19MEE202

MANUFACTURING PROCESS - I
AMRITA SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
COIMBATORE CAMPUS
Dr.A.Shanmugasundaram (Section-B) ------------
TOPIC : SPECIAL CASTING PROCESSES
 Expendable Mold Processes
Expendable mold casting is a generic classification that includes sand, shell,
plaster, and investment (lost-wax technique) moldings.
This method of mold casting involves the use of temporary, non-reusable molds.
 Special Casting Processes
1. SHELL MOULDING
2. INVESTMENT CASTING (LOST WAX CASTING)
3. PLASTER MOULD CASTING
4. CERAMIC MOULD CASTING
5. BASIC PERMANENT MOULD CASTING
6. DIE CASTING
a) HOT CHAMBER DIE CASTING
b) COLD CHAMBER DIE CASTING
7. CENTRIFUGAL CASTING
a) TRUE CENTRIFUGAL CASTING
b) SEMI CENTRIFUGAL CASTING
c) CENTRIFUGAL CASTING
8. EXPENDED POLYSTYRENE PROCESS
(lost-foam process, lost pattern process,
evaporative-foam process)
9. VACUUM CASTING PROCESS
10. PRESSURE CASTING
11. SQUEEZE CASTING
 Shell Moulding
It is a process in which, the sand mixed
with a thermosetting resin is allowed to
come in contact with a heated pattern plate
(200º C), this causes a skin (Shell) of about
3.5 mm of sand/plastic mixture to adhere
to the pattern
Then the shell is removed from the
pattern. The cope and drag shells are kept
in a flask with necessary backup material
and the molten metal is poured into the
mold.
 Shell Moulding
 2-piece pattern, 175C-370C
 Coated with a lubricant (silicone)
 Mixture of sand, Thermoset resin / Epoxy
 Cure (Baking)
 Remove patterns, join half-shells  mold
 Pour metal
 Solidify (cooling)
 Break shell  part
A common method of making shell molds. Called
dump-box technique, the limitations are the
formation of voids in the shell and peel back
(when sections of the shell fall off as the pattern
is raised).
 Shell Moulding
Casting process in which the mold is a thin shell of sand held together
by thermosetting resin binder

Steps in shell-molding: (1) a match-plate or cope-and-drag metal

pattern is heated and placed over a box containing sand mixed with
thermosetting resin.
 Shell Moulding

Steps in shell-molding: (2) box is inverted so that sand and resin fall
onto the hot pattern, causing a layer of the mixture to partially cure
on the surface to form a hard shell; (3) box is repositioned so that
loose uncured particles drop away;
 Shell Moulding

Steps in shell-molding: (4) sand shell is heated in oven for several

minutes to complete curing; (5) shell mold is stripped from the
pattern;
 Shell Moulding

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.
Shell Moulding
Shell Moulding

Dump-Box
Technique
Shell Moulding
 Shell Moulding
• 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
 Shell Moulding

 This process can produce complex parts

with good surface finish 1.25 µm to 3.75 µm
 Used for dimensional tolerance of 0.5 %.
 A good surface finish and good size
tolerance reduce the need for machining.
 The process overall is quite cost effective
due to reduced machining and cleanup
costs.
 The materials that can be used with this
process are cast irons, and aluminum and
copper alloys.
 Shell-molding Applications
 Shell mold casting allows the use of both
ferrous and non-ferrous metals, most
commonly using cast iron, carbon steel,
alloy steel, stainless steel, aluminum alloys,
and copper alloys.
 Typical parts are small-to-medium in size
and require high accuracy, such as gear
housings, Engine blocks and manifolds,
cylinder heads, connecting rods, and lever
arms.
 Investment casting (lost wax casting)
The root of the investment casting process, the cire perdue or "lost
wax" method dates back to at least the fourth millennium B.C. The
artists and sculptors of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia used the
rudiments of the investment casting process to create intricately
detailed jewelry, pectorals and idols.

