INTRODUCTION TO CASTING PROCESSES

Objective

To study and observe various stages of casting through demonstration of Sand Casting Process.

Background

Casting is one of oldest and one of the most popular processes of converting materials into final
useful shapes. Casting process is primarily used for shaping metallic materials; although it can be
adopted for shaping other materials such as ceramic, polymeric and glassy materials. In casting, a
solid is melted, treated to proper temperature and then poured into a cavity called mold, which
contains it in proper shape during solidification. Simple or complex shapes can be made from any
metal that can be melted. The resulting product can have virtually any configuration the designer
desires.

Casting product range in size from a fraction of centimeter and fraction of kilogram to over 10 meters
and many tons. Moreover casting has marked advantages in production of complex shapes, of parts
having hollow sections or internal cavities, of parts that contain irregular curved surfaces and of parts
made from metals which are difficult to machine.

Several casting processes have been developed to suit economic production of cast products with
desired mechanical properties, dimensional accuracy, surface finish etc. The various processes differ
primarily in mold material (whether sand, metal or other material) and pouring method (gravity,
pressure or vacuum). All the processes share the requirement that the material solidify in a manner
that would avoid potential defects such as shrinkage voids, gas porosity and trapped inclusions.

Any casting process involves three basic steps, i.e. mold making, melting and pouring of metals into
the mold cavity, and removal and finishing of casting after complete solidification.

SAND CASTING PROCESSES

Sand is one of the cheaper, fairly refractory materials and hence commonly used for making mold
cavities. Sand basically, contains grains of silica (SiO2) and some impurities. For mold making
purposes sand is mixed with a binder material such as clay, molasses, oil, resin etc.

Green Sand Molding

In green sand molding process, clay (a silicate material) along with water (to activate clay) is used as
binder. The mold making essentially consists of preparing a cavity having the same shape as the part
to be cast. There are many ways to obtain such a cavity or mold, and in this demonstration you will
learn to make it using a wooden ‘pattern’, metal ‘flasks’ and ‘green-sand’ as mold material.

A pattern is a reusable form having approximately the same shape and size as the part to be cast. A
pattern can be made out of wood, metal or plastic; wood being the most common material. Green
sand refers to an intimate mixture of sand (usually river sand), bentonite clay (3-7 percent by weight
of sand, to provide bonding or adhesion between sand grains), and water (3-6 percent by weight of
sand, necessary to activate the bonding action of the clay). Mixing the above ingredients in a sand-
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muller best provides the intimate mixing action. In practice, a major part of this sand mixture
consists of ‘return sand’, i.e. the reusable portion of the sand left after the solidified metal casting has
been removed from the mold. Molding flasks are rectangular frames with open ends, which serve as
containers in which the mold is prepared. Normally a pair of flasks is used; the upper flask is
referred to as ‘Cope’ and the lower one as ‘drag’. A riddle is a relatively coarse sieve. Riddling the
green sand helps in breaking the lump and aerates the sand.

Sometimes the casting itself must have a hole or cavity in or on it. In that case the liquid metal must
be prevented from filling certain portions of the mold. A ‘core’ is used to block-off portions of the
mold from being filled by the liquid metal. A core is normally made using sand with a suitable
binder like molasses. Core is prepared by filling the core-box with core sand to get the desired shape
and the baking this sand core in an oven at suitable temperature.

During mold making a suitable ‘gating system’ and a riser’ is also provided. The gating system is the
network of channels used to deliver the molten metal from outside the mold into the mold cavity.
The various components of the gating system are pouring cup, sprue, runners and gates. Riser or
feeder head is a small cavity attached to the casting cavity and the liquid metal of the riser serves to
compensate the shrinkage in the casting during solidification.

Fig. 1.1 shows the various parts of a typical sand mold. Several hand tools, such as rammer, trowel,
sprue pin, draw spike, slick, vent wire, gate cutter, strike off bar etc. are used as aids in making a
mold.

Fig: 1.1: Cross Section of a typical two-part sand mold, indicating various mold comoponents and terminology

The various steps involved in making mold from green sand (see Fig. 1.2) would be shown during the
demonstration.

