Lost Foam Casting (LFC) and Vacuum Process

Casting (VPC, V-Process) -their Need Acceptance and

Limitations for Foundry Modernization in India

GD Mishra1, steel@gdmtechnics.com
CEO, General Dynamic Multi Technical Consultancy LLP
1
A Mechanical Engineer and MBA having 30 years of diversified experience in Product Application and implementing new Concepts and Project
in India. Liquid Helium, Brewpubs, Lost Foam Castings(v-LFC) and V-Process (VPC) are few of the Products and Processes introduced in India
by his efforts.

What would be an ideal foundry today? LFC, VPC, HPML and other such High Energy
Efficient Modern Moulding Lines are the answers
The foundry which can use all its resources efficiently,
with minimal wastage and pollution to environment,
to these above issues.
would be an ideal foundry today. Other than LFC & VPC needs no sand binders. The Mould strength
Power/Energy the most important input in any of the is achieved by vacuuming in specially designed flasks
sand casting
foundries is
Sand.
In conventional
sand foundries,
be it Green Sand
Process, Resin
Sand Process or
Shell Sand, sand
needs binders to
serve our needs
to make various
types of moulds.
The sand from
these moulds
after use is to be
reclaimed. Most
of the smaller
resin sand foundries do not have Sand Reclamation or boxes. Adequately designed vacuum arrangement
units because of Capital Investment and its guarantees equal mould hardness in horizontal as well
Operational & Maintenance Costs. Of Course, these as vertical walls of the mould. In both LFC and VPC
system, after pouring and cooling of casting, there is
binders are also Pollutants to some degree in the Shop
no vigorous effort & time consuming Knockout
Floor as well as when thrown out as waste. The
Process, just topple the flask, the free-flowing sand
process of reclamation is prone to breakage of sand
goes into the sand cooler and back to hopper for
grains which lead to suspension of fine fibrous silica
dust in the air, leading to life threatening disease moulding.
called Silicosis to the manpower exposed to it and Lost Foam Casting
often wrongly diagnosed by Doctors as Tuberculosis.
All these adds to cost to the foundry owner and the Today, Vacuum Assisted Lost Foam Casting (v-LFC)
society at large. But world over now Sand is being Process is finding a great acceptance in foundries in
considered as a perishable natural resource and China which have more than 3500 LFC foundries with
various Governments have started putting restrictions different variants as shown in Fig.1. Recently
to its use; and after use studies are being conducted. foundrymen in India have generated interest into this
process which is quite economical and reduces the
foundry variants to about 40%. v-LFC uses
Free-flowing sand without any binders and
sand is re-used after cooling and removal of
dust if any. The cost of production by v-LFC is
also reduced between 18- 35% depending
upon the casting, its profile, need of cores and
metallurgy.