The basic steps of the investment casting process are :

1. Production of heat-disposable wax, plastic, or polystyrene patterns
2. Assembly of these patterns onto a gating system
3. "Investing," or covering the pattern assembly with refractory slurry
4. Melting the pattern assembly to remove the pattern material
5. Firing the mold to remove the last traces of the pattern material
6. Pouring
7. Knockout, cutoff and finishing.
 Schematic illustration of Investment casting

1. WAX INJECTION : Wax replicas of the desired castings

are produced by injection molding. These replicas are
called patterns.

2. ASSEMBLY : The patterns are attached to a central wax

stick, called a sprue, to form a casting cluster or assembly.

3. SHELL BUILDING : The shell is built by immersing the

assembly in a liquid ceramic slurry and then into a bed of
extremely fine sand. Up to eight layers may be applied in
this manner.

4. DEWAX : Once the ceramic is dry, the wax is melted out,

creating a negative impression of the assembly within the
shell.
 5. CONVENTIONAL CASTING
In the conventional process, the shell is filled with molten
metal by gravity pouring. As the metal cools, the parts and
gates, sprue and pouring cup become one solid casting.
6. KNOCKOUT
When the metal has cooled and solidified, the ceramic shell is
broken off by vibration or water blasting.

7. CUT OFF
The parts are cut away from the central sprue using a high
speed friction saw.

8. FINISHED CASTINGS
After minor finishing operations, the metal castings identical
to the original wax patterns are ready for shipment to the
customer.
Investment casting (lost wax casting)
(a) Wax pattern (b) Multiple patterns
(injection molding) assembled to wax sprue

(d) dry ceramic (c) Shell built 

melt out the wax immerse into ceramic
fire ceramic (burn wax) slurry
 immerse into fine sand
(few layers)

(f) Break ceramic shell

(e) Pour molten metal (gravity) (vibration or water
 cool, solidify blasting)
[Hollow casting: pouring excess metal
before solidification

(g) Cut off parts

(high-speed friction
saw)
 finishing (polish)
Schematic
illustration of
Investment
casting, (lost
wax process).
Castings by this
method can be
made with very
fine detail and
from a variety
of metals.
Investment casting
 Investment casting (lost wax casting)
• One-piece mold
– Dried in the air
– Heated to 90 – 175 C
– Held inverted for 12 hrs to melt out wax
– The mold is then heated to 650 – 1150 C for about
4 hrs depending on the metal to be cast to drive off
the water of crystallization
– After the metal has been poured the mold is
broken up and the cast is removed
– A number of patterns can be joined to make one
mold called a tree which increases production rate
Investment casting (lost wax casting)
• Small parts
– The tree can be inserted on to a flask and
filled with slurry investment
– The investment is then placed into a chamber
and evacuated to remove air bubbles
– Next it is placed in a vacuum drawing
machine to produce fine detail
• Not a cheap process
• Produces fine details
• Good surface finish
• Few or no finishing operations
• Can produce intricate parts from parts weighing
1g – 35Kg
 Advantages and Disadvantages
• Advantages of investment casting
– Parts of great complexity and intricacy can be cast
– Close dimensional control and good surface finish
– Wax can usually be recovered for reuse
– Additional machining is not normally required - this is a
net shape process
• Disadvantages
– Many processing steps are required
– Relatively expensive process
 Investment casting (lost wax casting)
Advantages
• Formation of hollow interiors in cylinders without
cores
• Less material required for gate
• Fine grained structure at the outer surface of the casting
free of gas and shrinkage cavities and porosity
Disadvantages
• More segregation of alloy component during pouring
under the forces of rotation
• Contamination of internal surface of castings with
non-metallic inclusions
• Inaccurate internal diameter
 Investment Casting of a Rotor

Investment casting of an integrally cast rotor for a gas turbine.

