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Casting Question

The document discusses various metal casting processes used in industry. It explains the basic principles of casting and details the three primary casting methods: expendable mold/reusable pattern, expendable mold/expendable pattern, and permanent mold/no pattern. Sand mold casting is the most common method and produces castings with a uniform grain structure. Investment casting and evaporative foam casting are also discussed.

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Avishek Gupta
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476 views5 pages

Casting Question

The document discusses various metal casting processes used in industry. It explains the basic principles of casting and details the three primary casting methods: expendable mold/reusable pattern, expendable mold/expendable pattern, and permanent mold/no pattern. Sand mold casting is the most common method and produces castings with a uniform grain structure. Investment casting and evaporative foam casting are also discussed.

Uploaded by

Avishek Gupta
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Casting

Training Objective

After watching the video and reviewing this printed material, the viewer will
learn the essentials of the various metal casting processes used in industry
today.

• The basic principles of casting are explained.


• The three primary casting methods are detailed.
• Mold and pattern construction is shown.
• Typical alloys cast and their finished characteristics are explained.

A cast product or casting is produced by the pouring of molten metal into a mold
where it then solidifies into a geometric shape. In other instances, molten
metal is injected into a die having a cavity in the desired shape of the part.

Casting is generally the quickest way to produce either a small amount of


prototypes or very large production quantities. The casting process is used by
almost every industry as all metals can be cast. Common mill forms such as bar
and plate are produced from cast metal.

The hallmark of a casting is its uniform grain structure. In contrast to wrought


metals with their directional grain structure, the cast structure is said to be
“isotropic.” While cast material density is less than that of wrought metals,
isostatic pressing can improve mechanical properties while surface porosity can
be eliminated by sealing with either a resin or a metal coating.

Many casting processes use patterns that form the cavity of the mold and can be
made of wood, plastic, or metal. Patterns which are expendable (consumed by the
mold making process or by the poured metal during casting) are made of wax,
plastic, or polystyrene foam. Patterns are oversized to make up for metal
shrinkage as it solidifies. They will also have taper (draft) to ease pattern
release and make allowance for finishing and metal transfer through the mold.
Cores are also needed to create any recesses, undercuts, and hollows required in
the part.

The three primary casting processes are:

• expendable mold/reusable pattern


• expendable mold/expendable pattern
• permanent mold/no pattern

The expendable mold/reusable pattern method includes the sand mold, plaster
mold, and ceramic mold casting. Sand mold casting is the most common with
virtually no limit to the size of casting that can be made. Though not very
precise in dimension or detail, sand mold casting is the least expensive.
Usually found as horizontally oriented halves, the upper part of the sand mold
is called the “cope” and the lower half the “drag.” Sands for the molds are
classified as green-sand molds, no-bake molds, and in-shell molds. Each produce
castings of particular quality characteristics and detail and are also selected
according to the metal being cast and finish requires. Also used are no-bake
sand molds, metal-shell molds, plaster molds, and ceramic molds. Each is
suitable in its own way for castings of a particular size, fineness of detail,
and dimensional accuracy.

Fundamental Manufacturing Processes Series Study Guide - 1 -


Casting

The expendable mold/expendable pattern method includes investment casting and


evaporative-foam casting. Investment casting is also known as the “lost-wax
process” because the pattern material, wax, is consumed during the mold making
process. Some plastics may also be substituted for the more commonly used wax.

Investment casting patterns are produce by injection molding. As the patterns


are consumed, multiple patterns are assembled on a pattern “tree.” The
subsequent shell mold is produced by dipping the pattern in a slurry mix several
times with a drying period between dips. The wax pattern is then melted out,
leaving the hollow mold. Both ferrous and non-ferrous metals can be investment
cast. Such castings, usually less than 4-1/2 kilograms, exhibit close
tolerances, thin cross sections, and smooth finishes.

Evaporative-foam casting refers to the use of expendable polystyrene foam


patterns in molds of dry, unbonded sand. These patterns may be for a single part
or if for a complex shape, an assembly of patterns is used. Patterns may also be
clustered to produce multiple parts in a single pouring. The advantage of the
foam method include elimination of the cope and drag, cores are not needed,
light weight patterns, no parting lines, and very smooth finishes. Many
different metals can also be cast.

Permanent mold/no pattern casting is initially very expensive in producing the


mold, but such molds, machined out of metal or graphite, can be reused thousands
of times. Three variation of this method include:

• permanent-mold casting
• die casting
• centrifugal casting

The permanent mold method, because of the chilling effects of the molds, produce
parts of superior mechanical properties, close tolerances, and smooth finishes.
The method is well suited for casting the non-ferrous materials. The molds are
usually pre-heated to help metal flow and casting may be done horizontally as
well as vertically. After pouring, the casting is cooled by auxiliary cooling
systems as well as the mass of the mold itself. Cores may be of metal, sand, or
plaster. The internal mold surfaces are also insulated and/or lubricated with
various coatings.

Die casting is a high production method for thin wall, precision, and usually
smaller parts of non-ferrous metals. Typically the molten metal is injected
under high pressure into usually horizontal die assemblies. The injection can
produce either a single part or multiple parts, in which case the injected
charge is called a “shot.” The two principle types of die casting machines are
the “hot chamber” and the “cold chamber.” Hot chambers are used mainly for zinc
and other low melting temperature metals. The cold chamber machines are used for
the higher melting magnesium, and copper. As a final operation, and upon release
from the mold, the ejected part goes through a trimming operation.

Fundamental Manufacturing Processes Series Study Guide - 2 -


Casting

Centrifugal casting produces very dense parts and is used for all metal types.
The casting solidifies in rapidly rotating permanent or expendable molds. There
are both “true centrifugal casting” and “semi-centrifugal casting.” True
centrifugal casting is used to produce large-diameter tubes, bi-metal tube, and
rolls of virtually any thickness and length. The outside diameter is controlled
by the mold and the inside diameter by the amount of metal poured into the mold.
In the “semi” variation the mold surrounds the casting and controls the shape
being cast. These molds usually rotate horizontally while the “true” method can
operate vertically as well.

Fundamental Manufacturing Processes Series Study Guide - 3 -


Casting

Review Questions

1. A characteristic of a casting is its:


a. density
b. porosity
c. uniform grain structure
d. irregular grain structure

2. The mechanical properties of a casting is improved by:


a. sealing with resin
b. isostatic pressing
c. forging
d. sintering

3. The least expensive method of expendable mold/reusable pattern casting


uses the:
a. ceramic mold
b. sand mold
c. plaster mold
d. foam mold

4. The alternate name for the “lost wax” casting process is:
a. evaporative casting
b. permanent mold casting
c. investment casting
d. die casting

5. Evaporative foam casting is used to cast:


a. aluminum only
b. aluminum and magnesium
c. copper alloys
d. a variety of ferrous and nonferrous alloys

6. The foam method also eliminates the need for:


a. post-chilling
b. post-machining
c. copes and drags
d. part surface sealing

7. Permanent mold casting requires cores that are made of:


a. plaster
b. metal
c. sand
d. all of the above

8. Die casting is used mainly to produce:


a. larger ferrous metal parts
b. smaller ferrous metal parts
c. smaller non-ferrous metal parts
d. copper and brass parts

9. “Hot chamber” die casting is used primarily for:


a. zinc parts
b. steel alloy parts
c. copper and brass parts
d. refractory metals

Fundamental Manufacturing Processes Series Study Guide - 4 -


Casting

Answer Key

1. c
2. b
3. b
4. c
5. d
6. c
7. d
8. c
9. a

Fundamental Manufacturing Processes Series Study Guide - 5 -

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