DM-I

CO-1
Special Castings Material
The sand moulds may be used for casting ferrous and non-ferrous metals, but these moulds can
be used only once, because the mould is destroyed after the metal has solidified. This will
increase the cost of production. The sand moulds also, cannot maintain smooth surface finish.
Whenever conventional sand casting can’t produce good results there special casting techniques
are used.

Advantages:
• Greater dimensional accuracy.
• Good surface finish
• Higher metallurgical quality.
• Castings free from defects.
• Lower production cost.
• Stronger & more ductile & Higher production rates.

Classification of special casting techniques

1. Metal mold casting
a. Gravity/Permanent mold casting
b. Die casting i) Hot chamber process
ii) Cold chamber process
c. Slush casting
d. Pressed casting

2. Non metallic mold casting

a. Centrifugal casting
b. Carbon dioxide molding
c. Investment mold casting
d. Shell molding
e. Plaster molding.

3. Continuous castings

SHELL MOLDING

Shell molding is a process for producing simple or complex shape castings, maintaining tight
tolerances and a high degree of dimensional stability. Shell molding is a method for making high
quality castings for steel, iron, non ferrous alloys. It is a process in which sand mixed with
thermosetting resin (phenol formaldehyde) is allowed to come in to contact with heated metallic
pattern plate, so that a thin & strong shell of mold is formed around pattern. The shell is
removed from pattern & this shell is kept in mold boxes with necessary backing material &
molten metal is poured into shells (molds).
Procedural steps:

Metal pattern have a profile of required casting is heated to 175-370º C in an oven. Pattern after
being heated is taken out from oven & sprayed with a solution of lubricating agent (calcium/ zinc
sterate) to prevent the shell from sticking to metal pattern & improves flowability. Metal pattern
is then turned face down & clamped over the open end of dump box. This dump box contains
sand resin mixture i.e. 4-6 kg of phenol formaldehyde (thermosetting resin binder) to each 100kg
of sand. Dump box is inverted so that dry sand resin mix falls in to face of hot metal pattern. As
dump box is turned to its original position, excess sand resin mixture falls back in to dump box
leaving shell (3.5mm) close to pattern. Shell is then stripped/ separated from metal plate with
help of ejector pins. After shells so obtained have cooled, 2 mating shells are securely fastened
together to form complete mold. Back up material is used to support shells. Then molten metal is
poured in to prepared cavity.

Advantages:
 Smoother cavity surface permits easier flow of molten metal and better surface finish
1.25 µm to 3.75 µm
 Good dimensional accuracy - machining often not required
 Process can be used for all cast metals.
 Can be mechanized for mass production.
 Unskilled labour can be employed.

Disadvantages:
 The patterns are very expensive and therefore are economical only if used in large scale
production.
 Size of the casting obtained by shell molding is limited.
 Highly complicated shapes cannot be obtained.
  High resin cost.

Applications:
• Crankshaft fabrication
• Steel casting parts, fittings
• Molded tubing fabrication
• Hydraulic control housing fabrication
• Automotive castings (cylinder heads for air cooled i.c engines for grey iron &
aluminium)
• Cast tooth bevel gears

INVESTMENT CASTING
Investment casting process also called lost wax process begins with the production of wax
replicas or patterns of the desired shape of the castings. The patterns are prepared by injecting
wax or polystyrene in a metal dies. A number of patterns are attached to a central wax sprue to
form a assembly. The mold is prepared by surrounding the pattern with refractory slurry that can
set at room temperature. The mold is then heated so that pattern melts and flows out, leaving a
clean cavity behind. The mould is further hardened by heating and the molten metal is poured
while it is still hot. When the casting is solidified, the mold is broken and the casting taken out.

Basic steps of the investment casting process are:

1. Wax patterns are produced

2. Several patterns are attached to a sprue to form a pattern tree
3. the pattern tree is coated with a thin layer of refractory material
4. the full mold is formed by covering the coated tree with sufficient refractory material to
make it rigid
5. Mold is held in an inverted position and heated to melt the wax and permit it to drip out of
the cavity
6. The mold is preheated to a high temperature, the molten metal is poured, and it solidifies
7. The mold is broken away from the finished casting and the parts are separated from the sprue
Advantages:
• Intricate shapes with parts weighing from 1g to 35 kg can be casted.
• Extremely thin sections 0.75 mm can be casted succesfully.
• Mass production of small sized castings.
•
Dis Advantages:
• Process is slow.
• Production of wax patterns, then investment molds make process relatively expensive.
• Need skilled labor/worker
•
Applications:
• Wide variety of ferrous & non ferrous metals with close tolerances.
• Used for preparation of jewellery, surgical instruments.
• Products made are vanes, blades for gas turbines, bolts & triggers for fire arms, steel
valve bodies, sewing machines.

DIE CASTING
A sand mould is usable for production of only one casting. It cannot be used twice. Die is
essentially a metal mould and can be used again and again. Die is usually made in two portions.
One portion is fixed ,other is movable. Together, they contain the mould cavity in all its details.
After clamping or locking the two halves of the dies together molten metal is introduced into the
dies. If the molten metal is fed by gravity into the dies, the process is known as gravity die
casting process. On the other hand, if metal is forced (20- 2000 kgf/cm 2 ) into the dies under
pressure (a piston in a cylinder pushes the material through cylinder nozzle), process is called
“pressure die casting”. Die casting is used for mass production of lead, tin, magnesium, zinc
alloys where accurately dimensioned parts are required. Motors, machine components, hand
tools, toys. Weight of components are 90 gms to 25 kgs.

