Casting Analysis

Melting and Pouring

ver. 6

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 1

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Overview
• Processes
• Analysis
– Melting
– Pouring
– Solidification and cooling
– Surface tension
– Gas solubility and porosity
• Defects
• Design rules
• Economics

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 2

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Casting Steps
quick route from raw material to finished
product
• Melt metals
• Pour / force liquid into hollow cavity
(mold)
• Cool / Solidify
• Remove
• Finish

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 3

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Temperature vs. Time

Temperature
pouring

melting solidification

removal
initial
time

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 4

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Melting
Furnace
Heat Atmosphere
• Raw material (charge)
– scrap, alloying materials
• Atmosphere Raw materials
– Air (oxygen), vacuum, inert gas (argon)
• Heating
– External - electric, gas, oil
– Internal - induction, mix fuel with charge
• steel making in blast furnace -mix coke with steel
• Furnace material - refractory
– high melting point metals, ceramics
ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 5
Prof. J.S. Colton
 Heat to melt

[
H = ρV cs (Tmelt − Tinitial ) + H f + cl Tpour − Tmelt ( )]
• H = heat [J/g]
• ρ = density
• V = volume
• c = specific heat (s = solid, l = liquid)
• Hf = heat of fusion

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 6

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Melting – Ex. 1-1

Calculate the heat required to raise the

temperature of a 120 kg aluminum billet
from 20oC to 50oC above its melting
point.

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 7

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Melting – Ex. 1-2
H = 120 * [0.9 * (660-20)
+ 396 + 1.05 * (710 – 660)]
= 123 kJ = 116.6 BTU
• density = 2700 kg/m3
• melting point = 660oC
• heat of fusion = 396 kJ/kg
• specific heat of liquid = 1.05 kJ/kg-oC
• specific heat of solid = 0.9 kJ/kg-oC

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 8

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Pouring - Fluid Flow

• Reynold’s number
• Bernoulli’s equation
• Continuity

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 9

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Reynold’s number (Re)
ratio of momentum (inertia) to viscosity

ρVd
Re =
µ

=
(density ) ∗ (velocity ) ∗ (diameter )
(viscosity )

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 10

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Critical Reynold’s number

• Re ~ 2,000
– laminar to turbulent transition
– eddies begin to form
• Re > 20,000
– very turbulent
• Controlled through gate and runner
design

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 11

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Bernoulli’s Equation
Used to calculate flow velocities:

ρv 2
ρv 2
Po + + ρgho = P1 +
o
+ ρgh1 + f 1

2 2
P = pressure g = gravity
ρ = density h = height
v = velocity f = losses due to friction

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 12

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Continuity

A0v0 = A1v1

where: A = area

v = velocity

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 13

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Pouring – Ex. 2-1
Determine the geometry of the sprue, so that
there is no air aspiration (the pressure never
is less than atmospheric).

1 pouring basin
hc sprue
2
ht

1 = free surface of metal

2 = spue top
3 = sprue bottom
3

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 14

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Casting – Ex. 2-2
ρv1
2
ρv3
2
P1 + + ρgh1 = P3 + + ρgh3
2 2
• Assuming
– entire mold is at atmospheric pressure
– metal in the pouring basin is at zero
velocity (reservoir assumption)

v3 = 2 ght

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 15

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Casting – Ex. 2-3
• Similarly

ρv1
2
ρv2
2
P1 + + ρgh1 = P2 + + ρgh2
2 2

v2 = 2 ghc

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 16

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Casting – Ex. 2-4

• By continuity

A2v2 = A 3V3
• Hence
A3 v2 hc
= =
A2 v3 ht

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 17

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Mold Filling Time Estimate

• Using continuity
– Q = Ag vg =A3 v3
• Assuming Ag = A3

vgate = v3 = 2gh t

• Hence Mold filling time =

Volume of mold
A gate vgate

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 18

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Pouring – Ex. 3-1

• Given
– height of sprue (ht) = 20 cm
– area of sprue (A3) = 2.5 cm2
– volume of mold cavity (V) = 1560 cm3
• Find
– vsprue
– Flow rate (Q)
– Mold filling time

