Casting Defects & Remedies

01. Shrinkage
02. Cold Shut
03. Mismatch
04. Blow holes
05. Pin Holes
06. Fin
07. Drop
08. Swell
09. Metal

Penetration
10. Hot Tears
11. Porosity
12. Scabs
13. Hard Spots
14. Buckles\Rat
Tails
15. Misrun

SHRINKAGE

Shrinkage cavity is a void on the

surface of the casting caused mainly
by uncontrolled and haphazard
solidification of the metal.

SHRINKAGE
Causes:
Inadequate and improper gating.
Poor design of casting involving
abrupt changes in thickness.
Too high pouring temperature.

SHRINKAGE
Remedies:
Use the suitable composition that is
adjusted silicon and (1.80 to 2.10) or
carbon equivalent (3.9 to 4.1).
Carry out proper ramming and
maintain optimum pouring
temperature and time.

Cold Shut

When two streams of molten metal

approach each other in the mould
cavity from opposite directions but fail
to fuse properly, with the result of
discontinuity between them, it is called
a cold shut.

Cold Shut
Causes:
Low temperature of molten metal
Improper gating system
Too thin casting sections
Slow and intermitted pouring
Improper alloy composition
Use of damaged pattern

Cold Shut
Remedies:
Smooth pouring with the help of
monorail.
Properly
transport mould during
pouring.
Provide proper clamping arrangement.
Providing
appropriate
pouring
temperature.

Mismatch

It is a shift /misalignment between two

mating surfaces or the top and bottom
parts of the casting at the mould joint.

Mismatch
Causes:
Worn dowel in patterns made in
halves.
Improper alignment of mould boxes
due to worn out/ill fitting mould boxes.
Remedies:
Properly arrange box warpage.
Properly move boxes with pins.
Properly clamp the boxes.

Blow Holes

Balloon-shaped gas cavities caused

by release of mould gases during
pouring are known as blow holes.

Blow Holes
Causes:
Ramming is too hard.
Permeability is insufficient.
Venting is insufficient.

Blow Holes
Remedies:
Moisture content of moulding sand
should be controlled
Sand of appropriate grain size should
be used.
Ramming should not be too hard.
Moulds should be adequately vented.

Pin Holes

Pin holes are tiny blow holes

appearing just below the casting
surface.

Pin Holes
Causes:
Sand with high moisture content.
Absorption of hydrogen / carbon
monoxide gas in the metal.
Alloy not being properly degassed.
Steel is poured from wet ladles.
Sand
containing gas producing
ingredients.

Pin Holes
Remedies:
Reducing the moisture content of
moulding sand.
Increasing its permeability.
Employing good melting and fluxing
practices.
Improving a rapid rate of solidification.

Fin

Fins are excessive amounts of metal

created by solidification into the
parting line of the mold

Fin
Causes:
Inadequately weighted sand as well as
incorrectly assembled moulds and
cores.
Over flexible bottom boards.
Loose plates and improper clamping
of flasks.
Remedies:
Correct assembly of the mouldand
cores used for casting.

Drop

Drop
is
an
irregularly-shaped
projection on the cope surface caused
by dropping of sand.

Drop
Causes:
Low green strength of the moulding
sand.
Low mould hardness.
Insufficient reinforcement of sand
projections in the cope.
Remedies:
Moulding sand should have sufficient
green strength.
Ramming should not be too soft.

Swell

Swells are excessive amounts of

metal in the vicinity of gates or
beneath the sprue

Swell
Causes:
Insufficient or soft ramming.
Low mould strength.
Mould
not
being
adequately
supported.

Remedies:
Sand should be rammed evenly and
properly.

Metal Penetration

Penetration occurs when the molten

metal flows between the sand
particles in the mould. These defects
are due to inadequate strength of the
mold and high temperature of the
molten metal adds on it.

Metal Penetration
Causes:
Low strength of moulding sand.
Large size of moulding sand.
High permeability of sand.
Soft ramming.
Remedies:
Use of fine grain with low permeability.
Appropriate ramming.

Hot Tears

A hot tear is a fracture formed during

solidification because of hindered
contraction.

Hot Tears
Causes:
Faulty casting design leading to
excessive stresses at certain portions
in the casting.
Very hard ramming.
Too much shrinkage of molten metal.
Incorrect pouring temperature.
Improper gates and risers.
Low flowability of molten metal.
High sulphur content in molten metal.

Hot Tears
Remedies:
Ramming should not be too hard.
Modification in pattern to take care of
residual stresses.

Porosity

Porosity is pockets of gas inside the

metal caused by micro-shrinkage
during solidification.

Porosity
Causes:
Dissolved
hydrogen and sulphur
dioxide in molten metal.
Excessive poring temperature.
Slow rate of solidification.
High moisture content of the mould.

Porosity
Remedies:
Maintenance
of proper melting
temperature.
Casting should be made to solidify
quickly by using proper gating and
risering.
Permeability of the mould should be
increased.
Moisture content of mould should be
kept low.

Scabs

Scabs are surface slivers caused by

splashing and rapid solidification of
the metal when it is first poured and
strikes the mold wall

Scabs
Causes:
insufficient strength of mould and
core.
uneven mould ramming.
lack of binding material in facing as
well as core sand.
Faulty gating.
intense local heating due to slow
running of molten metal over sand
surface.

Scabs
Remedies:
appropriate ramming.
improved gating system.
addition of sufficient binders in facing
and core sands.

Hard Spots

These spots are formed due to the

local chilling by moulding sand which
leads to the formation of white cast
iron at those places, rendering them
hard.

Hard Spots
Causes:
Faulty metal composition.
Faulty casting design resulting in
relatively more rapid cooling of certain
spots.
Remedies:
Modification of casting design.
Modification of casting composition.

Buckles/Rat Tails

Rat tail or a buckle is a long, shallow,

angular
depression
caused
by
expansion of the sand.

Buckles/Rat Tails
Causes:
Excessive mould hardness.
Lack of combustible additives in the
moulding sand.
Continuous large surfaces on the
casting.

Buckles/Rat Tails
Remedies:
Suitable
addition of combustible
additives to moulding sand.
Reduction in mould hardness.
Modifications in casting design.

Misrun

When the molten metal fails to fill the

entire mould cavity before the metal
starts solidifying, resulting in an
incomplete casting, the defect is
known as misrun.

Misrun
Causes:
Low temperature of molten metal
Improper gating system
Too thin casting sections
Slow and intermitted pouring
Improper alloy composition
Use of damaged pattern

Misrun
Remedies:
Smooth pouring with the help of
monorail.
Properly
transport mould during
pouring.
Arrange
proper
clamping
arrangement.
Providing
appropriate
pouring
temperature.