(a) Wax pattern assembly.
(b) Ceramic shell around wax pattern.
(c) Wax is melted out and the mold is filled, under a vacuum, with
molten superalloy.
(d) The cast rotor, produced to net or near-net shape.
Investment and Conventionally Cast Rotors

Cross-section and microstructure of two rotors:

(top) investment-cast;
(bottom) conventionally cast.
Investment casting (lost wax casting)
 Investment casting applications
• Investment casting is used in the aerospace and power
generation industries to produce turbine blades with complex
shapes or cooling systems.
• Valves and fittings, Gears, Levers and Splines are some of the
popular usages.
 Investment casting (lost wax casting)
Size Range: fraction of an ounce to 150 lbs..
Tolerances:
 0.003 to 1/4 ,  0.004 to 1/2 ,  0.005 per inch to 3
 0.003 for each additional inch
Surface Finish:
63-125 RMS
Minimum Draft Requirements: None
Normal Minimum Section Thickness:
0.030 (Small Areas) 0.060 (Large Areas)
Normal Lead Time:
Samples: 5-16 weeks (depending on complexity)
Production 4-12 weeks (depending on subsequent
operations).
 Plaster Mold Casting
Similar to sand casting except mold is made of
plaster of Paris (gypsum - CaSO4-2H2O)
• In mold-making, plaster and water mixture is
poured over plastic or metal pattern and allowed
to set
– Wood patterns not generally used due to extended
contact with water
• Plaster mixture readily flows around pattern,
capturing its fine details and good surface finish
 Plaster Mold Casting
• Plaster mold casting is a casting process where instead of sand, plaster of Paris
is used as the molding aggregate.
• This expendable mold process plaster is used only for casting non-ferrous metal
for a wide of shapes and sizes.

Process: Plaster of paris is mixed with water to form a slurry.

 This slurry is immediately poured over a pattern or into a core box,

 where it sets, forming a solid mold or core composed of gypsum with free water
distributed throughout the plaster mold.

 The next stage is to dry the plaster in an oven to remove the excess water.

 The dried mold is then assembled, preheated, and the metal poured.

 Finally, after the metal has solidified, the plaster is broken from the cast part.
 Plaster molding

Following sequence of operations for producing conventional plaster molds.

• Mix dry ingredients
• Soak (2 to 4 min) - Mix (2 to 5 min)
• Coat patterns (or core boxes)
• Pour slurry, Set at room temperature (15 min)
• Remove pattern, Dry molds (or cores)
• Assemble cores and mold halves
 Plaster molding
The ratio of ingredients is 70-80% gypsum and 20-30% additives. the
patterns is held in a flask. A few of the additives and their uses are as
follows:

Applications of Plaster Mold Casting:

lock components, gears, valves, fittings, tooling, and ornaments. Lock
components, gears, valves, fittings, Pump impellers, tooling, and
ornaments.
 Plaster Mold Casting
• Advantages of plaster mold casting:
– Good accuracy and surface finish
– Capability to make thin cross-sections
• Disadvantages:
– Mold must be baked to remove moisture, which can
cause problems in casting
– Mold strength is lost if over-baked
– Plaster molds cannot stand high temperatures, so
limited to lower melting point alloys
 Ceramic Mold Casting

Similar to plaster mold casting except that mold is

made of refractory ceramic material that can
withstand higher temperatures than plaster
• Can be used to cast steels, cast irons, and other
high-temperature alloys
• Applications similar to those of plaster mold
casting except for the metals cast
• Advantages (good accuracy and finish) also
similar
 Ceramic Mold Casting

Similar to plaster mold casting except that mold is made of refractory

ceramic material that can withstand higher temperatures than plaster

• Can be used to cast steels, cast irons, and other high-temperature alloys

Process: Ceramic slurry is poured over a relief pattern and left to

solidify, forming a cavity mould in the shape of the component to be
cast. Cope and drag parts are produced.

• Each ceramic part is hardened by high temperature firing, then fitted

together to make one hollow mould in which to cast the molten metal.
Ceramic Mold Casting
Ceramic Mold Casting
 Ceramic Mold Casting

Sequence of operations in making a ceramic mold.

