slightly oversized to allow for shrinkage of
metal during solidification and cooling
• Molds are made by compacting sand around
the shape of the pattern
• Two forms of mold:
(a) open mold – simply a container in the shape
of the desired part
(b) closed mold – the mold geometry is more
complex and requires a gating system
(passageway) leading into the cavity.

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Gating System
• Channel through which molten metal flows into cavity from outside of mold.
• Consists of a down sprue, through which metal enters a runner leading to the
main cavity.
• At the top of down sprue, a pouring cup is often used to minimize splash and
turbulence as the metal flows into down sprue.

1. Flask -- the frame and support

2. Cope -- the upper half of sand mold
3. Drag -- the lower half of the sand mold
4. Pouring basin -- orifice where molten metal is poured
into the mold
5. Sprue -- vertical channel through which molten metal
flows downward into mold
6. Runners -- channels that carry molten metal from
sprue to mold
7. Riser -- reservoirs to supply the molten metal needed
to make up shrinkage losses during solidification.
8. Gate -- portion of runner through which the molten
metal enters the mold cavity, used to trap
contaminants
9. Vents -- openings used to carry off gases given off by
the metal and exhaust air
10. Cores -- insets used to produce interior cavities
11. Chills -- used to increase the rate of solidification by
controlling thermal heat transfer
12. Pattern -- shape used to mold the shape of the casting

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1. Sprue – is a vertical channel though which the molten

metal flows downward in the mold
2. Runners – channels that carry the molten metal from
the sprue to the mold cavity
3. Gate – is the portion of the runner though which the
molten metal enters the mold cavity
4. Risers – serve as reservoirs to supply the molten metal
necessary to prevent shrinkage

Common Types of Sand Molds

1. Green molding sand
 Mixture of sand, clay, and water.
 Least expensive
 Used for large parts
 Require drying
2. Cold box sands
 Blends in inorganic and organic binders to chemically bond sand grains
 Maintains more accurate tolerances of casting
 More expensive than green sand
3. No-bake molds
 Liquid resin is mixed with sand which hardens at room temperature

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6-Step Process of Sand Casting

Step #6)
Step #4) Break Open
Step #2)
Pour Molten Mold to Remove
Set Up the Metal Into Mold the Metal
Gating System Cavity Casting

1 2 3 4 5 6

Step #1) Step #3) Step #5)

Place Mold Remove the Wait for Metal to
Pattern in Sand Mold Pattern Cool

Choose the product model pattern Prepare the green sand Green sand mix ratio is
7:3:1 where sand is 7, 3
is clay and 1 is water

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Pour some parting powder on the Sieve the green powder before
pattern before packing the green sand entering the flask

Packed the pattern into

sand mold

Make a pouring resin channel to Take out the sprue by Pour the molten metal into sand mold
the sprue before pouring the using the caliper
molten metal

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Break up the mold to remove casting

Allow time for metal to solidify and separate gating and riser system

WAX CASTING
Plaster of Paris Mold (POP)

HAFSA BINTI MOHAMMAD NOOR

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Centre for Diploma Studies
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

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Plaster of Paris Mold (POP)

• Plaster mold casting is a metalworking casting process similar to sand casting except the
molding material is plaster of Paris instead of sand.
• Plaster mold casting is used when an excellent surface finish and good dimensional accuracy is
required. Plaster mold casting allows for the fabrication of more complicated parts.
• Like sand casting, plaster mold casting is an expendable mold process, however it can only be
used with non-ferrous materials.

Parts made from plaster mold casting (left) and example of plaster mold (right)

Equipment/Materials
• Plaster of Paris, ruler, water, weighing machine, pattern, sprue

The actual master pattern

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Preparation of POP Mold

Step 1:
Determine the weight of the ingredients needed for the plaster mixture. Measure the
volume of the pattern container. From the volume we can determine the weight of
the water needed. The ratio of water and plaster of Paris is 1:1.4

Preparation of POP Mold

Step 2:
Prepare the mold on drag part. Mix both ingredients and pour the mixture into the
container of pattern and then stir the mixture by using hand. Allow the plaster to
solidify for about 30 minutes. Remove mold from the pattern container.

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Preparation of POP Mold

Step 3:
Prepare the mold for cope part. Repeat the same procedure of preparing the
mold for the drag part. Put the sprue to create the channel for the mold. Take
out the part after it solidifies.

Preparation of POP Mold

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 The mold is then baked between 120 °C (248 °F) and 260 °C (500 °F) to
remove any excess water.
 Once the mold is dry, it is assembled, preheated, and the molten metal is
poured into it.
 Finally, after the metal hardens, the plaster is broken from the cast part.
 The mold is usually damaged from the metal so reusing is usually not done.
 It usually goes through finishing processes such as cleaning, grinding, heat
treating, and blasting.

LOST FOAM CASTING

HAFSA BINTI MOHAMMAD NOOR

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Centre for Diploma Studies
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

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Lost Foam Casting

• The lost foam process uses a mold of sand packed around a polystyrene
foam pattern which vaporizes when molten metal is poured into mold.
• Lost foam casting is a type of evaporative pattern casting process that is
similar to investment casting except foam is used for the pattern instead
of wax.
• Pattern need not be removed from the mold. Patterns have low strength
and a new pattern is needed for every casting.
• Flexibility of foam. Foam is easy to manipulate, carved and glued.
• Poor surface finish.

Basic steps of the lost foam casting process

1 2 3 4 5 6
Step #1) Step #2) Step #3) Step #4) Step #5) Step #6)
Pattern Molding Pattern/Cluster Pattern Coating Sand Fill and Metal Casting Shakeout,
Assembly and Drying Compaction and Cooling Clean-up, and
Finishing

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Design – Product with/without gating system

Step 1:
Prepare the product model from polystyrene.

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Step 2:
Joint the gating system of polystyrene model using glue and let the joint
dry.

Step 3:
Put the polystyrene model into the mold box and packed the pattern with
silica sand.

Step 4:
Pour the molten metal into
the mold through the sprue.

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Step 5:
Allowed the part to cool and remove the metal part from the mold.

Thank You

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