CASTING OF METALS

A Manufacturing Technique
 What is METAL CASTING ??
 A manufacturing process in which liquid metal is poured into a
mold having a hollow cavity of desired shape, and then allowed
to solidify.
 The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or

broken out of the mold to complete the process.

 The shape of the object is being determined by the shape of the

mold.
 ADVANTAGES
 Intricate shapes can be made.
 Non ferrous and ferrous, both can be casted.

 The necessary tools required for casting are

comparatively simple and less expensive.
 In some cases, casting is the only choice of
fabrication.
 Size and weight of the product is not a limitation for
this process.
EXAMPLES AND IMPORTANCE OF CASTING

A variety of small hardware parts

A 61,500 kg (135,600 lb) hot-

forming die used for
producing nuclear reactor
pressure heads.

Cast iron automobile engine blocks

Compressor case for a jet engine
that was converted from a
multiple-component weldment
into a two part
cast component by a major jet
engine manufacturer. The
company converted all of its
formerly welched
cases to castings; this reduced
by 27,000 the number of parts in
one of its newest engines
 TYPES OF METAL CASTING
 Expendable mold casting
When the mold is used for single casting, it is known as
expendable mold casting.
 Sand casting

 Shell molding

 Plaster molding

 Investment molding

 Non expendable mold casting

Casting techniques in which the type of molds (usually made

of metals) are used which can be repeatedly used for the
casting process, are known as non expandable mold castings.
 Permanent mold casting

 Die casting

 Centrifugal casting
SAND CASTING
 It is type of expendable mold casting in which molding
material is sand.
 Mold is made of sand and the casting is obtained by breaking

the mold.
SAND CASTING—PROCESS CYCLE

Stages of Sand Casting

 The process cycle for sand casting consists of five main

stages

1. Pattern and Mold-making

2. Melting and Pouring
3. Cooling and Solidification
4. Removal and Cleaning
5. Trimming/Finishing and Inspection
 MOLD MAKING
 First step– creation of the mold.
(For expandable mold casting, this step is performed for
each casting.)
 A sand mold is formed by packing sand into each half of the mold

around a pattern.
PATTERN
 It is the principle tool in the casting process.
 It is also called as Replica of the final object to be made by the

casting with some modifications.

 The main modifications are the addition of
 pattern allowances
 and the provision of core prints
FUNCTIONS OF THE PATTERN
 A pattern prepares a mold cavity for the purpose of
making a casting.
 A pattern may contain projections known as core prints if

the casting requires a core and need to be made hollow.

 Patterns properly made and having finished and smooth

surfaces reduce casting defects.

 A properly constructed pattern minimizes the overall cost of

the castings.
PATTERN MATERIALS

 Some materials used for making patterns are: wood, metals

and alloys, plastic, plaster of Paris, plastic and rubbers, wax,
and resins.
 Each material has its own advantages, limitations, and field of

application.

To be suitable for use, the pattern material should be:

 Easily worked, shaped and joined
 Light in weight
 Strong, hard and durable
 Resistant to wear and abrasion
 Resistant to corrosion, and to chemical reactions
 Dimensionally stable and unaffected by variations in
temperature and humidity
 Available at low cost
WOOD PATTERNS
 The usual pattern materials are wood, metal, and plastics.
 The most commonly used pattern material is wood.
Advantages of using wood pattern include
 It is readily available
 Low weight
 Can be easily shaped
 Relatively cheap
 Adequate Strength

• The main disadvantage of wood is

 Its absorption of moisture, which can cause

distortion and dimensional changes.

 Solutions:

 Hence careful storage is necessary.

 Organic coatings are done on wood pattern to

MOLDING

 Molding consists of all operations necessary to prepare a mold

for receiving molten metal.
 Molding usually involves

 Placing a molding aggregate around a pattern held

with a supporting frame
 Withdrawing the pattern to leave the mold cavity.
 Setting the cores in the mold cavity
 Finishing and closing the mold
 Features of SAND CASTING

 By far, the most widely used process.

 Utilize expendable sand mold to form complex metal parts.

 Silica sand with additives is used for sand casting.

Advantages of using Sand as a Molding Material

 Sufficient strength when adequately mixed with a binder.

 Low cost of mold materials and equipment.

 Sand is readily available and have high refractoriness along with

some other useful properties.

 High temperature stability.
 Permeability for the gases liberated from the mold and

solidifying metal.
 Sand have good collapsibility to permit easy removal and

separation of casting .
 Sand is chemically inert to most of the metals.

 Large molds and casting dimensions may easily be

obtained.
 Wide variety of metals and alloys (ferrous and non-

ferrous) may be cast (including high melting point

metals).
RISER
 Risers are added reservoirs designed to feed liquid metal to the
solidifying casting.
 Prevents occurrence of cavities due to shrinkage in the casting.
Melting of Metal
MELTING AND
POURING
Furnaces commonly employed in the
foundries.
 Pit Furnace

 Induction Furnace

 Cupola Furnace—For Cast

Iron melting

Pit Furnace and Ceramic

Crucible used for
melting metals
 INDUCTION FURNACE
 The heating by the induction method occurs when an
electrically conductive material is placed in a varying magnetic
field.
 Induction heating is a rapid form of heating in which a current is

induced directly into the part being heated.

