Metal Casting Processes

Outline
11.1 introduction

11.2 expendable-mold , permanent-pattern casting processes

11.2.1 sand casting

11.2.2 shell molding
11.2.3 plaster molding
11.2.4 ceramics mold casting

11.3 expendable-mold , expendable-pattern casting processes

11.3.1 evaporative pattern casting (lost foam process)

11.3.2 investment casting (lost wax process)
 Casting

• Casting: process in which molten metal flows

by gravity or other force into a mold where it
solidifies in the shape of the mold cavity.

Steps in casting seem simple :

1. Melt the metal.
2. Pour it into a mold.
3. Let it freeze.
• Factors affect the choice of the casting process
used:

– Production cost.
– Production rate.
– Size.
– Shape.
– Surface finish.
– Dimensional tolerance.
 11.1 INTRODUCTION
• TWO TRENDS are currently having a major impact on
the casting industry :

1. MECHANIZATION AND AUTOMATION of the casting

process , which has led to significant changes in the
use of equipment and labor . Advanced machinery
and automated process control systems have replaced
traditional methods of casting.
2. The increasing demand for HIGH-QUALITY CASTING
with close dimensional tolerances and no defects.
Summary of Casting Processes
CATEGORIES OF CASTING PROCESS.
1. Expendable mold process :

. Which typically are made of sand , plaster , ceramics , and

similar materials and generally are mixed with various
binders, these materials are refractories( capable of
withstanding the high temperatures of molten metals ) .

. The mold ( which broken up to remove the casting ) is

produced from a pattern , in some process (sand &shell
casting) the mold is expendable but the pattern is reused
to produce several molds. Such process are referred to as
expendable-mold , permanent-pattern casting process.
CATEGORIES OF CASTING PROCESS.
2.Permanent molds :

• Which are made of metals that maintain

strength at high temperatures . They are used
repeatedly and are designed in such a way that
the casting can be removed easily and the mold
used for the next casting. Metals molds are better
heat conductors than expendable nonmetallic
molds , the solidifying is subjected to a higher
rate of cooling , which in turn affects the
microstructure and grain size within the casting.
CATEGORIES OF CASTING PROCESS.
3.Composite molds :

• Which are made of two or more different

materials (sand, graphite, and metal) combining
the advantages of each material. These molds
have a permanent and an expendable portion
and are used in various casting processes to
improve mold strength , control the cooling rates
, and optimize the overall economics of the
casting process.
Summary of Casting Processes
Characteristics of Casting
 Typical Cast Parts

(c)

(a)

(b) (d)
Figure 11.1 (a) Typical gray-iron castings used in automobiles, including the transmission valve body
(left) and the hub rotor with disk-brake cylinder (front). Source: Courtesy of Central Foundry
Division of General Motors Corporation. (b) A cast transmission housing. (c) The Polaroid PDC-2000
digital camera with a AZ191D die-cast high-purity magnesium case. (d) A two-piece Polaroid camera
case made by the hot-chamber die-casting process. Source: Courtesy of Polaroid Corporation and
Chicago White Metal Casting, Inc.
12
Dr. Khaleel Abushgair
XPENDABLE-MOLD/ PERMANENT
PATTERN CASTING PROCESSES.

• Sand casting
• shell casting
• plaster molding
• ceramics mold casting
 11.2.1 SAND CASTING
• The traditional method of casting metals is in sand molds.

• Most widely used casting process, accounting for a

significant majority of total tonnage cast.

• Nearly all alloys can be sand casted , including metals with

high melting temperatures , such as steel, nickel, and
titanium.

• Casting range in size from small to very large.

• Production quantities from one to millions.

 SAND
• Most sand casting operations use silica sand(SiO2)
• Sand is inexpensive and is suitable as mold material
because of its resistance to high temperatures.
• There are 2 general types of sand : NUTURALLY BONDED &
SYNTHETIC.
• Several factors are important in the selection of sand for
molds. Sand having fine, round grains can be closely
packed and forms a smooth mold surface. Although fine-
grained sand enhances mold strength, the fine grains also
lower mold permeability.
• Good permeability of molds and cores allows gases and
steam evolved during casting to escape easily .
• Clay is used as cohesive agent to give sand better strength.
Production Steps in Sand-Casting

Figure 11.2 Outline of production steps in a typical sand-casting operation.

