Contents of Today’s Lecture

• Introduction to Sand Casting process.

• Importance of casting process.
• Casting terminology.
• Pattern Materials and types of patterns.
Casting Processes
 The Casting Process
• Material is given desired shape by
melting and subsequent solidification.
• This process exploit the fluidity of a
liquid as it assumes the shape of the
prepared container and solidifies after
cooling.
• Sometimes the molten material is
modified in its chemical composition.
 Importance of Metal Casting
Process
• Very large sized components can be
produced by casting. (As it becomes
impossible to have work holding device or on
any machine tool for such components).
• When it becomes impossible to machine
components of very hard materials.
• Parts having very complicated features
demand high operator skills, production rate
becomes slower and maintaining consistent
quality becomes difficult in mass production.
 Salient Features of Casting
Process
• Components of intricate and odd shapes can be
produced.
• Almost all metals and alloys can be casted.
• Good mechanical and service properties.
• Large number of Castings can be produced at one
time.
• Complicated sequence of operations are involved.
• Accuracy not so high, requires further machining.
• Process control is difficult that may lead to serious
casting defects.
Classification of Casting Process
• The casting is conveniently classified by knowing the molds,
patterns and cores are permanent or expendable.
• Expendable mold Casting: In this the mold cavity is obtained by
consolidating a refractory material around the pattern.
-The mold has to be broken out to take out the casting.
-Sand casting, Shell casting and Investment casting come
under this category.
• Permanent mold casting: In this category the mold is used
repeatedly and is not destroyed after solidification of casting.
-Non ferrous parts of small and medium mass can be
conveniently casted by this method.
-The castings produced have good surface finish and accuracy.
-Die casting and permanent casting fall under this category.
 Applications of Casting.
• Automobile engine blocks, cylinder blocks
of such engines, pistons and piston ring
etc.
• Machine tool beds, rollers for mills etc.
• Housings in power plants.
• Piping in water supply and sewer lines.
• Sanitary fittings.
• Agricultural parts.
 Applications Fields of Castings
• Transport: Automobiles, aerospace,railways and
shipping.
• Heavy Equipments: Construction, farming and
mining.
• Machine Tools: machining, casting, plastics,
forming, extrusion etc.
• Plant Machinery: Chemical, petroleum, sugar, textile
and thermal plants.
• Electrical Machines: motors, generators, pumps and
compressors.
• Municipal castings: Pipes, joints, valves and fittings.
• Household: Appliances, kitchen and gardening
equipments, furniture and fittings.
• Art Objects: Sculptures, idols, lamp stands and
decorative objects.
 Applications of Casting.

Crank case
Handle Bar

Cylinder heads Motor Casing

Casting Applications
 The Sand Casting Process
• Most widely used method of casting.
• Sand molds are used to prepare the casting.
• Sand molds are made by ramming the sand in a
metallic or wooden flask.
• The important sequence of operations are:
• Pattern Making
• Mold making.
• Core making
• Melting and pouring of metal.
• Cooling and solidification.
• Cleaning of casting.
Casting Terminology
 Casting Terminology
• Pattern: An approximate duplicate of the final casting.
• Mold: The cavity, made in suitable refractory material into
which molten metal can be poured.
• Flask: The box that contains molding aggregate.
• Cope: Top half of the pattern, flask, mold or core in a two
part mold.
• Drag: Bottom half of the pattern, flask, mold or core in a two
part mold.
• Core: A sand shape that is inserted into mold to produce
internal features of the casting.
• Core print: A region added to the pattern or mold that is
used to locate and support the core in the mold cavity.
 Casting Terminology
• Mold cavity: The mold material and the core combine
to give the mold cavity.
• Riser: It is a hole cut in the cope to permit the molten
metal to rise above the highest point in the casting.
The riser facilitates feeding of molten metal into main
casting to compensate for the shrinkage during
solidification.
• Gating System: A network of channels used to deliver
the molten metal to the mold cavity.
• Poring cup: The portion of gating system that initially
receives the molten metal from pouring vessel.
• Sprue: The vertical portion of the gating system
(below the poring cup) through which the molten metal
flows down.
• Runners: The horizontal channels through which
molten metal flows.
Sprue, Gates and Runners
Sprue, Gates and Runners with
Riser and Casting
 Pattern In Casting
• The pattern is the ‘model of casting’. It
is used for making impression in the
sand.
• The mold cavity is the replica of casting
required.
• This is made in the desired shape and
size with the help of a pattern.
• Thus pattern making is a very important
step in casting.
 Pattern Materials
• Wood: Widely used due to low cost, easy availability and low
weight.
It also can be worked and shaped easily, joined at lesser costs.
It has a lower life and suitable for very large castings.
• Metal: Closer dimensional tolerances and large quantity of
production.
Longer life and do not absorb moisture.
Aluminum is the widely used material.
• Plastic: Low weight, easier formability, smooth surfaces and
durability.
Do not absorb moisture and dimensionally stable.
Good corrosion resistance.
• Polystyrene: Disposable patterns can be made from Polystyrene.
It changes to gaseous state on heating.
 Characteristics of pattern
Materials
Characteristics Wood Al Steel Plastic CI
Machinability E G F G G
Wear P G E F E
Resistance
Strength F G E G G
Weight E G P G P
Reparability E P G F G
Resistance to E E P E P
Corrosion
Resistance to P E E E E
Swelling

