FOUNDRY TOOLS

Hand riddle- It is made up of wooden frame and wire mesh. It is used to

remove foreign material from sand by riddling.

Shovel- It is used for conditioning and mixing of the foundry sand. It consists of an
iron pan fitted with a wooden handle.

Rammers- It is used to strike the sand in the molding box to pack it properly around the pattern. The commonly

used rammers are:

(a) Peen rammer (b) Hand rammer (c) Floor rammer

Sprue pin- It is mainly made of iron or wood which is used to produce a hole, called runner. It is
embedded in sand and removed later on.

Strike off bar- It is flat bar having smooth surface which is used to remove the excess
sand after ramming.
Mallet- It is a wooden hammer which is used to drive the draw spike into the pattern.

Draw spike- It is a steel rod having sharp edge at one end and a ring on another side. It is
used for rapping and drawing pattern from the mould.

Vent wire- It is a steel wire or rod having a pointed edge. It is used to make holes or
vents in the sand mould so that hot gases can escape during casting.

Lifters- It is used to finish the sand mould surface after removal of pattern.

Trowel- It is made of iron fitted with a wooden handle. It is used to finish the flat surface.

Slicks- It is used to repair and finish the mould surfaces and edges after the removal of
pattern.

Smoothers and corner slicks- These are finishing tools used to repair and finish flat and round surfaces, corners
and edges.

Swab- This fiber brush is used for moistening of edges of sand mould before withdrawing the pattern.
Gate cutter- It is used to cut the gate which connects the runner hole with the
mould cavity. It is made of sheet metal.

Clamps- These are used to clamp the molding boxes firmly.

Bellow- It is used to blow away the unwanted sand from mould surface and cavity.

Pyrometer- It is a device which is used to measure the temperature of

molten metal from the burner.

The moulding boxes or flasks used on sand moulding are of two types:
a.CLOSED MOULDING BOXES
b. OPEN TYPE OF SNAP FLASKS
These boxes are used in sand moulding may be made of wood, cast iron
or steel. They consist two or more parts. The lower part is called drag
and the upper part is called cope and all the intermediate
parts (if used) is called cheeks. All the parts are individually equipped
with suitable means for clamping during pouring.

Wooden flasks are generally used in green sand moulding. Dry sand
moulds always requires metallic boxes because they are heated for drying. Large and heavy
boxes are made from cast iron or steel and carry handles and grips as they are manipulated
by cranes or hoists etc. The closed metallic flasks may have a rectangular or round shape.

A snap flask is hinged in one corner and it is rectangular in shape and it is made of wood. It
is used for bench moulding and number of moulds can be made from same set of flask.

LADLES:

They are used to receive molten metal from the melting

furnace and pour the same into the mould. Their size is
designated by their metal holding capacity. Small hand shank
ladles, used by a single moulder, are provided with only one
handle and are made in different capacities upto a maximum
20Kg.

Medium and large size ladles are provided with handles on

both sides to be handles by two moulders. They are also
made in different sizes with their capacity varying from 30-
150Kg.

Extremely, large sizes with capacities ranging from 250-

1000Kg are found in crane ladles can hold even more than
1000Kg of molten metal. They facilitate a better pouring
control than the ungeared ladles and ensure more safety for workers.

CRUCIBLES:

They are made refractory material and are similar in shape to the ladles. They are used as
metal melting pots. The raw material or charge is broken into small pieces and placed in
them. They are then placed in crucible or pit furnaces which are coke fired.
In oil fired tilting furnaces they form
an integral part of the furnace itself
and the charge is put into them while
they are in position. After melting of metal, the
crucibles placed in coke-fired furnaces are taken out and received in handles. Pouring is
generally done directly by them instead of transferring the molten metal to ladles. But in the
case of an oil fired furnaces the molten metal is first received in a ladle and then poured into
the mould.