IUBAT- International University of Business Agriculture and Technology

Founded 1991 by Md. Alimullah Miyan

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY(CEAT)

Metal Casting Process

Course Title: Manufacturing Process
Course Code : MEC 237

Course Instructor: Dr. Md Rakibuzzaman

Metal Casting Process
Chapter 10, and 11
(Book: Fundamentals of Modern
Manufacturing by Mikell. P. Groover)

2
❖ Goals and Outcomes

▪ Overview of casting technology

▪ Casting
▪ Sand casting and mold casting
▪ Foundry practice
▪ Casting quality
▪ Metals for casting

3
 Casting
⚫ Introduction
✔ Virtually nothing moves, turns, rolls, or flies without the benefit of cast metal products.
✔ The metal casting industry plays a key role in all the major sectors of our economy.
✔ There are castings in locomotives, cars trucks, aircraft, office buildings, factories,
schools, and homes. Metal Casting is one of the oldest materials shaping methods
known.
✔ Casting means pouring molten metal into a mold with a cavity of the shape to be made,
and allowing it to solidify.
✔ When solidified, the desired metal object is taken out from the mold either by breaking
the mold or taking the mold apart.
✔ The solidified object is called the casting. By this process, intricate parts can be given
strength and rigidity frequently not obtainable by any other manufacturing process.
✔ The mold, into which the metal is poured, is made of some heat resisting material.
✔ Sand is most often used as it resists the high temperature of the molten metal.
✔ Permanent molds of metal can also be used to cast products.

4
 Casting

Metal Cast parts

5
 History of Casting
• Casting technology, according to biblical records, reaches back almost 5,000 years BC. Gold,
pure in nature, most likely caught Prehistoric man's fancy…as he probably hammered gold
ornaments out of the gold nuggets he found. Silver would have been treated similarly.
Mankind next found copper, because it appeared in the ash of his camp fires from
copper-bearing ore that he lined his fire pits with. Man soon found that copper was harder
than gold or silver. Copper did not bend up when used. So copper, found a ‘nitch' in man's
early tools, and then marched it's way into Weaponry. But, long before all this…man found
clay. So he made pottery – something to eat from. Then he thought, "now…what else can I do
with this mud…" . Early man thought about it, "they used this pottery stuff, ( the first patterns
), to shape metal into bowls ".
• 3200 B.C. A copper frog, the oldest known casting in existence, is cast in Mesopotamia.
233 B.C. Cast iron plowshares are poured in China.
• 500 A.D. Cast crucible steel is first produced in India, but the process is lost until 1750, when
Benjamin Huntsman reinvents it in England.
• 1455 Dillenburg Castle in Germany is the first to use cast iron pipe to transport water.
1480 Birth of Vannoccio Biringuccio (1480-1539), the "father of the foundry industry," in
Italy. He is the first man to document the foundry process in writing.
• 1709 Englishman Abraham Darby creates the first true foundry flask for sand and loam
molding.

6
 History of Casting
⚫ 1750 Benjamin Huntsman reinvents the process of cast crucible steel in England.
This process is the first in which the steel is completely melted, producing a
uniform composition within the melt. Since the metal is completely molten, it also
allows for alloy steel production,as the additional elements in the alloy can be added
to the crucible during melting. Prior steel production was accomplished by
a combination of forging and tempering, and the metal never reached a molten state.
⚫ 1809 Centrifugal casting is developed by A. G. Eckhardt of Soho, England.
⚫ 1896 American Foundrymen's Association (renamed American Foundrymen's
Society in 1948 and now called the American Foundry Society) is formed.
⚫ 1897 Investment casting is rediscovered by B.F. Philbrook of Iowa. He uses it to cast
dental inlays.
⚫ 1947 The Shell process, invented by J. Croning of Germany during WWII, is
discovered by U.S. officials and made public.
⚫ 1953 The Hotbox system of making and curing cores in one operation is developed,
eliminating the need for dielectric drying ovens.
⚫ 1958 H.F. Shroyer is granted a patent for the full mold process, the forerunner of the
expendable pattern (lost foam) casting process.
7
1968 The Coldbox process is introduced by L. Toriello and J. Robins for high production core
making.
1971 The Japanese develop V-Process molding. This method uses un bonded sand and a
vacuum.