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 Fig 1.2: Schematic illustration of the sequence of operations for sand casting
Source: Steel founders society of America

Melting and Pouring of Metals

The next important step in the making of casting is the melting of metal. A melting process must be
capable of providing molten metal not only at the proper temperature but also in the desired quantity,
with an acceptable quality, and within a reasonable cost.
In order to transfer the metal from the furnace into the molds, some type of pouring device, or ladle,
must be used. The primary considerations are to maintain the metal at the proper temperature for
pouring and to ensure that only quality metal will get into the molds.
The operations involved in melting of metal in oil fired furnace/induction furnace and pouring of
liquid metal into the mold cavity will be shown during the demonstration.

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Removal and Finishing of Castings

After complete solidification, the castings are removed from the mold. Most castings require some
cleaning and finishing operations, such as removal of cores, removal of gates and risers, removal of
fins and flash, cleaning of surfaces, etc.

LABORATORY EXERCISE I
MOLD MAKING & CASTING

Objective
1. To prepare a pattern for given object for lost form casting.
2. To prepare a molasses sand mold from the prepared pattern.
3. To melt and pour iron metal into the mold.

Equipment and Materials

Pattern, core box, molding flasks, molding tools, sand muller, riddle, sand, molasses, bentonite, core
baking oven, thermocole, melting furnace, fluxes, pouring ladle, pyrometer, hacksaw, file.

Procedure
Core making
(i) Prepare the core sand
(ii) Assemble (clamp) the core-box after applying some parting sand
(iii) Fill the core box cavity with core sand and ram it
(iv) Make vent holes or insert reinforcing wire as desired
(v) Tap the mold box on all sides to loosen the core from the box, unclamp the core box and
carefully transfer the core on to a baking plate or stand.
(vi) Keep the core in the baking oven and bake it for desired length of the time at a
predetermined temperature. After baking take the core out of the oven and allow it to cool
at room temperature.

Mold Making
(i) Place the drag part of the pattern with parting surface down on ground or molding board at
the center of the drag (flask).
(ii) Riddle molding sand to a depth of about 2 cm in the drag and pack this sand carefully
around the pattern with fingers.
(iii) Heap more molding sand in the drag and ram with rammer carefully.
(iv) Strike off the excess sand using strike bar.
(v) Make vent holes to within 1 cm of the pattern surface in the drag.
(vi) Turn this complete drag and place the cope portion (flask) over it.
(vii) Place the cope half of the pattern over the drag pattern matching the guide pins and apply
parting sand over the parting surface. Also place the sprue pin and riser pin in proper
positions.
(viii) Complete the cope half by repeating steps (ii) to (v).
(ix) Remove the sprue and riser pins and make a pouring basin. Separate the cope and drag
halves, and place them with their parting faces up.
(x) Moisten sand at the copes of the pattern and remove pattern halves carefully using draw
spikes.
(xi) Cut gate and runner in the drag. Repair and clean the cavities in the two mold halves.
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 (xii) Place the core in position, assembled the two mold halves assemble and clamp them
together.

Melting and Pouring

(i) Melt the metal in the furnace. Use appropriate fluxes at proper stages and measure metal
temperature from time to time.
(ii) Pour the molten metal into the pouring ladle at a higher temperature (say 100oC higher)
than the pouring temperature. As soon as the desired pouring temperature is reached, pour
the liquid metal into the mold in a steady stream with ladle close to the pouring basin of
the mold. Do not allow any dross or slag to go in.
(iii) Allow sufficient time for the metal to solidify in the mold. Break the mold carefully and
remove the casting.
(iv) Cut-off the riser and gating system from the casting and clean it for any sand etc.
(v) Inspect the casting visually and record any surface and dimensional defects observed.

Report The Following

1. Sketches of the product made, pattern and core.

2. Composition of molding sand and core sand used.
3. Melting and pouring temperature of the used metal.
4. List the allowances that are generally provided on a pattern.
5. Type, amount and manner of addition of fluxes, if any used.
6. Defects produced in your casting.