Subject Name: Manufacturing Process 1

Subject Code: 10ME35

Prepared By: Amar kumar & Anup M Upadhyaya
Department: Mechanical Engineering

Date: 19-08-2014
Unit: 3

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Topic details : Unit 3: Special Moulding Technique:

(a) Sand Moulds
Green sand mould
No bake sand mould
Carbon dioxide mould
Shell mould
Investment mould
Sweep mould
Flaskless mould
(b) Metal Moulds
Gravity die casting
Pressure die casting
Continuous casting
Centrifugal casting
Squeeze casting
Slush casting
Thixocasting

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INVESTMENT MOULDING:
The basic steps of the investment casting process are ( Figure 11 ) :
1.Production of heat-disposable wax, plastic, or polystyrene patterns
2.Assembly of these patterns onto a gating system
3.Investing, or covering the pattern assembly with refractory slurry
4.Melting the pattern assembly to remove the pattern material
5.Firing the mold to remove the last traces of the pattern material
6.Pouring
7.Knockout, cutoff and finishing.

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INVESTMENT MOULDING FIGURES IN STEPS :

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ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF

INVESTMENT MOULDING:
Advantages
Formation of hollow interiors in cylinders without cores
Less material required for gate
Fine grained structure at the outer surface of the casting free of gas and
shrinkage cavities and porosity
Disadvantages
More segregation of alloy component during pouring under the forces of
rotation
Contamination of internal surface of castings with non-metallic inclusions
Inaccurate internal diameter

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GREEN SAND MOULDING

Green sand is the most diversified moulding method used in metal casting
operations. The process utilizes a mould made of compressed or compacted moist
sand. The term "green" denotes the presence of moisture in the moulding sand. The
mould material consists of silica sand mixed with a suitable bonding agent (usually
clay) and moisture.

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Sand Mould Making Procedure

Typical sand moulds have the following parts:
The mould is made of two parts, the top half is called the cope, and
bottom part is the drag.
The liquid flows into the gap between the two parts, called the mould
cavity. The geometry of the cavity
is created by the use of a wooden shape, called the pattern. The shape of
the patterns is (almost) identical to
the shape of the part we need to make.
A funnel shaped cavity; the top of the funnel is the pouring cup; the pipeshaped neck of the funnel is the
sprue the liquid metal is poured into the pouring cup, and flows down the
sprue.
The runners are the horizontal hollow channels that connect the bottom
of the sprue to the mould cavity.
The region where any runner joins with the cavity is called the gate.

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NO-BAKE SAND MOLDS

The No-Bake Sand Casting process consists of sand molds created using a
wood, metal or plastic pattern. Sand is mixed with a urethane binder and
deposited into a box containing the pattern (and all necessary formers and
inserts) for pouring. The sand mixture sets hard in a short time, and the mold is
then removed from the pattern. Cores for forming internal passages in the
castings are made using the same process.
The No-Bake casting technique creates molds with excellent dimensional
stability. The casting surface finish is also improved over other sand casting
processes.
No-Bake is one of the most efficient and advanced sand casting techniques
currently available.
At Morel Industries we use No-Bake Molding for high precision castings in
Brass/Bronze and Aluminum and Iron alloys.
No Bake sand casting process used in alloy castings
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ADVANTAGES
Excellent Stripping Characteristic
Bench life is more compared to other no bake systems
Excellent core mould making and casting properties
DISADVANTAGES:
Moisture/Humidity is the greatest single factor which adversly affects the sytem.
The system has poor hot strength
The system emits kerosene/Turpentine odour during mixing.

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SHELL MOULDING:
It is a process in which the sand mixed with a thermosetting resin is allowed to
come into contact with a heated metallic pattern plate, so that a thin and strong
shell of mould is formed around the pattern. Then the shell is removed from the
pattern and the cope and drag are joined together and kept in a flask with
necessary back up material and molten metal is poured into the mould. Dry and
fine sand (90 to 140 GFN) which is completely free of the clay is used for
preparing the shell moulding sand. The grain size to be chosen depends on the
surface finish desired on the casting. Too fine a grain size requires large amount
of resin which makes the mould expensive.
The resins most widely used, are the phenol formaldehyde resins, which are
thermosetting in nature. Combined with sand, they give very high strength and
resistance to heat. The resin initially has excess phenol and acts like a
thermoplastic material and coated the sand particles. After that in the presence

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of a catalyst such as hexa-methylenetetramine (hexa) it develops thermosetting

characteristics. The curing temperature for these would be around 1500C and the
time required would be 50 to 60 seconds. Additives like coal dust, pulverized
slag, manganese dioxide, calcium carbonate, ammonium borofluoride and
magnesium silicofluoride etc. are added to the sand mixture to improve the
surface finish and avoid thermal cracking during pouring. The lubricants like
calcium stearate and zinc stearate are added to improve the flowability of the
sand and permit easy release of the shell from the pattern.