 Plaster-mold & Ceramic-mold casting
Plaster-mold slurry: plaster of paris (CaSO4), talc, silica flour
Ceramic-mold slurry: silica, powdered Zircon (ZrSiO4)

- The slurry forms a shell over the pattern

- Dried in a low temperature oven
- Remove pattern
- Backed by clay (strength), baked (burn-off volatiles)
- cast the metal
- break mold  part

Plaster-mold: Good finish

Plaster: low conductivity => low warpage, residual stress
low mp metal (Zn, Al, Cu, Mg)
Ceramic-mold: Good finish
high mp metals (steel, …) => impeller blades, turbines.
 Permanent Mold Casting Processes

• Economic disadvantage of expendable mold

casting: a new mold is required for every
casting
• In permanent mold casting, the mold is reused
many times
• The processes include:
– Basic permanent mold casting
– Die casting
– Centrifugal casting
 The Basic Permanent Mold Process

Uses a metal mold constructed of two sections

designed for easy, precise opening and
closing
• Molds used for casting lower melting point
alloys are commonly made of steel or cast
iron
• Molds used for casting steel must be made of
refractory material, due to the very high
pouring temperatures
 Permanent Mold Casting

Steps in permanent mold casting: (1) mold is preheated and coated

 Permanent Mold Casting

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.
Permanent Mold Casting
 Permanent Mold Casting
• 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
 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
• Sand aggregate 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
 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
• Molten metal is forced into the die cavity at pressures ranging
from 0.7MPa – 700MPa

• Parts made from here range from:

 Hand tools
 Toys
 Appliance components
 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 process

1. The die is closed and the piston rises, opening the port and
allowing molten metal to fill the cylinder.
 Hot chamber Die-casting process

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.
 Hot chamber Die-casting process

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.
 Hot chamber Die-casting process

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

Cycle in hot-chamber casting: (1) with die closed and plunger

withdrawn, molten metal flows into the chamber
 Hot-Chamber Die Casting

Cycle in hot-chamber casting: (2) plunger forces metal in chamber to

flow into die, maintaining pressure during cooling and solidification.
 Cold-Die casting process

1. The die is closed and the molten metal is ladled into the
cold-chamber shot sleeve.
 Cold-Die casting process

2. The plunger pushes the molten metal into the die cavity
where it is held under pressure until solidification.
 Cold-Die casting process

3. The die opens and the plunger advances, to ensure that

the casting remains in the ejector die. Cores, if any,
retract.
 Cold-Die casting process

4. Ejector pins push the casting out of the ejector die and
the plunger returns to its original position.
 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

Cycle in cold-chamber casting: (1) with die closed and ram

withdrawn, molten metal is poured into the chamber
 Cold-Chamber Die Casting

Cycle in cold-chamber casting: (2) ram forces metal to flow into die,
maintaining pressure during cooling and solidification.
 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
 Hot- and Cold-Chamber Die-Casting

(a) Schematic illustration of the hot-chamber die-casting process.

(b) Schematic illustration of the cold-chamber die-casting process.
 Cold-Chamber Die-Casting Machine

(a) Schematic illustration of a cold-chamber die-casting machine.

These machines are large compared to the size of the casting
because large forces are required to keep the two halves of the
dies closed.
 Hot-Chamber Die-Casting Machine

(b) 800-ton hot-chamber die-casting machine, DAM 8005 (made

in Germany in 1998). This is the largest hot-chamber machine in the
world and costs about $1.25 million.
 Molds for Die Casting

• Usually made of tool steel, mold steel, etc.,

• Tungsten and molybdenum (good refractory
qualities) used to die cast steel and cast iron
• Ejector pins required to remove part from die
when it opens
• Lubricants must be sprayed into cavities to
prevent sticking
 Die-Casting Die Cavities
Various types of cavities in a die-casting die

Examples of
cast-in-place inserts
in die casting.
(a) Knurled
bushings.
(b) Grooved
threaded rod.
 Advantages and Limitations

• Advantages of die casting:

