Metal Casting Processes
Metal Casting Processes
Metal Casting Processes
1. Sand Casting
2. Other Expendable Mold Casting Processes
3. Permanent Mold Casting Processes
4. Foundry Practice
5. Casting Quality
6. Metals for Casting
7. Product Design Considerations
Two Categories of Casting Processes
1. Expendable mold processes - mold is sacrificed to
remove part
Advantage: more complex shapes possible
Disadvantage: production rates often limited by
time to make mold rather than casting itself
2. Permanent mold processes - mold is made of metal
and can be used to make many castings
Advantage: higher production rates
Disadvantage: geometries limited by need to
open mold
Overview of Sand Casting
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
Castings range in size from small to very large
Production quantities from one to millions
Figure is from
www.themetalcasting.com
The Pattern
A full‑sized model of the part, slightly enlarged to account for
shrinkage and machining allowances in the casting
Pattern materials:
Wood - common material because it is easy to work, but
it warps
Metal - more expensive to make, but lasts much longer
Plastic - compromise between wood and metal
Figure 11.4 (a) Core held in place in the mold cavity by chaplets, (b)
possible chaplet design, (c) casting with internal cavity.
Desirable Mold Properties
Strength ‑ to maintain shape and resist erosion
Permeability ‑ to allow hot air and gases 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?
Foundry Sands
Silica (SiO2) or silica mixed with other minerals
Good refractory properties ‑ capacity to endure high temperatures
Small grain size yields better surface finish on the cast part
Large grain size is more permeable, allowing gases to escape
during pouring
Irregular grain shapes strengthen molds due to interlocking,
compared to round grains
Disadvantage: interlocking tends to reduce permeability
Binders
Sand is held together by a mixture of water and bonding clay
Typical mix: 90% sand, 3% water, and 7% clay
Other bonding agents also used in sand molds:
Organic resins (e g , phenolic resins)
Inorganic binders (e g , sodium silicate and phosphate)
Additives are sometimes combined with the mixture to
increase strength and/or permeability
Types of Sand Mold
Green‑sand molds - mixture of sand, clay, and
water;
“Green" means mold contains moisture at time of
pouring
Dry‑sand mold - organic binders rather than clay
And mold is baked to improve strength
Skin‑dried mold - drying mold cavity surface of a
green‑sand mold to a depth of 10 to 25 mm, using
torches or heating lamps
Buoyancy in Sand Casting Operation
During pouring, buoyancy of the molten metal tends
to displace the core, which can cause casting to be
defective
Force tending to lift core = weight of displaced liquid
less the weight of core itself
Fb = Wm ‑ Wc
where Fb = buoyancy force; Wm = weight of molten
metal displaced; and Wc = weight of core
Other Expendable Mold Processes
Shell Molding
Vacuum Molding
Expanded Polystyrene Process
Investment Casting
Plaster Mold and Ceramic Mold Casting
Here is a good reference web site:
http://www.custompartnet.com/wu/SandCasting
Shell Molding
Casting process in which the mold is a thin shell of
sand held together by thermosetting resin binder
From www.janfa.com
Figure 11.5 Steps in shell‑molding: (6) two halves of the shell mold are
assembled, supported by sand or metal shot in a box, and pouring is
accomplished; (7) the finished casting with sprue removed.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages of shell molding:
Smoother cavity surface permits easier flow of
molten metal and better surface finish
Good dimensional accuracy - machining often
not required
Mold collapsibility minimizes cracks in casting
Can be mechanized for mass production
Disadvantages:
More expensive metal pattern
Difficult to justify for small quantities
Expanded Polystyrene Process
Uses a mold of sand packed around a polystyrene foam pattern
which vaporizes when molten metal is poured into mold
Other names: lost‑foam process, lost pattern process,
evaporative‑foam process, and full‑mold process
Polystyrene foam pattern includes sprue, risers, gating system,
and internal cores (if needed)
Mold does not have to be opened into cope and drag sections
From www.wtec.org/loyola/casting/fh05_20.jpg
Figure 11.8 Steps in investment casting: (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
Investment Casting
Figure 11.10 Steps in permanent mold casting: (2) cores (if used)
are inserted and mold is closed, (3) molten metal is poured into
the mold, where it solidifies.
Advantages and Limitations
Advantages of permanent mold casting:
Good dimensional control and surface finish
More rapid solidification caused by the cold
metal mold results in a finer grain structure,
so castings are stronger
Limitations:
Generally limited to metals of lower melting
point
Simpler part geometries compared to sand
casting because of need to open the mold
High cost of mold
Applications of Permanent Mold Casting
Due to high mold cost, process is best suited to high
volume production and can be automated
accordingly
Typical parts: automotive pistons, pump bodies, and
certain castings for aircraft and missiles
Metals commonly cast: aluminum, magnesium,
copper‑base alloys, and cast iron
Die Casting
A permanent mold casting process in which molten
metal is injected into mold cavity under high
pressure
Pressure is maintained during solidification, then
mold is opened and part is removed
Molds in this casting operation are called dies;
hence the name die casting
Use of high pressure to force metal into die cavity is
what distinguishes this from other permanent mold
processes
Die Casting Machines
Designed to hold and accurately close two mold
halves and keep them closed while liquid metal is
forced into cavity
Two main types:
1. Hot‑chamber machine
2. Cold‑chamber machine
Hot-Chamber Die Casting
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 not
uncommon
Applications limited to low melting‑point metals that
do not chemically attack plunger and other
mechanical components
Casting metals: zinc, tin, lead, and magnesium
Hot-Chamber Die Casting
Figure 11.13 Cycle in hot‑chamber casting: (1) with die closed and
plunger withdrawn, molten metal flows into the chamber (2)
plunger forces metal in chamber to flow into die, maintaining
pressure during cooling and solidification.
Cold‑Chamber Die Casting Machine
Molten metal is poured into unheated chamber
from external melting container, and a piston
injects metal under high pressure into die cavity
High production but not usually as fast as
hot‑chamber machines because of pouring step
Casting metals: aluminum, brass, and
magnesium alloys
Advantages of hot‑chamber process favor its use
on low melting‑point alloys (zinc, tin, lead)
Cold‑Chamber Die Casting
sand casting
Good dimensional accuracies and finish for