Production Technology I

Metal Casting
J.BABU
AssociateProfessor Department of Mechanical Engineering Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology

Lecture Objectives
Chapters Manufacturing Background Manufacturing Processes History of Casting Advantages of casting

Limitations of casting
Applications of casting Metal Casting Terminology Steps involved in making casting

Lecture Objectives
Patterns Pattern making Types of patterns Materials used for pattern

Pattern
- Pattern is a replica of the object to be made by the casting process - Patterns are used to mold the sand mixture into the shape of the casting. - Made of wood, plastic or metal.

Types of Patterns
Single piece pattern Split/two piece pattern

Gated pattern
Cope and drag pattern Match plate pattern

Loose piece pattern

Follow board Pattern Sweep pattern

Skeleton pattern

Single Piece Patterns

Inexpensive and simplest type of pattern. Made of single piece. Used in cases where the job is simple and doesnt create withdrawal problems. Used of applications in very small scale production or in prototype development. One of the surface is flat and used as the parting plane. No flat surface Complication & hence follow board is used.

Split/Two Piece Pattern

Mostly used for intricate castings. Pattern is split into 2 halves: 1 part in drag and other in cope. When the contour of the casting makes its withdrawal difficult from the

mold.
Depth of the casting is too high. Split surface of the pattern is the parting plane of the mould. Two halves of the pattern are aligned using the dowel pins fitted in cope half which match precisely with holes made drag half.

Dowel Pins

Gated Patterns
Improved version of simple pattern. Gating and runner system integrated in this pattern. Hand cutting of runners and gates are eliminated Productivity improvement of a moulder.

Cope and Drag Pattern

Similar to split pattern. In addition to splitting the pattern, the cope and drag halves of the pattern along with the gating and risering systems are attached separately to the metal or wooden plates along with the alignment pins. They are called the cope and drag patterns. The cope and drag moulds may be produced using these patterns separately by two moulders but they can be assembled to form a complete mould. These types of patterns are used for castings which are heavy and inconvenient for handling as also for continuous production.

Match plate Pattern

Extensions of the previous type. Cope and drag patterns along with the gating and the risering are mounted on a single matching metal or wooden plate on either side as shown in Figure. On one side of the match plate the cope flask is prepared and on the other, the drag flask. After moulding when the match plate is removed, a complete mould with gating is obtained by joining the cope and the drag together. The complete pattern with match plate is entirely made of metal Aluminium most commonly used, light weight and machinability. Steel - when dimensions are critical.

Match plate Pattern cont..

Flat parting plane - The pattern and gating are either screwed to the match plate irregular parting plane - Are made integral. The casting of a match plate pattern plaster moulds/sand When the cope and the drag patterns are similar, pattern kept on only one side of the plate and is used for making both the drag as well as the cope. Used for small castings with higher dimensional accuracy and large production. The gating system is already made and attached to the match plate. Several patterns can be fixed to a single match plate, if they are sufficiently small in size. These patterns are used for machine moulding. Expensive but since they increase productivity, the additional cost is justified.

Loose Piece Pattern

Used when the contour of the part is such that withdrawing the pattern from the mould is not possible. During moulding the obstructing part of the contour is held as a loose piece by a wire. After moulding is over, first the main pattern is removed and then the loose pieces are recovered through the gap generated by the main pattern. Moulding with loose pieces is a highly skilled job and is generally expensive Should be avoided where possible.

Follow Board Pattern

Adopted for those castings where there are some portions which are structurally weak and if not supported properly are likely to break under the force of ramming. Bottom board is modified as a follow board to closely fit the contour of the weak pattern support it during the ramming of the drag. During the preparation of the cope, no follow board is necessary because the sand which is compacted in the drag will support the fragile pattern.

Sweep Pattern
Used to sweep complete pattern by means of a plane sweep. Used for generating large shapes which are axis-symmetrical or prismatic in nature ex. Bell shaped or cylindrical.

Greatly reduces the cost of a 3-dimensional pattern.

Suitable for large castings ex. bells for ornamental purposes which are cast in pit molds.

Skeleton Pattern
Skeleton pattern made of wood is used for building final pattern which is made by packing sand around the skeleton. The desired form is obtained by removing the excess sand using a strickle (foundry tool used to shape a mold in sand). Skeleton depends upon the geometry of the workpiece. Skeleton pattern used for very large castings required in small quantities where large expense on complete wooden pattern is not economical.

Pattern Materials
Usual materials: wood, metal and plastics.

Wood
Most commonly used pattern material. Varieties of woods: Pine, mahogany, teak, walnut and deodar Advantages - Easily available - Low weight - Cheap - Easy to shape Disadvantages - Absorbs moisture distortions and dimensional changes occur. - Proper seasoning and upkeep of wood helps is necessary for large scale use. Plywood Boards (vaneer type) and particle boards also used in pattern making. Advantages: Available in different thicknesses, higher strength and no seasoning required. Disadvantages: Can only be used in flat patterns with no 3-dimensional contours.

Comparative Characteristics of Metallic Pattern Materials

Pattern metal
Aluminium alloys

Advantages
Good machinability High corrosion resistance Low density Good surface finish Good machinability High strength Low cost Good surface finish High strength Good surface finish High strength High corrosion resistance Good machinability

Disadvantages
Low strength High cost

Grey cast iron

Corrosion prone High density Corrosion prone High density High cost High density High cost High density Low strength

Steel

Brass and bronze

Lead alloys

Pattern Materials based on Expected Life

Number of castings produced before pattern equipment repair
Pattern 2,000 Small castings (under 600 mm) 6,000 100,000 Medium castings (600 1,800 mm) Large castings (above 1,800 mm) 1,000 3,000 200 500 Core 2,000 6,000 100,000 750 3,000 150 500 Hard wood Aluminum, plastic Cast iron Hard wood Aluminum, plastic Soft wood Hard wood metal reinforced

Pattern material

Metal Casting- Fundamentals

Casting
- Pouring molten metal into a mold patterned after the part to be manufactured. - Allowing it to cool. - Removing metal from the mold

Important considerations in casting operations

- The flow of the molten metal into the mold cavity. - The solidification and cooling of the metal in the mold. - The influence of the type of mold material.