– Economical for large production quantities
– Good accuracy and surface finish
– Thin sections are possible
– Rapid cooling provides small grain size and good
strength to casting
• Disadvantages:
– Generally limited to metals with low metal points
– Part geometry must allow removal from die
Properties and Typical Applications of
Common Die-Casting Alloys
 Centrifugal Casting
A family of casting processes in which the mold
is rotated at high speed so centrifugal force
distributes molten metal to outer regions of die
cavity
• The group includes:
– True centrifugal casting
– Semicentrifugal casting
– Centrifuge casting
 True Centrifugal Casting
Molten metal is poured into rotating mold to
produce a tubular part
• In some operations, mold rotation commences
after pouring rather than before
• Parts: pipes, tubes, bushings, and rings
• Outside shape of casting can be round, octagonal,
hexagonal, etc , but inside shape is (theoretically)
perfectly round, due to radially symmetric forces
 True Centrifugal Casting
Setup for true centrifugal casting.

cast tubes include hydraulic cylinders, rollers for glass production, pipelines
for the transport of abrasive materials, rollers in the pulp and paper industry,
tubes for the chemical processing industry, foundation piles, and building
columns.
 Semicentrifugal Casting
Centrifugal force is used to produce solid castings
rather than tubular parts
• Molds are designed with risers at center to supply
feed metal
• Density of metal in final casting is greater in
outer sections than at center of rotation
• Often used on parts in which center of casting is
machined away, thus eliminating the portion
where quality is lowest
• Examples: wheels and pulleys
 Semicentrifugal Casting

(a) Schematic illustration of the semi centrifugal casting process.

Wheels with spokes can be cast by this process.
 Semi centrifugal Casting
Mold is designed with part cavities located away
from axis of rotation, so that molten metal
poured into mold is distributed to these cavities
by centrifugal force
• Used for smaller parts
• Radial symmetry of part is not required as in
other centrifugal casting methods.
• Typical castings of this type include gear blanks,
pulley sheaves, wheels, impellers, and electric
motor rotors.
 Centrifuge centrifugal casting
In this method, the casting cavities are arranged
about the center axis of rotation like the spokes
of a wheel, thus permitting the production of
multiple castings.
Centrifugal force provides the necessary pressure
on the molten metal in the same manner as in
semicentrifugal casting.
This casting method is typically used to produce
valve bodies and bonnets, plugs, yokes,
brackets, and a wide variety of various
industrial castings.
 Centrifuge Casting

(b) Schematic illustration of casting by centrifuging. The molds are

placed at the periphery of the machine, and the molten metal is forced
into the molds by centrifugal force.
 Squeeze casting
The squeeze casting cycle starts with the transfer of a metered quantity of
molten metal into the bottom half of a preheated die set mounted in a hydraulic
press Fig.
The dies are then closed, and this fills the die cavity with molten metal and
applies pressures of up to 140 MPa on the solidifying casting.
 Squeeze casting Advantages
 Parts of fine details can be produced
 Solidification under load eliminates Shrinkage and gas porosity
 Very high production rates, compare to die casting
 No gating and riser. Hence higher casting yield
 Produces the high quality surfaces
 Rapid solidification results and fine grain size, which improves
mechanical properties
 The amount of pressure applied is significantly less than used in
forging.
 Squeeze casting Applications
• Aluminum alloy pistons for engines and disk brakes;
• Automotive wheels, truck hubs, barrel heads, and hubbed
flanges;
• Brass and bronze bushings and gears; steel missile components
and differential pinion gears;
• A number of parts in cast iron, including ductile iron mortar
shells.
 Continuous casting
Continuous casting involves the following sequence of operations:
• Delivery of liquid metal to the casting strand
• Flow of metal through a distributor (tundish) into the casting
mold
• Formation of the cast section in a water-cooled copper mold
(Solidification of a shell begins immediately at the surface of
the copper mold).
• Continuous withdrawal of the casting from the mold
• Further heat removal to solidify the liquid core from the casting
by water spraying beyond the mold
• Cutting to length and removing the cast sections
CONTINUOUS CASTING
Molten steel in a ladle is delivered to a
reservoir above the continuous casting
machine called a tundish.
CONTINUOUS CASTING CONTI..
 Expended 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
 Expended Polystyrene Process

