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    Casting Processes1

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    Ahsan Riaz
    The document discusses various metal casting processes including sand casting, permanent mold casting, and die casting. Sand casting is one of the most common processes, accounting for over 90% of metal castings. It involves creating a sand mold around a pattern, then pouring molten metal into the mold. Permanent mold casting uses a reusable metal mold, allowing for better dimensional tolerances than sand casting. Die casting forces molten metal into a mold under high pressure, enabling complex shapes and short cycle times but requiring expensive steel dies.

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    Casting Processes1

    Uploaded by

    Ahsan Riaz
    35 views9 pages
    The document discusses various metal casting processes including sand casting, permanent mold casting, and die casting. Sand casting is one of the most common processes, accounting for over 90% of metal castings. It involves creating a sand mold around a pattern, then pouring molten metal into the mold. Permanent mold casting uses a reusable metal mold, allowing for better dimensional tolerances than sand casting. Die casting forces molten metal into a mold under high pressure, enabling complex shapes and short cycle times but requiring expensive steel dies.

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    The document discusses various metal casting processes including sand casting, permanent mold casting, and die casting. Sand casting is one of the most common processes, accounting for over 90% of metal castings. It involves creating a sand mold around a pattern, then pouring molten metal into the mold. Permanent mold casting uses a reusable metal mold, allowing for better dimensional tolerances than sand casting. Die casting forces molten metal into a mold under high pressure, enabling complex shapes and short cycle times but requiring expensive steel dies.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    35 views9 pages

    Casting Processes1

    Uploaded by

    Ahsan Riaz
    The document discusses various metal casting processes including sand casting, permanent mold casting, and die casting. Sand casting is one of the most common processes, accounting for over 90% of metal castings. It involves creating a sand mold around a pattern, then pouring molten metal into the mold. Permanent mold casting uses a reusable metal mold, allowing for better dimensional tolerances than sand casting. Die casting forces molten metal into a mold under high pressure, enabling complex shapes and short cycle times but requiring expensive steel dies.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    of 9

    CAIRO UNIVERSITY

    FACULITY OF ENGINEERING
    DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
    SECOND YEAR MECHANICAL

    CASTING PROCESSES
    Metal Casting

    Metal casting is the process of creating objects by filling a cavity with liquid metal and
    letting the metal cool. Metal casting is approximately 6000 years old, as the first cast
    objects appear to be copper arrowheads dated from approximately 4000 BC.

    A. Sand casting
    In spite of its innocuous name, sand casting is one of the most major industrial metal
    casting processes. Sand casting accounts for over 90% of all metal poured for casting.

    The process of sand casting begins by fabricating a pattern for the final object. The
    pattern is often two piece due to the construction of the mold. The pattern can be
    made from virtually any substance including wood, foam, clay and plastic.

    The mold which contains the sand is called a flask. It consists of two pieces, the top or
    cope and the bottom or drag. The centerline divides the cope from the drag. Holes
    called sprues feed molten metal into the flask and holes called risers allow air bubbles
    to escape.

    To begin the casting process, the flask is broken into its two pieces. The pattern is
    inserted into the flask and the flask reassembled. Sand is packed tightly around the
    pattern. Then the flask is opened and the pattern removed. The sand imprint is
    checked carefully, and appropriate risers and sprues added (if not contained on the
    original pattern). Then the flask is closed and molten metal poured into the sprues until
    it emerges from the risers.

    After the metal has cooled, the flask is broken open and the cast part removed. The
    sand is cleaned and recycled back for the next casting operation. The sprues and
    risers are removed and the part is cleaned.

    Tricks:

    Either "green" sand


    (actually black) or dry sand
    is used for casting. In
    green sand casting, the
    sand binder is kept moist
    with water. The part is cast
    as soon as possible
    after the pattern is removed.
    In dry sand casting, an
    organic binder is used -- and
    the mold is baked after
    the pattern is removed.
    Green sand casting is more economical, dry sand casting has better dimensional
    tolerances.

    To create a hole in the middle of a casting, a baked sand part called a core is inserted
    in the mold after the pattern has been removed. The core will be removed
    destructively after the casting is complete -- leaving a hole in the middle of the part.

