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MATERIALS
Sand casting
a) Green-sand molds
b) Dry-sand molds
c) Core-sand molds
d) Cement-bonded-sand molds
e) Loam molds
f) Shell molding
g) Pit and floor molding
h) All core molding
Categories of casting
Expendable molds:
Made of sand, plaster, ceramics and similar materials
which are generally mixed with various binders or
bonding agents,
The molds are broken up to remove the casting.
Permanent molds:
Used repeatedly and are
Designed in such a way that casting can be easily
removed and
The mold used for the next casting.
Composite Molds
Made of two or more different materials
(such as sand, graphite, and metal)
Combining the advantages of each
material.
Used to improve mold strength,
Cooling rates and
Overall economics of the process.
SAND CASTINGS
Silica sand (Si O2) is used universally for
making casting than any other molding
materials.
It is relatively cheap.
It has good refractoriness.
Bonding agent (usually clay) is mixed or occurs
naturally with the sand;
The mixture is moistened with water
To develop strength and plasticity of the clay and
to make the aggregate suitable for molding.
Green-sand Molding
Molding is often done with green sand.
Green molding sand may be defined as a plastic
mixture of sand grains, clay, water and other
materials
Which can be used for molding and casting
processes.
The sand is called green because of the moisture
present and is thus distinguished from dry sand.
Advantages
Greater flexibility as a production process.
Mechanical equipment can be utilized for
performing molding and its allied operations.
Furthermore, green sand can be reused many
times by reconditioning it with water, clay and
other materials.
Usually the most direct route from pattern to
mold ready for pouring is green-sand molding .
Diadvantages
More intricate castings cannot be made
The dimensional accuracy and surface
finish of green-sand castings may not be
adequate.
Large castings require greater mold
strength and resistance to erosion than is
available in green sands.
Dry-sand Molds
These molds are made with molding sand
in green condition.
Has good dry strength.
Molding done the same way as greensand molding.
Refractory coating.
Skin-dried Moulds
The effect of a dry-sand mould may be partially
obtained by drying the mould surface to some
depth, to 1 in.
Skin drying may be performed by torches, a
bank of radiant-heating lamps, or electrical
heating elements directed at the mould surface.
These moulds must be poured shortly after
drying so that moisture from the un-dried sand
will not penetrate the dried skin.
Loam Molding
Loam is a molding sand containing about
50 per cent sand grains and 50 per cent
clay.
Loam molding was much used in the past
for making large bronze castings and is
still practiced in some shops,
particularly in making huge manganesebronze propellers.
Cement-bonded-sand Molds
Cement-bonded molding sand is a mixture
of sand, 8 to 12 per cent high-earlystrength hydraulic cement, and 4 to 6 per
cent water.
This sand develops great hardness and
strength by the setting action of portland
cement.
Shell Molding
Shell molding is a special form of sand
casting.
Skilled molders are not required, and
process can be highly mechanized.
PERMANENT MOLDS
Molds which can be reused are made of
metal, usually grey cast iron or steel,
though sometimes of bronze, graphite or
aluminum.
The mold cavity (or die cavity) in a
permanent mold is often cast to its rough
contour and then is machined to its finished
dimensions. The gating system as well as
mold cavities are machined.
Advantages
By means of permanent-mold casting,
dimensional tolerances of 0.010 in. on a
dimension for many castings together with good
surface finish can be obtained.
The chilling action of the mold produces better
metal properties in many alloys.
Holes can be cored and inserts cast into place
more accurately than is possible in sand molds.
Higher production rates than sand casting, but
much slower than die casting.
Limitations
The casting design must be simple
enough and with sufficient draft so that the
ejection from the mold is feasible.
Because of mold cost, the process is
limited to applications where the
advantages named result in an economic
or engineering gain in preference to sand
castings.
DIE CASTING
The molten metal is forced into the mold cavity
under high pressure, 1000 to 100,000 psi.
Two principal type of die-casting machines are
used.
The hot-chamber machine (gooseneck)
The cold-chamber machine
Advantages:
A production rate of 150 to 250 die-cast cycles per hour with up to 500
shots per hour possible.
High dimensional tolerances, 0.001 to 0.003inch.
Thin sections, down to 0.015 in. in small castings, can be cast because
of the pressure involved.
iv) Holes as small as 2 mm dia. may be cored.
v) May cast threads (up to 24 / inch).
vi) Accurate coring and casting of inserts is possible.
vii) Surface finish of many castings is such that they can be buffed
directly.
viii)
Rapid cooling rate produces high strength and quality in many
alloys.
INVESTMENT CASTING
Wax patterns and gating systems are produced from the metal die.