1971 Rheocasting is developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

1996 Cast metal matrix composites are first used in a production model automobile in the
brake rotors for the Lotus Elise.

Metal Casting History (India)

3000 BC Earliest castings include the 11 cm high bronze dancing girl found at
Mohen-jo-daro.
2000 BC Iron pillars, arrows, hooks, nails, bowls and daggers or earlier have been found in
Delhi, Roopar, Nashik and other places.
500 BC Large scale state-owned mints and jewelry units, and processes of metal extraction
and alloying have been mentioned in Kautilya‘s Arthashastra
500 A.D. Cast crucible steel is first produced in India, but the process is lost until 1750, when
Benjamin Huntsman reinvents it in England

8
 Foundry Process
Founding or Casting is the process of forming objects by
pouring molten or liquid material into a prepared mold or
mold cavity.
✔ The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is
ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process.
✔ A casting is an object formed by allowing the material to
solidify.
⚫ Steps in casting seems simple:
1. Melt the metal
2. Pour it into a mold
3. Let it freeze
Metal
Mold preparation Pouring Cooling Processing
Heating
9
 Capabilities and Advantages of Casting
⚫ Versatile process, can create intricate geometric shapes, internal
cavities, hollow sections.
⚫ Near net shape (can produce net shape or near net shape)
⚫ No limit to size (small (~10 grams) very large parts (~1000 Kg)
⚫ Economical because of little wastage (extra metal is re-used)
⚫ Isotropic: cast parts have same properties along all directions
⚫ Relatively quick process
⚫ Reasonable to good surface finish
⚫ Some casting methods are quite suited to mass production
⚫ Can be performed on any metal that can be heated to the liquid State.

10
 Limitations of Casting
⚫ Different disadvantages for different casting processes:
✔ Limitations on mechanical properties.
✔ Dimensional accuracy and surface finish of the castings made by
sand casting processes are a limitation to this technique. Many
new casting processes have been developed which can take into
consideration the aspects of dimensional accuracy and surface
finish. Some of these processes are die casting process,
investment casting process, vacuum-sealed molding process, and
shell molding process.
✔ Safety hazards to workers when processing hot molten metals
✔ Environmental problems

11
 Parts Made by Casting
Big parts
✔ Engine blocks and heads for automotive vehicles, wood
burning stoves, machine frames, railway wheels, pipes,
church bells, big statues, pump housings

Small parts
✔ Dental crowns, jewelry, small statues, frying pans

All varieties of metals can be cast, ferrous and nonferrous

12
 The Mold
⚫ A mold is the container that has the cavity (or cavities) of the shape to be cast.
⚫ The mold contains cavity whose geometry determines the part shape.

(a) open mold, simply a container (b) closed mold, in which the mold geometry is more
in the shape of the desired part complex and requires a gating system (passageway)
leading into the cavity.

⚫ Actual size and shape of cavity must be slightly oversized to allow for
shrinkage of metal during solidification and cooling
⚫ Molds are made of a variety of materials, including sand, plaster, ceramic and
metal.
13
 Sand casting
▪ Molding is the process of manufacturing by shaping liquid or
pliable raw material using a rigid frame called a mold of matrix
▪ Good casting can't be produced without good molds.
✔ Sand casting may be made in
(1) Green sand molds
(2) Dry sand molds
(3) Core sand molds
(4) Loam molds
(5) Shell molds, and
(6) Cement-bonded molds

14
▪ The major methods of making these molds are called
(1) Bench mold
(2) Machine molding
(3) Floor molding and
(4) Pet molding