 Induction heating is a non-contact form of heating.
INDUCTION FURNACE
 The induction heating power supply sends alternating
current through the induction coil, which generates
magnetic field. a
 A changing magnetic field induces eddy currents in the

metal which converts the electric energy to heat without any

physical contact between the induction coil and the work
piece.
 Heat is generated through ohmic heating in the material

(H =I2Rt)
MELTING AND POURING
 Furnace selection depends on:
 The type of metal

 The maximum temperature required

 The rate and mode of molten metal

delivery.

Pouring
 CLEANING AND FINISHING

 Casting is taken out of the mould and the mold is then broken.
 The remaining sand, some of which may be embedded in the

casting, is then removed.

 The excess material in the form of sprue, runners, gates etc

along with the flashes; formed due to flow molten metal into
the gaps is removed by sawing and grinding.
DISADVANTAGES OF SAND CASTING
 Rough surface.
 Poor dimensional accuracy.

 Coarse Grain structure—slow cooling--- relatively

weak structure.
 Low Production rate—sand mold has to be broken

to remove the part.

SHELL MOLDING
 STEPS OF SHELL MOLDING
 Creation of pattern
 A two-piece metal pattern is created in the shape of the desired
part, typically from iron or steel. Other materials are sometimes
used, such as aluminum.
 Creation of mold
 First, each pattern half is heated to 175-370°C (350-700°F).
 Then it is coated with a lubricant to facilitate removal.
 The heated pattern is clamped to a dump box, which contains a
mixture of sand and a resin binder. The dump box is inverted,
allowing this sand-resin mixture to coat the pattern.
 The heated pattern partially cures the mixture, which now
forms a shell around the pattern.
 Each pattern half and surrounding shell is cured to completion
 Mold assembly
 The two shell halves are joined together and securely
clamped to form the complete shell mold. If any cores are
required, they are inserted prior to closing the mold. The
shell mold is then placed into a flask and supported by a
backing material.
 Pouring

 The mold is securely clamped together while the molten

metal is poured from a ladle into the gating system and
fills the mold cavity.
 Cooling

 After the mold has been filled, the molten metal is allowed
to cool and solidify into the shape of the final casting.
 Casting removal
 After the molten metal has cooled, the mold can be
broken and the casting removed. Trimming and
cleaning processes are required to remove any excess
metal from the feed system and any sand from the
mold.
Examples of shell molded items include gear
housings, cylinder heads and connecting rods.
PLASTER MOLD CASTING
 It is similar to sand casting except the molding material is
plaster of paris instead of sand.
 First, the plaster is mixed and the pattern is sprayed with a

thin film of parting compound to prevent the plaster from

sticking to the pattern.
 The plaster is then poured over the pattern and the unit

shaken so that the plaster fills any small features.

 The plaster sets, usually in about 15 minutes, and the pattern

is removed.
 The mold is then baked, between 120 °C (248 °F)
and 260 °C (500 °F), to remove any excess
water.
 The dried mold is then assembled, preheated, and

the metal is poured.

 Finally, after the metal has solidified, the plaster is

broken from the cast part. The used plaster cannot

be reused.
INVESTMENT CASTING
 The pattern is made of wax or any other low melting material.
 Around the pattern is poured a fluid slurry which sets up to
form a solid mold or investment. (plaster of paris is usually
used)
 The mold is then heated such that pattern melts and is
burned out, leaving behind the cavity.
 It is employed where high dimensional accuracy, fine details
and excellent finish is required.
 Applications are for jewelry and dental crowns etc.
 Investment casting
NON-EXPANDABLE MOLD CASTINGS
Metal Die Casting
 Die casting is a process, in which the molten metal is injected
into the mold cavity at an increased pressure up to 30,000
psi (200 MPa).
 The reusable steel mold used in the die casting process is
called a die.
 Die casting is a highly productive method of casting parts
with
low dimensions tolerance and high surface quality.
 The following parts are manufactured by die casting method:
automotive connecting rods, pistons, cylinder beds, electronic
enclosures, toys, plumbing fittings.
 The molten metal injection is carried out by a machine called
die casting machine.
 Die casting method is used for casting low melting point
alloys e.g. Al, Mg, Cu. Zn, Pb, Sn etc.
DIE CASTING
CONTINUOUS CASTING
 At the very last step of extraction process, many molten
metals are solidified by casting into large ingot molds.
 The ingots are normally subjected to hot rolling operation,
the product of which is a flat sheet or slab.
 These are convenient shapes as starting points for
subsequent secondary metal forming operations.
 These casting and rolling steps are combined by a
continuous casting process.
 Using this process, the refined and molten metal is cast
directly into a continuous strand that have either a
rectangular or circular cross section.
 Solidification occurs in a water cooled die.
 Composition and properties are more uniform.
CONTINUOUS CASTING