    Polystyrene or Styrofoam can be used to create a one-time pattern for a specialty


    casting. In this process, the pattern is inserted into the flask and left there. When the
    molten metal is poured over the pattern, it vaporizes and the vapor escapes from the
    riser holes.

    Materials:

    Any metal that can be melted. Common metals


    include cast iron, steel, brass, bronze,
    aluminum alloys, and magnesium alloys.

    Advantages:

     Exceptionally economical
     Virtually no materials waste, as leftovers
    can be remelted and used again
     The castings can range from a few
    ounces to thousands of pounds
     The castings are isotropic
     Virtually unlimited freedom of shape

    Disadvantages:

     Dimensional tolerances of 1/16" are typical -- this is large for many applications
     The castings have a work hardened (chilled) surface and cause significant tool
    wear in post casting machining
    D. Permanent mold casting
    (gravity die casting)
    In gravity die casting, the metal is poured into the mold using only the force of gravity.
    The mold is typically a two piece mold clamped solidly together.

    Molds for casting iron or steel are made of graphite or other refractories. Molds for
    casting aluminum, magnesium or copper alloy castings are made of iron or die-steel.
    Molds incorporate the necessary sprues and risers, and also typically have pins for
    ejecting the castings.

    Materials:

    Materials best suited for gravity die castings are materials with relatively low melting
    points in order to be fluid in the mold. Typically iron, magnesium alloys, and aluminum
    alloys are cast using this process. Copper and zinc alloys tend to be insufficiently fluid.
    Steel and steel alloys require special molds.

    Typical applications are:

    - pistons/cylinders/rods
    - gears
    - kitchenware

    Advantages:

     the mold can be chilled to speed cooling


     good surface finish
     good dimensional accuracy
     only one mold is required
     
    Disadvantages:

     limited numbers of alloys can be used


     complex shapes cannot be cast
     mold production is time consuming and costly
     mold sizes are limited
    E. Die casting
    Die casting is one of the most common manufacturing processes. The basic idea is to
    force metal into a permanent mold using high pressure. The metal then cools (often
    assisted by water cooling of the die). The mold is then opened, and the casting
    ejected.

    Molds for die casting are quite elaborate. They are usually constructed of alloy steel in
    two pieces (called the cover and the ejector). The die must withstand high temperature
    and pressure, so the die is typically made for chromium or tungsten steel alloys. In
    order to increase die life, and improve throughput, the die is usually cooled with water,
    air or nitrogen.

    There are two major types of die casting machines. Hot chamber die casting machines
    are used for low melting point materials. A typical hot chamber machine is shown
    below. When the piston is raised, molten metal flows into the gooseneck. The molten
    metal is forced out of the gooseneck and into the die by the plunger. These machines
    are FAST typically operating at 150+ shots per minute.
    The cold chamber die casting machine is shown below. Die castings of aluminum,
    magnesium, brass and bronze are all made on cold chamber machines. In a cold
    chamber, the metal is fed first from the holding furnace into a chamber. The plunger
    then takes that metal and forces it into the die. Cold chamber machines are typically a
    bit slower than hot chamber machines.

    Materials:

    Materials best suited for die castings are zinc, aluminum, magnesium, copper,
    lead and tin. High pressure die casting is generally limited to non-ferrous metals
    because of the difficulty in making refractory molds capable of withstanding the
    high temperature and pressure.

    Applications:

    - automotive parts
    - appliances
    - office machines
    - bathroom fixtures
    - outboard motors

    Hot chamber machines are:


    - good for low temperature zinc alloys (approx. 400°C)
    - faster than cold chamber machines
    - cycle times must be short to minimize metal contamination
    - metal starts in a heated cylinder
    - a piston forces metal into the die
    - the piston retracts, and draws metal in
     
    Cold chamber machines:

    - casts high melting point metals (>600°C)


    - high pressures used
    - metal is heated in a separate crucible
    - metal is ladled into a cold chamber
    - the metal is rapidly forced into the mold before it cools

    Advantages:

     intricate parts possible


     short cycles
     inserts feasible
     cycles less than 1 minute
     minimum finishing operations
     thin sections, high tolerances, good surface finish
     
    Disadvantages:

     metal die is costly


     porous parts
     not suited to large parts
     long setup times
     $5000-200,000 for machine
     metal melting point temperature must be lower than die

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