How, LFC is most Economical

Moulding Process today
1. Most economical moulding process for
20 kg to 350 kg castings. Any size & shape
weighing between 10-12 tons is also
possible.
2. A kg of EPS (Expanded
Polystyrene)/STMMA (styrene methyl-
methacrylate) can produce 250-300 kg of
casting.
3. Intricate parts can be cast
4. No Core, so no Core cost
5. No Rejections due to Core Shifting
6. No Fins so almost nil fettling
7. Faster Delivery, Satisfied Customers,
Lesser Opportunity Cost.
8. Very good Surface Finish upto 200 RMS
can be achieved, without big efforts,
better surface finish upto 150 RMS can
also be achieved.
9. Machining work minimized, 1.5-2 mm
12. Environmentally friendly and Pollution Free
max at tool point.
workshop.
10. Sand reused with only 2% wastage
11. Steel, Ductile Iron & Grey Iron, Non-ferrous all can
be cast very successfully v-LFC Process Diagram
Acceptance of v-LFC
v-LFC Process has been successfully adopted for Grey
Iron, Ductile Iron, Mn-Steel, Carbon Steel and recently
expertise is being developed in special Alloy Steels too.
Quite a few successful Aluminium Foundries by LFC are
operating in China. Castings of Magnesium & Titanium
Alloy castings is being practiced in Europe.
Generally, when we work out the viability for adoption
of this process we ask for present yield, casting weight,
moulding sand weight, core-weight, the higher it is,
higher is the margins for savings. But the most
important aspect is the technical viability in all cases
and the acceptable levels of rejections under various
test condition. If similar castings have not been
successfully achieved elsewhere in the world by v-LFC
we should refrain in the earlier stages of adaptation of
the LFC process in our foundry.
Another important aspect for adaptation of LFC is lack
of trained manpower in India. Buying good reliable
equipment specially fine tuned for LFC Process is 40%
of the job done, the next 40% assignment is training of
manpower and finally the last 20% is confidence of the
management and executives on the process.
Energy Savings in LFC Process
1. Sand reclamation, the primary attrition and
the secondary attrition to achieve 75%
reclamation level and the thermal attrition to
achieve total 95% reclamation level needs lots
electricity and gas; while the Lost Foam
Technology only needs sand cooling and
recirculation.
2. Because the LFC process sand does not stick to
the casting surface and there are no fins, so no
energy by way of hammering, grinding and
chipping is needed for knockout and fettling of
castings. Saves, time too.
3. Machining allowances of 1-1.5 mm at tool
point so less machining needed, saves Energy
and Time.
4. The overall weight of the casting is reduced
needing less molten metal, so Energy is saved.
****
V-Process (VPC) or Vacuum Process Casting
This is yet another moulding process which doesnt
need any chemical or organic binders in the sand for
moulding. One of the foundry which adopted VPC in with no sand lumps. The sand is cooled for re-
India could envisage to double its moulding capacity in use.
2 years time, after all his process cost had become Benefits of V-Process
economical by 20-25% by adopting this process.
1. Reduction in Sand Consumption 98%
Foundries which are into Railway Castings in India 2. No water, no binder and no additives in Sand
making Side Frames, Bolsters for Casnub Bogies, 3. Cost reduction by about < 20%
Coupler etc and CMS Crossings should immediately 4. Very Smooth Surface Finish 120 RMS
target to reduce sand cost and shop-floor related 5. Excellent Dimensional Accuracy
pollution in their foundries. Foundries making large 6. Zero Draft
wear resistant Mn-Steel castings like Jaw Plates, Blow- 7. Thin Wall Sections Possible
Bars, Cone and Mantel should reduce their cost of 8. Excellent Reproduction of Details
9. Increased Pattern Life (no wear of pattern)
resin sand usage and cost of Primary, Secondary
10. Very Easy Knock-out, within no time.
Attrition and Thermal Reclamation and related 11. No sand sticking or inclusion
manpower and maintenance costs. 12. No toxic fumes from burning the binders
13. Excellent sand permeability
V-Process Steps: 14. Moisture related casting defects is zero.
15. Yield increases.

Examples by V-Process

Step 1: The pattern (with vent holes) is placed on a

hollow carrier plate.
Step 2: A heater softens the 0.07 to .0.2 mm EVA
(ethylene-vinyl acetate) plastic film. EVA Plastic
has good elasticity and a high deformation ratio.
Step 3: Softened film drapes over the pattern with 0.03
to 0.05 MPa vacuum acting through the pattern
vents to draw it tightly around the pattern.
Step 4: The flask is placed on the film-coated pattern.
Flask walls are also a vacuum chamber with the
outlet shown at right.
Step 5: The flask is filled with dry, un-bonded sand. A
slight vibration compacts sand to maximum bulk
density.
Step 6: A sprue cup is formed and the mould surface
levelled. The back of the mould is covered with
unheated plastic film.
Step 7: Vacuum is applied to the flask. Atmospheric Thus, both LFC & VPC today have very promising
pressure then hardens the sand. The vacuum is future in Indian foundries, where because of various
released, pressurized air is introduced into the
carrier and the mould is stripped.
types of pollutions now young capable engineers
Step 8: The cope and drag assembly form a plastic-lined refrain to join. These options are win-win situation for
cavity. During pouring, moulds are kept under Foundry Owners and Executives. Sooner the better
vacuum. Foundries should do an audit towards adaptation of
Step 9: After cooling, the vacuum is released and free- these modern moulding technologies.
flowing sand drops away leaving a clean casting,