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 19

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Pouring – Ex. 3-2

v base of sprue = 2 ght = 2 * 981* 20 = 198.1 cm/s

Q = vbase of sprue *A3

= 198.1 * 2.5 = 495 cm3/s

Mold filling time = V/Q =1560 / 495 = 3.2 s

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 20

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Bottom Gated Systems
• Reduced splashing and oxidation
• As metal is poured into the system,
effective head is reduced.
Ag = gate cross-sectional area
Am = mold cross-sectional area

ht h hm

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 21

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Bottom Gated Systems

• In time dt,
– height of metal in mold increases dh
– flow rate of increase = Amdh/dt
– flow rate of metal delivered by gate to mold
Agvg, where
vg = 2 g (ht − h )

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 22

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Bottom Gated Systems

Am dh = Ag 2 g (ht − h )dt
• hence

• If tf = filling time,
hm tf
1 dh Ag
= dt
2 g ò ht − h Am ò
0 0

∴t f =
2 Am
Ag 2g
( h t − ht − hm )
ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 23
Prof. J.S. Colton
 Pouring - Ex. 4-1
• You are pouring liquid iron into a mold.
• The mold has a sprue height of 2 inches.
• The bottom of the sprue has a diameter
of 0.2 in.
Risers
Sprue

Gate
Drag
Parting Line
Cope
Casting

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 24

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Pouring - Ex. 4-2
• You wish to pour the metal so that you do
not entrain air.

• What should the diameter of the gate

(dgate) be?

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 25

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Pouring - Ex. 4-3

• Here we need to use:

– Reynold’s number
• values below 20,000 are OK in casting
– Bernoulli’s equation
– Continuity

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 26

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Pouring - Ex. 4-4
• Iron data:
– density (ρ) = 7860 kg/m3
– viscosity at pouring temp (µ) = 2.25 cp
= 2.25 x 10-3 N*s/m2
• h0 = 2 in. = 0.051 m
• h1 = 0 m
• g = 9.8 m/s2
• A1 = πr2 = 3.14 * 0.002542 =
2.03 x 10-5 m2

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 27

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Pouring - Ex. 4-5

• Now we need to determine the

velocity at the bottom of the sprue
(v1) using Bernoulli’s equation.

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 28

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Pouring - Ex. 4-6
• We can assume that the velocity
at the top of the mold (vo) is zero,
if there is a pouring basin, which is
typical.

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 29

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Pouring - Ex. 4-7

• Ignore friction effects (f=0).

• Assume the mold is open to
atmospheric pressure
(P0=P1=Patm).
• Ignore the effect of the height of
the metal in the mold.

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 30

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Pouring - Ex. 4-8
• Substituting into Bernoulli’s equation:

ρvo2 ρv12
Po + + ρgho = P1 + + ρgh1 + f
2 2
7860 ∗ 02
Patm + + 7860 ∗ 9.8 ∗ 0.051 =
2
7860 ∗ v12
Patm + + 7860 ∗ 9.8 ∗ 0 + 0
2

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 31

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Pouring - Ex. 4-9
• And solving:

v1 = 1 m/s

• Checking Reynolds number

Re = 7860*1*0.00508/2.25x10-3
=17,746 < 20,000

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 32

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Pouring - Ex. 4-10
• Now using continuity:

A1v1 = Agatevgate =

2.03 x 10-5 * 1 = Agatevgate

and Agate = πrgate2

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 33

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Pouring - Ex. 4-11
• Now, Reynold’s number < 20,000

ρVd 7860 ∗ v gate ∗ d gate

Re = = = 20,000
µ 2.25 ∗ 10 -3

• Solving gives:
vgate*dgate = 5.72 x 10-3 m2/s

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 34

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Pouring - Ex. 4-12
• Combining the following equations:

• 2.03 x 10-5 * 1 = Agatevgate

• Agate = πrgate2

• vgate*dgate = 5.72 x 10-3 m2/s

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 35

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Pouring - Ex. 4-13

• And solving gives:

dgate = 4.5 mm = 0.18 in.

A not unreasonable answer, given

the sprue is 5 mm in diameter.

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 36

Prof. J.S. Colton
 Summary

• Analysis
– Melting
– Pouring
– Solidification and cooling
– Surface tension
– Gas solubility and porosity

ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 37

Prof. J.S. Colton
ME 6222: Manufacturing Processes and Systems 38
Prof. J.S. Colton