 SAND MOLD FEATURES

1. placing a pattern having the shape of the

desired casting in sand to make an imprint.
2. Incorporating a gating system.
3. Filling-the resulting cavity with molten metal.
4. allowing the metal to cool until it solidifies.
5. breaking away the sand mold.
6. removing the casting.
 SAND MOLD FEATURES

Figure 11.3 Schematic illustration of a sand mold, showing various features.

 SAND MOLD FEATURES

• Mold consists of two halves:

- cope : upper half of mold.
- drag : bottom half.
• Mold halves are contained in a box , called a
flask.
• The two halves separate at the parting line.
 TYPES OF SAND MOLDS

• Sand molds are characterized by the types of

sand that comprise them and by the methods
used to produce them.
• There are three basic of types of:
- green-sand.
- cold-box.
- no-bake molds.
 GREEN SAND MOLD
• The most common mold material is green molding sand, which is a mixture
of sand, clay, and water.
• The term “green” refers to the fact that the sand in the mold is moist.
• Green-sand molding is the least expensive method of making molds.
• In the skin-dried method, the mold surfaces are dried, either by storing the
mold in air by drying it with torches.
• Sand molds are also oven dried(baked) prior to pouring the molten metal,
they are stronger than green-sand molds and impart better dimensional
accuracy and surface finish to the casting.
• However, this method has drawbacks:
- distortion of the mold is greater, the castings are more susceptible to hot
tearing because of the lower collapsibility of the mold.
- production rate is slower because of the drying time required.
 COLD-BOX MOLD
(DRY SAND MOLD)
• In the cold-box mold process, various organic
and inorganic binders rather than clay are
blended into the sand to bond the grains
chemically for greater strength.

• These molds are dimensionally more accurate

than green-sand molds but are more
expensive.
 NO-BAKE MOLD PROCESS

• In the no-bake mold process, a synthetic

liquid resin is mixed with the sand, the
mixture hardens at room temperature.
• Because bonding of the mold in this and in the
cold-box process takes place without heat,
they are called cold-setting processes.
 DESIRABLE MOLD PROPERTIES

• Strength: to maintain shape and resist.

• Permeability: to allow steam to pass through
voids in sand.
• Thermal stability: to resist cracking on contact
with molten metal.
• Collapsibility: ability to give way and allow
casting to shrink without cracking the casting.
• Reusability: can sand from broken mold be
reused to make other molds.
THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF SAND
MOLDS
 THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF SAND MOLDS

1. The mold itself, which is supported by a flask. Two-piece

molds consist of a cope on the top and a drag on the
bottom. The seam between them is the parting line.
When more than two pieces are used, the additional parts
are called cheeks.
2. A pouring basin or pouring cup, into which the molten
metal is poured.
3. A sprue, through which the molten metal flows
downward.
4. The runner system, which has channels carry the molten
metal from the sprue to the mold cavity. Gates are the
inlets into the mold cavity.
5. Risers, which supply additional metal to the casting as it
shrinks during solidification. There are two different types
of risers: a blind riser and an open riser.
6. cores, which are inserts made from sand. They
are placed in the mold to from hollow regions
or otherwise define the interior surface of the
casting.

7. vents, which are placed in molds to carry off

gases produced when the molten metal
comes into contact with the sand in the mold
and core. They also exhaust air from the mold
cavity as the molten metal flows into the mold
 PATTERN
• Patterns are used to mold the sand mixture into the shape of the
casting.
They may be made of WOOD, PLASTIC, OR METAL.
• The selection of a pattern material depends on the size and shape
of the casting, the dimensional accuracy, the quantity of castings
required, and the molding process.
• One-piece patterns, also called loose or solid patterns, are generally
used for simpler shapes and low quantity production. They are
generally made of wood and are inexpensive.
• Split patterns are two-piece patterns made such that each part
forms a portion of the cavity for the casting, in this way, castings
with complicated shapes can be produced.
• Matched plate patterns
 PATTERN

• Pattern design is a crucial aspect of the total

casting operation.
• The design should provide for metal
shrinkage, ease of removal from the sand
mold by means of a draft and proper metal
flow in the mold cavity.
Pattern Design
 CORES

• Full-scale model of interior surfaces of part.