15
 Casting Process
Depending upon the types of mold , casting processes divide in
to two broad categories-
1. Expendable mold processes – uses an expendable mold
which must be destroyed to remove casting.
⚫ Made of sand, plaster, and similar materials, plus binders
⚫ Advantage: more complex shapes possible
⚫ Disadvantage: production rates often limited by time to make
mold rather than casting itself
2. Permanent mold processes – uses a permanent mold which
can be used many times to produce many castings
⚫ Made of metal (or less commonly, a ceramic refractory
material)
⚫ Advantage: higher production rates
⚫ Disadvantage: geometries limited by need to open mold
 Casting Terminology
Flask
Flask is a box containing the mold in metal casting. It has only sides, and no
top or bottom, and forms a frame around the mold. It may be square,
rectangular, round or any convenient shape. A flask can be any size so long
as it is larger than the pattern being used to make the sand mold. Flasks are
commonly made of steel, aluminum or even wood. A simple flask has two
parts, the cope and the drag.
Cope
upper molding flask
Drag
Lower molding flask
Core
A separate part of the mold, made of sand and
generally baked, which is used to create
openings and various shaped cavities in the
castings. Its A shape inserted into the mold to
form internal cavities.
Core Print
A region used to support the core or extended
part of a core.
Mold Cavity
The hollow area in mold where metal solidifies
into the part
Riser
An extra cavity to store additional
metal to prevent shrinkage. Or A
column of molten metal placed in
the mold to feed the castings as it
shrinks and solidifies. Also known
as “feed head”
Gate
A channel through which the molten
metal enters the mold cavity.
Pouring Cup
The part of the gating system that
receives poured metal
Sprue
Vertical channel
Runners
Horizontal channels
Parting Line / Parting Surface
Interface that separates the cope and
drag of a 2-part mold
Draft
Draft is the amount of taper on a pattern or casting that allows its removal
from the mold easily.
Core Box
Mold or die used to produce cores
Casting
The process and product of solidifying metal in a 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 11.1 A large sand casting weighing over

680 kg (1500 lb) for an air compressor frame
(photo courtesy of Elkhart Foundry).
• The sand casting process involves the use of a
furnace, metal, pattern, and sand mold. The metal
is melted in the furnace and then ladled and poured
into the cavity of the sand mold, which is formed
by the pattern. The sand mold separates along a
parting line and the solidified casting can be
removed.
 Making the Sand Mold
• The cavity in the sand mold is
formed by packing sand around a
pattern, then separating the mold
into two halves and removing the
pattern
• The mold must also contain gating
and riser system
• If casting is to have internal
surfaces, a core must be included
in mold
• A new sand mold must be made
for each part produced

©2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

M P Groover, Fundamentals of
Modern Manufacturing 3/e
 Steps in Sand Casting
1. Making the sand mold
2. Pour the molten metal into sand mold
3. Allow time for metal to solidify
4. Break up the mold to remove casting
5. Clean and inspect casting
– Separate gating and riser system
6. Heat treatment of casting is sometimes required to improve
metallurgical properties
The process cycle for sand casting consists of six main
stages, which are explained below
Mold-making - The first step in the sand casting process is to create the mold
for the casting.
─ In an expendable mold process, this step must be performed for each casting.
─ A sand mold is formed by packing sand into each half of the mold. The sand is
packed around the pattern, which is a replica of the external shape of the
casting.
─ When the pattern is removed, the cavity that will form the casting remains.
Any internal features of the casting that cannot be formed by the pattern are
formed by separate cores which are made of sand prior to the formation of
the mold.
─ The mold-making time includes positioning the pattern, packing the sand, and
removing the pattern. The mold-making time is affected by the size of the
part, the number of cores, and the type of sand mold. If the mold type
requires heating or baking time, the mold-making time is substantially
increased.
 Clamping - Once the mold has been made, it must be prepared for the
molten metal to be poured. The cores are positioned and the mold halves
are closed and securely clamped together. It is essential that the mold
halves remain securely closed to prevent the loss of any material.

