FUNDAMENTALS OF METAL
CASTING
1. What volume change can be expected during
casting process?
2. What are the solutions to compensate the volume
changes?
3. What are the considerations when designing a riser?
©2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 6/e
Volume Changes during Metal
Solidification and Cooling
©2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 6/e
Volume Changes during Metal
Solidification and Cooling
©2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 6/e
Principles of Metal
Casting:
A. Dimensional Changes:
1. Liquid Metal Contraction
2. Solidification Shrinkage
3. Solid State Contraction
Dimension
Solidification
shrinkage
Pouring
Room Melting Temp
Temp Temp
Temperature
Principles of Metal
Casting:
A. Dimensional Changes:
1. Liquid Metal Contraction
- of least concern
2. Solidification Shrinkage
- compensated by risers and directional
solidification
3. Solid State Contraction
- compensated by oversized pattern
1. Liquid Metal Contraction
(0) starting level of molten metal after pouring; (1) reduction in
level caused by liquid contraction during cooling
©2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 6/e
2. Shrinkage during Solidification
(2) reduction in height and formation of shrinkage cavity caused
by solidification
©2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 6/e
2. Risers, Riser concerns, and
Controlling Solidification
1. Riser to freeze after casting
- use Chvorinov’s Rule
ts = C (V/A)n
n = 1 to 2
Mold constant
(ts)riser = 1.2 (ts)casting
(V/A)riser = 1.2 (V/A)casting
(If the same mold (sand) is used around the riser and casting)
What Chvorinov's Rule Tells Us
A casting with a higher volume‑to‑surface area ratio
cools and solidifies more slowly than one with a lower
ratio
To feed molten metal to the main cavity, TTS for riser
must be greater than TTS for main casting
Since mold constants of riser and casting will be equal,
design the riser to have a larger volume‑to‑area ratio so
that the main casting solidifies first
This minimizes the effects of shrinkage
©2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 6/e
2. Risers, Riser concerns, and
Controlling Solidification
1. Techniques to design riser :
a). Minimize surface area of riser
b). Locate riser at thick sections
c). Fill riser with last metal to enter mold
(other metal has already begun to cool)
d). Promote directional solidification towards the riser
2. Risers, Riser concerns, and
Controlling Solidification
-Pieces of metals placed within the
2. Employ chills mold cavity
-becomes part of the casting
Internal chills -similar metal to the casting
High-heat-capacity, high thermal
External chills conductivity material placed in the mold
adjacent to the casting
3. Use insulating sleeves and/or
exothermic toppings
4. Maximize yield:
Yield = (Wt.)casting / (Wt.)tot
Solidification Shrinkage
Occurs in nearly all metals because the solid phase
has a higher density than the liquid phase
Thus, solidification causes a reduction in volume per
unit weight of metal
Exception: cast iron with high C content, Bismuth
alloy
Graphitization during final stages of freezing
causes expansion that counteracts volumetric
decrease associated with phase change
©2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 6/e
Directional Solidification
To minimize effects of shrinkage, it is desirable for
regions of the casting most distant from the liquid
metal supply to freeze first and for solidification to
progress from these regions toward the riser(s)
Thus, molten metal is continually available from
risers to prevent shrinkage voids
The term directional solidification describes this
aspect of freezing and methods by which it is
controlled
©2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 6/e
Achieving Directional
Solidification
Directional solidification is achieved using
Chvorinov's Rule to design the casting, its orientation
in the mold, and the riser system that feeds it
Locate sections of the casting with lower V/A
ratios away from riser
So freezing occurs first in these regions
And the liquid metal supply for the rest of the
casting remains open
©2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 6/e
Riser Design
Riser is waste metal that is separated from the
casting and remelted to make more castings
To minimize waste in the unit operation, it is desirable
for the volume of metal in the riser to be a minimum
Since the shape of the riser is normally designed to
maximize the V/A ratio, this allows riser volume to be
reduced to the minimum possible value
©2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 6/e
3. Solid State Contraction
Patternmakers correct for solidification shrinkage and
thermal contraction by making the mold cavity
oversized
Amount by which mold is made larger relative to final
casting size is called pattern shrinkage allowance
Casting dimensions are expressed linearly, so
allowances are applied accordingly
©2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 6/e
3. Solid State Contraction
further reduction in volume due to thermal contraction during
cooling of solid metal
©2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 6/e
3. Solid-State Contraction
DL = Lo a DT
where:
Lo = original length
a = thermal expansion coefficient
DT = freezing temp – room temp
FUNDAMENTALS OF METAL
CASTING
1. What volume change can be expected during
casting process?
2. What are the solutions to compensate the volume
changes?
3. What are the considerations when designing a riser?
©2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 6/e