Wax employed are blends of beeswax, carnauba, ceresin,
Acrawax, paraffin and other resins usually obtained as proprietary
mixtures.
Advantages:
Casting high-pouring-temperature alloys to
accurate dimensions. Near net shape, excellent
surface finish, minimum machining.
Castings of great exterior and interior intricacy may
be cast.
Thin sections may be cast even, in the highpouring-temperature alloys, because of the heated
mold. Wires forms down to 0.002 in. in diameter
and 2 in. long have been cast.
Disadvantages:
High tooling cost (recurring), and labor
cost.
Max. size usually about 5 Kg.
Production rate low (less than 100/hr).
Investment Casting
One-piece mold
Dried in the air
Heated to 90 175 C
Held inverted for 12 hrs to melt out wax
The mold is then heated to 650 1150 C for about 4 hrs
depending on the metal to be cast to drive off the water
of crystallization
After the metal has been poured and solidified the mold
is broken up and the cast is removed
A number of patterns can be joined to make one mold
called a tree which increases production rate
Schematic illustration of
investment casting
1. WAX INJECTION :
Wax replicas of the
desired castings are
produced by injection
molding. These replicas
are called patterns.
2. ASSEMBLY : The
patterns are attached to a
central wax stick, called a
sprue, to form a casting
cluster or assembly.
5. CONVENTIONAL CASTING
In the conventional process,
the shell is filled with molten
metal by gravity pouring. As
the metal cools, the parts and
gates, sprue and pouring cup
become one solid casting.
6. KNOCKOUT
When the metal has cooled
and solidified, the ceramic
shell is broken off by vibration
or water blasting.
7. CUT OFF
The parts are cut away from
the central sprue using a
high speed friction saw.
8. FINISHED CASTINGS
After minor finishing
operations, the metal
castings--identical to the
original wax patterns--are
ready for shipment to the
customer.
PLASTER MOLDS
Casting in plaster molds, or plaster-bonded molds, has
become a useful casting process.
Ag, Au, Mg, Cu,- and Al base alloys may be cast in plaster
molds, but ferrous alloys are not.
Plasters used for molding consist of mixtures of gypsum or
plaster of Paris, CaSO4.H2O, and ingredients such as
talc, asbestos fiber, silica flour, and others to control the
contraction characteristics of the mold and setting time.
The plaster is added to water and is mixed to a consistency
of 140 to 180.
Consistency,
lb water per 100 lb mix
11,000
30
6,000
37
4,000
47
2,000
68
200
140 - 180
Antioch Process:
A mixture of sand, gypsum, asbestos, talc, sodium
silicate and water.
Sand is the bulk ingredient and gypsum the binder.
In proportions of 50 parts water to 100 parts dry
ingredients, water is added to dry material
consisting of 50 % silica sand, 40 % gypsum
cement, 8 % talc, and small amount of sodium
silicate, portland cement, and magnesium oxide.
Molding
Advantages:
Non-ferrous castings having intricate and thin sections can be
made with good dimensional accuracy and excellent surface
finish.
Antioch Process ----- mold permeability and the ability to
incorporate chills in the mold
Chills cannot be used as readily in molds of ordinary metal
casting plaster since they tend to expand and crack the brittle
mold during baking.
** Plaster casting is suitable only for non-ferrous castings; the
sulphur of the gypsum reacts chemically with ferrous metals at
high temperature to give very bad casting surfaces.
CENTRIFUGAL CASTING
Centrifugal force is used to distribute the
molten metal in the mold.
Centrifugal casting falls into three
categories:
2. Semi-centrifugal casting
3. Centrifuging
Advantages:
Economical for making tubular objects.
No core is needed to form the bore.
Centrifugal pressures ---- force molten metal
quickly into mold to prevent premature freezing.
Semicentrifugal Casting
SLUSH CASTING
Statuary work --- only the external features of
the casting are important.
No core required
Thin skin of the solid metal freezes against
the mold walls.
The mold is then inverted and the unfrozen
metal bled from the casting
It is used only for a limited amount of art and
decorative work.
SHOT CASTING
Metal shots --- made by dropping molten metal
from considerable heights into a pool of water.
The droplets become spherical in shape as they
fall freely through air and freeze in this form upon
striking the water.
Size of shot is regulated by type of metal, pouring
temperature, rate of exit of metal stream, distance
through which the droplets fall, and any air jet or
mechanical device used to disperse the stream as
it exits from the control nozzle.
GRAPHITE MOLDS
Non-ferrous alloys and cast irons.
Blocks of graphite may have mold cavities
machined into them.
Not as durable as metal.
Graphite begins to oxidize above 750 F
and the mold then begins to show wear.
Mold coating of ethyl silicate.