Pouring - The molten metal is maintained at a set temperature in a

furnace. After the mold has been clamped, the molten metal can be ladled
from its holding container in the furnace and poured into the mold.
─ The pouring can be performed manually or by an automated machine.
─ Enough molten metal must be poured to fill the entire cavity and all
channels in the mold.
─ The filling time is very short in order to prevent early solidification of any
one part of the metal.
 Cooling - The molten metal that is poured into the mold will begin to cool
and solidify once it enters the cavity.
─ When the entire cavity is filled and the molten metal solidifies, the final
shape of the casting is formed.
─ The mold can not be opened until the cooling time has elapsed. The desired
cooling time can be estimated based upon the wall thickness of the casting
and the temperature of the metal.
─ Most of the possible defects that can occur are a result of the solidification
process. If some of the molten metal cools too quickly, the part may
exhibit shrinkage, cracks, or incomplete sections. Preventative measures can
be taken in designing both the part and the mold.
Removal - After the predetermined solidification time has passed, the sand
mold can simply be broken, and the casting removed.
─ This step, sometimes called shakeout, is typically performed by a vibrating
machine that shakes the sand and casting out of the flask.
─ Once removed, the casting will likely have some sand and oxide layers
adhered to the surface. Shot blasting is sometimes used to remove any
remaining sand, especially from internal surfaces, and reduce the surface
roughness.
 Trimming - During cooling, the material from the channels in
the mold solidifies attached to the part.
─ This excess material must be trimmed from the casting either
manually via cutting or sawing, or using a trimming press.
─ The time required to trim the excess material can be
estimated from the size of the casting's envelope.
─ A larger casting will require a longer trimming time.
─ The scrap material that results from this trimming is either
discarded or reused in the sand casting process.
─ However, the scrap material may need to be reconditioned to
the proper chemical composition before it can be combined
with non-recycled metal and reused.
 Desirable Mold Properties
• Strength ‑ Ability of the sand to maintain its shape
• Permeability ‑ Ability to allow venting of trapped gases through the
sand. A higher permeability can reduce the porosity of the mold,
but a lower permeability can result in a better surface finish.
Permeability is determined by the size and shape of the sand grains.
• Thermal stability ‑ Ability to resist damage, such as cracking, from
the heat of the molten metal.
• Collapsibility ‑ Ability of the sand to collapse, or more accurately
compress, during solidification of the casting. If the sand can not
compress, then the casting will not be able to shrink freely in the
mold and can result in cracking.
• Reusability ‑ ability to reuse sand from broken mold to make other
molds.
 Types of Sand Mold
• Green‑sand molds - Greensand molds use a mixture of sand, water, and a
clay or binder. Typical composition of the mixture is 90% sand, 3% water,
and 7% clay or binder. Greensand molds are the least expensive and most
widely used.
– “Green" means mold contains moisture at time of pouring
• Dry‑sand mold - In a dry sand mold, sometimes called a cold box mold, the
sand is mixed only with an organic binder. The mold is strengthened by
baking it in an oven. The resulting mold has high dimensional accuracy, but
is expensive and results in a lower production rate.
• Skin‑dried mold - A skin-dried mold begins like a greensand mold, but
additional bonding materials are added and the cavity surface is dried by a
torch or heating lamp to increase mold strength. Doing so also improves the
dimensional accuracy and surface finish, but will lower the collapsibility.
Dry skin molds are more expensive and require more time, thus lowering
the production rate.
• No-bake mold - The sand in a no-bake mold is mixed with a liquid resin and
hardens at room temperature.
 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
 The Pattern
▪ A full size model of the part, slightly enlarged to account for
shrinkage and machining allowances in the casting is called pattern.
▪ It is a replica of the object to be cast, used to prepare the cavity into
which molten material will be poured during the casting process.
▪ Some internal surfaces may not be included in the pattern, as they
will be created by separate cores.
 Pattern materials:
Several different materials can be used to fabricate a pattern
– Wood - Wood is very common because it is easy to shape
and is inexpensive, however it can warp and deform easily.
Wood also will wear quicker from the sand.
– Metal - is more expensive, but will last longer and has
higher tolerances. The pattern can be reused to create the
cavity for many molds of the same part. Since its lasts
longer, therefore reduce tooling costs.
– Plastic – They are light in weight, durable, corrosion
resistive.
– Wax and Plaster of Paris are also used, but only for
specialized applications.
 Types of Patterns
The common types of patterns are:

1) Single piece pattern

2) Split piece pattern
3) Loose piece pattern
4) Gated pattern
5) Match pattern
6) Sweep pattern
7) Cope and drag pattern
8) Skeleton pattern
9) Shell pattern
10) Follow board pattern
 Core
Full‑scale model of interior surfaces of part
• It is inserted into the mold cavity prior to pouring
• The molten metal flows and solidifies between the mold cavity
and the core to form the casting's external and internal surfaces
• May require supports to hold it in position in the mold cavity
during pouring, called chaplets