E=Excellent, G=Good, F=Fair; P=Poor,

Some patterns
 Types of Patterns
• Solid pattern.
• Split Pattern.
• Loose Piece pattern.
• Gated pattern.
• Match plate Pattern.
 Solid or One Piece Pattern
• This type of pattern is
made in a single piece
and hence is least
expensive.
• It has no partings and
loose pieces.
• It is generally used for
casting of simple
shapes.
Split Pattern
Split Pattern showing two sections

Together

Separated
 A case study

Split Patterns Cavity made in Drag

Final Pulley
 Split Pattern
• This pattern is divided into two segments
along a single parting line.
• The bottom segment of the pattern is
positioned in the flask and lower portion of
the mold ( Drag) is formed.
• This flask is then inverted and upper
segment of the pattern is attached.
• The two parts are aligned by tapered pins
called as ‘Dowel pins’.
 A Loose Piece Pattern
Loose Pieces
 Loose Piece Pattern
• This pattern is used when one piece or loose piece
pattern couldn’t be removed from the molding sand.
• This type of pattern is used when casting has the
projections, undercuts and other such configurations.
• The portion of the pattern that may cause obstruction
is made in loose piece.
• After ramming is over, the main part is removed
followed by the loose pieces through the gap generated
by main pattern.
• It is highly skillful and expensive job.
 A Loose Piece Pattern
Loose Pieces held by pins
 Gated pattern
• Small sized casting can be produced in
one mold using gated patterns.
• Herein a number of small patterns of the
desired casting are attached to a single
runner.
• Generally they are made of metal
considering the strength criterion.
 Gated pattern
Pattern

Desired casting
Match Plate Pattern
 Match Plate pattern
• A match plate is one on which cope and drag
segments of split patterns are mounted.
• Using the holes that align with the pins on the
flask, the match plate can be placed between
the upper and the lower flask.
• Match plate patterns speed up the production
and maintain the uniformity in size and shape
of casting.
 Pattern Allowances
• Pattern allowance is the difference between
the dimensions of the casting and the pattern.
• These are classified as:
– Shrinkage Allowance.
– Machining Allowance.
– Draft or Taper Allowance.
– Rapping or Shake Allowance.
– Distortion Allowance.
 Shrinkage Allowance
• This allowance accounts for the shrinkage of
metal on solidification and contraction on
further cooling to room temperature.
• Providing this allowance, the linear
dimensions of the pattern are increased in
respect to the finished casting to be obtained.
• It is expressed as mm/m.
Typical Shrinkage Allowances

Metal Shrinkage
Allowance
CI 10mm/m

Brass 15mm/m

Steel 20mm/m

Zinc lead 25mm/m

 Machining Allowances

• This represents the extra material added to

certain parts of the casting to to enable their
machining or finishing to the required size,
accuracy and surface finish.
• This allowance is left on the surfaces which
have to undergo further machining like turning
or shaping.
• It depends upon the material used for casting,
its size, machining process used, degree of
accuracy and surface finish desired.
Draft or Taper Allowance
Draft or taper Allowance
 Draft or taper Allowance
• This allowance is provided in terms of a
taper on the pattern in a direction
parallel to its removal.
• This allows the removal of pattern
without damaging the mold cavity.
• It is generally kept between 10 to 30 .
 Distortion Allowance
• The unequal rate of cooling in different parts
of the casting may tend to distort the casting.
• The pattern is distorted suitably to yield a
correct casting..
• This allowance is provided in such a way that
on distortion the casting assumes the correct
shape.
• Generally this is required in case of flat, long,
U and V shaped castings.
 Rapping or Shake Allowance.

• To remove the pattern out from the mold

cavity, slight shaking of the pattern is
done.
• This results in the increase in the mold
cavity .
• To account for this, the pattern is made
slightly smaller.