Expended polystyrene casting process: (1) pattern of polystyrene is

coated with refractory compound;
 Expended Polystyrene Process

Expended polystyrene casting process: (2) foam pattern is placed in

mold box, and sand is compacted around the pattern;
 Expended Polystyrene Process

Expended polystyrene casting process: (3) molten metal is poured

into the portion of the pattern that forms the pouring cup and sprue.
As the metal enters the mold, the polystyrene foam is vaporized
ahead of the advancing liquid, thus the resulting mold cavity is filled.
 Expended Polystyrene Process

Schematic illustration of the expendable pattern casting process, also

known as lost foam or evaporative casting.
Lost Foam Casting
 Expended Polystyrene Process
• Advantages of expended polystyrene process:
– Pattern need not be removed from the mold
– Simplifies and speeds mold-making, because two mold
halves are not required as in a conventional green-sand mold
– No parting line
– No cores
– One-piece flask
– Freedom of design
– Minimum handling of sand
– Ease of cleaning and secondary operation

• Disadvantages:
– A new pattern is needed for every casting
– Economic justification of the process is highly dependent on
cost of producing patterns
 Expended Polystyrene Process
• Applications:
– Mass production of castings for automobile
engines
– Automated and integrated manufacturing
systems are used to
1. Mold the polystyrene foam patterns and then
2. Feed them to the downstream casting operation
 Vacuum-Casting Process

Schematic illustration of the vacuum-casting process. Note that the

mold has a bottom gate. (a) Before and (b) after immersion of the
mold into the molten metal.
 Vacuum-Casting Process
1. Mixture of fine sand and urethane is molded over
metal dies a cured with amine vapor
2. The mold is partially immersed into molten metal
held in an induction furnace
3. The metal is melted in air or in a vacuum
4. The molten metal is usually 55 C above the liquidus
temperature – begins to solidify within a fraction of a
second
5. Alternative to investment, shell-mold, and green-sand
casting
6. Relatively low cost
 Pressure Casting

(a) The bottom-pressure casting process utilizes graphite molds for

the production of steel railroad wheels.
(b) Gravity-pouring method of casting a railroad wheel. Note that the
pouring basin also serves as a riser.
Railroad wheels can also be manufactured by forging.
Comparison of various casting processes
Properties and typical applications of Cast Iron
Typical properties of Nonferrous casting alloys
 Surface Roughness for Various
Metalworking Processes

Surface roughness in casting and other metalworking processes

Casting Process Comparison
 Cost - Casting
 Sand casting
 Tooling and equipment costs are low
 Direct labor costs are high
 Material utilization is low
 Finishing costs can be high
 Investment casting
 Tooling costs are moderate depending on the complexity
 Equipment costs are low
 Direct labor costs are high
 Material costs are low
 Die casting
 Tooling and equipment costs are high
 Direct labor costs are low to moderate
 Material utilization is high
 Quality - Casting
 Sand casting
 Tolerance (0.7~2 mm) and defects are affected by
shrinkage
 Material property is inherently poor
 Generally have a rough grainy surface
 Investment casting
 Tolerance (0.08~0.2 mm)
 Mechanical property and microstructure depends on the
method
 Good to excellent surface detail possible due to fine slurry
 Die casting
 Tolerance (0.02~0.6 mm)
 Good mechanical property and microstructure due to high
pressure
 Excellent surface detail
 Rate - Casting
 Sand casting
 Development time is 2~10 weeks

 Investment casting
 Development time is 5~16 weeks depending on the
complexity

 Die casting
 Development time is 12~20 weeks

 Production rate is depending on the cooling time

Costs Comparison for Different Casting Processes

Economic comparison of making a part by different casting

processes. Note that because of the high cost of equipment, die
casting is economical for large production runs.
 Flexibility - Casting

 Sand casting
 High degree of shape complexity (limited by pattern)

 Investment casting
 Ceramic and wax cores allow complex internal
configuration but costs increase significantly

 Die casting
 Low due to high die modification costs