• It is inserted into the mold cavity prior to
pouring.
• The molten metal flows and solidifies between
the mold cavity and the core to form the
casting’s external and internal surfaces.
• May require support to hold it in position in
the mold cavity during pouring, called
chaplets.
 Sand Cores

Figure 11.6 Examples of sand cores showing core prints and chaplets to support cores.
 Permanent-Mold Casting
• Called hard-mold casting
• Two halves of a mold are made from materials such as iron, steel,
bronze, or other alloys
• The mold cavity and gating system are machined in to the mold
• Cores are placed in to the mold prior to casting for producing cavities
• Typical core materials are
– Oil-bonded or resin-boned sand
– Plaster
– Graphite
– Gray iron
– Low-carbon steel
– Hot-worked die steel
• Mold cavity surfaces are coated with refractory slurry to increase the
life of the mold every few castings
• Mechanical ejectors are used to remove complex parts
• Can produce high production rates
• Good surface finish
 Die Casting
• Molten metal is forced into the die cavity at pressures ranging
from0.7MPa – 700MPa
• Parts made from here range from:
– Hand tools
– Toys
– Appliance components
• There are two basic tyFurther example of permanent-mold
casting
• ty pes of die casting machines
– Hot-chamber - involves the use of a piston to push molten
metal in to the die cavity
– Cold-chamber – molten metal is poured in to the injection
chamber & the shot chamber is not heated
Hot chamber Die-casting process
• 1. The die is closed and the
piston rises, opening the
port and allowing molten
metal to fill the cylinder.

• 2. The plunger moves

down and seals the port
pushing the molten metal
through the gooseneck and
nozzle into the die cavity,
where it is held under
pressure until it solidifies.
• 3. The die opens and the
cores, if any, retract. The
casting remains in only one
die, the ejector side. The
plunger returns, allowing
residual molten metal to flow
back through the nozzle and
gooseneck.

• 4. Ejector pins push the casting

out of the ejector die. As the
plunger uncovers the filling
hole, molten metal flows
through the inlet to refill the
gooseneck, as in step (1).
Hot-Chamber Die-Casting

Figure 11.17 Schematic illustration of the hot-chamber die-casting process.

•800 ton hot chamber die casting machine, DAM 8005. This is the largest hot
chamber machine in the world and costs about $1.25 million.
 Cold-Die casting process
• 1. The die is closed and the
molten metal is ladled into the
cold-chamber shot sleeve.

• 2. The plunger pushes the molten

metal into the die cavity where it
is held under pressure until
solidification.
 • 3. The die opens and the plunger
advances, to ensure that the
casting remains in the ejector die.
Cores, if any, retract.

• 4. Ejector pins push the casting

out of the ejector die and the
plunger returns to its original
position.
 Cold-Chamber Die-Casting

Figure 11.18 Schematic illustration of the cold-chamber die-casting process. These

machines are large compared to the size of the casting, because high forces are required
to keep the two halves of the dies closed under pressure.
Process Capabilities and Machine Selection
– Dies are rated according to their clamping force that is needed
– Factors involved in selection of die cast machines are
• Die size
• Piston stroke
• Shot pressure
• Cost
– Die-casting dies
• Single cavity
• Multiple-cavity
• Combination-cavity
• Unit dies
– Ratio of Die weight to part weight is 1000 to 1
– Surface cracking is a problem with dies due to the hot metal that is
poured in to them
– Has ability to produce strong high- quality parts with complex shapes
– Good dimensional accuracy and surface details
 Various types of cavities in a die casting die.

a) Single – cavity die c) Combination die

b) Multiple – cavity die

d) Unit die
 Centrifugal Casting
• Utilizes the inertial forces caused by rotation to distribute the molten metal in
to the mold cavities
• First used in the 1800’;s
• Three types of centrifugal casting
– True centrifugal casting
– Semi centrifugal casting
– Centrifuging

• Schematic illustration of the centrifugal casting process. Pipes, cylinder liners, and
similarly shaped parts can be cast with this process.
 Types of Melting Furnaces

• Electric-arc furnace
• Induction furnace
• Crucible furnace
• Cupolas
 Types of Melting Furnaces

Figure 11.26 Two types of melting furnaces used in foundries: (a)

crucible, and (b) cupola.
THE END