Figure 11.4 (a) Core held in place in the mold cavity by chaplets, (b)
possible chaplet design, (c) casting with internal cavity.
Solid or Single piece pattern
• A single piece pattern is the simplest of all the
patterns, is made in one piece and carries no joint,
partition or loose pieces.
Split or two piece patterns
• Many times the design of casting offers difficulty in mold
making and withdrawal of pattern, if a solid pattern is used.
For such castings, split or two piece pattern are employed.
They are made in two parts which are joined at the parting
line by means of dowels. While molding one part of the
pattern is contained by the drag and the other by the cope.
• Loose piece pattern:
• When a one piece solid pattern has projections or
back drafts which lie above or below the parting
plane, it is impossible to withdraw it from the
mould. With such patterns, the projections are
made with the help of loose pieces. One drawback
of loose feces is that their shifting is possible
during ramming.
Gated pattern:
• A gated pattern is simply one or more loose
patterns having attached gates and runners.
Because of their higher cost, these patterns
are used for producing small castings in mass
production systems and on molding machines.
Match plate pattern:
• A match plate pattern is a split pattern having the
cope and drags portions mounted on opposite sides
of a plate (usually metallic), called the "match plate"
that conforms to the contour of the parting surface.
• The gates and runners are also mounted on the
match plate, so that very little hand work is required.
This results in higher productivity.
• This type of pattern is used for a large number of
castings. Piston rings of I.C. engines are produced by
this process.
 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 minus the weight of core itself
F b = Wm ‑ Wc
where
Fb = buoyancy force;
Wm = weight of molten metal displaced;
Wc = weight of core
 Other Expendable Mold Processes
• Shell Molding
• Expanded Polystyrene Process
• Investment Casting
• Plaster Mold and Ceramic Mold Casting
 Shell Molding
Casting process in which the mold is a thin shell of sand held
together by thermosetting resin binder

A match plate or cope

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

Box is inverted so that sand and resin Box is repositioned so that loose
fall onto the hot pattern, causing a uncured particles drop away
layer of the mixture to partially cure on
the surface to form a hard shell
 Shell Molding

sand shell is heated in oven for shell mold is stripped from the
several minutes to complete curing pattern
 Shell Molding

Two halves of the shell mold are

assembled, supported by sand or the finished casting with sprue
metal shot in a box, and pouring removed.
is accomplished
 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

Pattern of polystyrene is coated with

refractory compound;
 Expanded Polystyrene Process

molten metal is poured into the portion of the

foam pattern is placed in mold box, and pattern that forms the pouring cup and sprue.
sand is compacted around the As the metal enters the mold, the polystyrene
pattern; foam is vaporized ahead of the advancing
liquid, thus the resulting mold cavity is filled.
 Advantages and Disadvantages

• Advantages of expanded 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

• Disadvantages:
– A new pattern is needed for every casting
– Economic justification of the process is highly dependent on
cost of producing patterns
 Investment Casting (Lost Wax
Process)

A pattern made of wax is coated with a refractory

material to make mold, after which wax is melted
away prior to pouring molten metal
• "Investment" comes from a less familiar definition
of "invest" - "to cover completely," which refers to
coating of refractory material around wax pattern
• It is a precision casting process - capable of
producing castings of high accuracy and intricate
detail
 Investment Casting

wax patterns are produced several patterns are attached to

a sprue to form a pattern tree
 Investment Casting

the pattern tree is coated with a thin

layer of refractory material, the full mold is formed by
covering the coated tree with
sufficient refractory material to
make it rigid
 Investment Casting

the mold is held in an inverted the mold is preheated to a high

position and heated to melt temperature, the molten metal is
the wax and permit it to drip poured, and it solidifies
out of the cavity
 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
 Permanent Mold Casting Processes

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

mold is preheated and coated

 Permanent Mold Casting

cores (if used) are inserted and mold molten metal is poured into the
is closed 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

(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

with die closed and ram withdrawn, molten metal is poured into the chamber
 Cold‑Chamber Die Casting

ram forces metal to flow into die, maintaining pressure during cooling and
solidification.
 Molds for Die Casting

• Usually made of tool steel, mold steel, or

maraging steel
• 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
 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
 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
– Semi centrifugal 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.

 Semi centrifugal 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
 Centrifuge 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