Steps in Die Casting

1. Close and lock the two halves of a die after coating the mould cavity surfaces with a
mould wash, if specified.
2. Inject the molten metal under pressure into the die.
3. Maintain the pressure until metal solidifies.
4. Open die halves.
5. Eject the casting along with runner, riser etc.
 6. Die casting needs ejectors to push the casting after it gets solidified . The above cycle is
repeated.

Hot Chamber Process

• Metal is melted in a container, and a piston injects liquid metal under high pressure into
the die.
• High production rates - 500 parts per hour
• Applications limited to low melting-point metals that do not chemically attack plunger
and other mechanical components
• Casting metals: zinc, tin, lead

Cold Chamber Process

• Used mainly for higher melting point metals and alloys like Aluminum, Magnesium,
Copper.
• In this process, metal is forced into die cavity at pressures as high as 150 MPa .
• The storing chamber is not heated.

Advantages
• Very high production rate is achieved.
• Surface finish is 0.8 microns
• Longer die life
• Less floor space required.
• This process produces high quality, defect free castings.

Disadvantages
• Complex and large machinery: expensive
• Large parts cannot be cast.
• Heavy castings cannot be casted.
• Cost of die & die casting equipment is high.

CENTRIFUGAL CASTING
In centrifugal casting, a permanent mold is rotated about its axis at high speeds (300 to 3000
rpm) as the molten metal is poured. The molten metal is centrifugally thrown towards the inside
mold wall, where it solidifies after cooling.

Hollow cylindrical bodies such as C.I water supply pipes, steel gun barrels, other objects such as
gears, disc wheels, pulley are cast without core in centrifugal casting. Typical materials that can
be cast with this process are iron, steel, stainless steels, and alloys of aluminum, copper and
nickel.
True Centrifugal casting
This employs molds of rotational symmetry made of steel/graphite. Metal is poured while mold
rotates about its axis, which may be usually horizontal, vertical. While rotating molten metal is
carried out to walls of cavity by centrifugal force. Metal is cooled & solidified forming a hollow
casting without use of central core. Ideal for hollow cylindrical castings like cast iron pipes.
Cylindrical parts ranging from 13 mm (0.5 in.) to 3 m (10 ft) in diameter and 16m (50 ft) long ,
with wall thicknesses ranging from 6 mm to125 mm (0.25 in. to 5 in.). Castings of good quality,
dimensional accuracy, and external surface detail are obtained by this process. In addition to
pipes, typical parts made are bushings, engine-cylinder liners, and bearing rings.

Semi Centrifugal casting

Used to produce large components which are symmetrical about their own axis such as disked
wheels, gears blanks, pulleys, nozzles, propellers, fly wheels. Molten metal is introduced through
gate which is placed on axis, flows out wards to rim by centrifugal force. Generally semi
centrifugal castings are made in vertical machines. Semi Centrifugal Casting is used for jobs
which are more complicated than those possible in true centrifugal casting, but they are axi-
symmetric in nature. The rotating speeds used in this process are not as high as in the case of
true centrifugal casting. It is process of several identical/ nearly similar molds are located
radially about a vertically arranged central riser/ sprue which feeds metal into cavities through a
number of radial gates. Entire mold is rotated with central sprue which acts as axis of rotation
(vertical axis) to produce unlimited variety of small shapes. Used for producing valve bodies,
valve bonnets, plugs, yokes, pillow blocks.
Centrifuge Casting

This is suitable only for small jobs of any shape. The process is similar to semi centrifugal
casting.

Advantages:
• Obtain castings of better quality.
• Produce castings more economically.
• Percentage of rejects is very low.
• It is simpler to inspect castings because defects if any will occur on surface and not inside
castings.

Applications:
• To fabricate difficult to machine & difficult to work alloys into highly complex shapes
such as hollow turbine blades.
• Parts for sewing machines, rifles, burner nozzles, gears, cams, valves.
• Milling cutters & other tools.
• Parts of gas turbines.
 CONTINUOUS CASTING

It is a method, in which the steps of pouring, solidification and withdrawal (extraction) of

the casting from an open end mold are carried out continuously. Cross-sectional dimensions of
a continuous casting are constant along the casting length and they are determined only by the
dimensions of the mold cavity. The length of a continuous casting is limited by the life time of
the mold. The casting is continuously extracted from the mold by the withdrawal unit followed
by a cut-off unit where saw / torch is used. It is used for both ferrous and non-ferrous alloys.
Traditional continuous casting processes use stationary (or oscillating) molds, in which the
solidified bar moves relative to the mold surface.

Advantages:
• Sprue, runner, riser, etc. are not used. Hence, no waste metal this leads to 100% casting .
• Process is automatic & economical.
• Product has good consistent soundness.
• Mechanical Properties are high and very reproducible.

Disadvantages:
• Not suitable for small quantity production.
• Continuous and efficient cooling of moulds is required, else, center-line shrinkage
develops.
• Requires large floor space.

Applications:
• Copper, brass, bronze, aluminium.
• Solid/ hollow shapes of uniform cross section .
• For blooms, billets, slabs for rolling structural shapes.