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Advantage:
It is adaptable to any quantity
Provides better dimensional control

Disadvantage:
Ideal for high value and critical parts
Desired for complicated profiles

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CARBON DIOXIDE MOULDING:

Carbon dioxide moulding also known as sodium silicate process is one of the widely
used process for preparing moulds and cores.
In this process sodium silicate activates or tend to bind the sand particles only in the
presence of carbon dioxide gas. For this reason, the process is commonly known as
CO2 process

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Steps Involved in in making carbon dioxide mould;

Suitable proportions of silica sand and sodium silicate binder are mixed together
to prepare the sand mixture.
Additives like aluminum oxide, molasses etc, are added to impart favorable
properties and to improve collapsibility of the sand
The drag box is filled with sand mixture and rammed manually till its top surface.
Rest of the operations like placing sprue and riser pin and ramming the cope box
are similar to that of green sand moulding process

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Advantages:
Instantaneous strength Development. The development of strength takes place
immediately after carbon dioxide gassing is completed.
Since the process uses relatively safe carbon dioxide gas,it does not present
sand disposal problems or any odour while mixing and pouring.Hence the
process is safe to human operators.
Very little gas evolution during pouring of molten metal.
Disadvantages:
Poor collapsibility of moulds
The sand mixture has high tendency to stick to the pattern and has relatively
poor flowability.
There is a significant loss in the strength of hardness of moulds which have
been stored for extended periods of time.
Over gassing and under gassing adversly affects the properties of cured sand.

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Sweep Mould
In sweep moulding the cavity is formed as the pattern sweeps the sand all around
the circumference.
A thin wooden piece is attached to a spindle at one edge while the other edge has
a contour depending on the desired shape of the casting.
The spindle is placed at the centre of the mould and rotated so that the wooden
piece sweeps in the mould box generating the shape of the required casting.

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Gravity die casting

Gravity die casting or permanent mould casting is a casting process in
which the molten metal is poured into metallic mould called die under
the influence of gravity . Hence the name gravity die casting.
The mould or die is usually made from cast iron, tool steel, graphite,
copper or aluminium alloys and the choice for a particular material
depends on the type of metal to be cast.
Gating and risering systems are machined either in one or both the
mould halves.

Steps Involved in the process

The mould is cleaned using wire brush or compressed air to remove dust and
other particles from it.
It is preheated to a temperature of 200 280 degree celsius by gas or oil flame
and the surface is sprayed with a lubricant.
The lubricant helps to control the temperature of the die thereby increasing its
life and also assist in easy removal of solidified casting.
The mould is closed tightly and the liquid metal of the desired composition is
poured in the mould under gravity.
Advantages
Good surface finish and close dimensional tolerance
Suitable for mass production
Occupies less floor space.
Thin sections can be easily cast
Eliminates skilled labour
Disadvantages
Initial cost for manufacturing moulds is high
Not suitable for steel and high melting point metals/alloys

Pressure Die casting

Pressure die casting often called die casting is a process in which
the molten metal is injected into a die inder high pressures
The metal being vast must have a low melting point than the die
material which is usaully made from steel and othe alloys.
Two basic methods of die casting process
a) Hot chamber die casting process
b) Cold chamber die casting process.

Hot chamber die casting process:

In this process the dies are made in two halves: One half called
fixed die or stationary die while the other half called movable die
The dies are called in positions by means of ejector pins which
also help to eject the solidified casting from the dies

Steps involved the process

In this process , the molten is poured in a metallic mould and permitted to
remain in the mould for a short interval of time.

Solidification begins at the mould walls , as they are relatively cool then
progress inward.
When the moulds are separated, hollow casting with good feature on its
external surfaces, but variable wall thickness is obtained.
Advantages
Process is inexpensive.
Hollow casting can be made without using core
Disadvantages
Process is used for art and decorative work only.
Only low melting point alloys with narrow freezing ranges can be used

Cold chamber Die Casting Process

In hot chamber process, the charging
unit (goose neck) rests in the melting
chamber, whereas in cold chamber
process, the melting chamber is separate
and the molten metal is charged into the
machine by means of ladles.
Cold chamber process is employed for
casting materials that are not possible by
the hot chamber process.
For example, aluminum alloys react
with the steel structure of the hot
chamber machine and as a result there is
a considerable iron pick-up by
aluminum.
This does not happen in cold chamber
process, as the molten metal has a
momentary contact with the structure of
the machine.
Figure shows the cold chamber die
casting machine

The machine consists of a die, made in two

halves: one half called the 'fixed die' or
'stationary die while the other half called
'movable die.
The dies are aligned in positions by means of
ejector pins which also help to eject the
solidified casting from the dies.

Continuous casting:
Continuous casting is process in which the operations of pouring, solidification and
withdrawal of casting from an open mould are carried out continuously.

Steps involved in the process

1.
The molten metal is continuously supplied from the ladle to the intermediate ladle called
'tundish' from where it is continuously poured into the mould at a controllable rate,
keeping the level at a constant position.
2.
The mould usually made of copper or graphite is open at the bottom and is water cooled
so as to extract the heat of the metal causing its solidification. The shape of the mould
corresponds to the shape of the desired casting.
3.
The process is started by placing a dummy bar at the bottom of the mould upon which the
first liquid metal falls.
4.
The molten metal from the tundish enters the mould and takes the shape of the mould.
The water cooled mould controls the cooling rate of the metal, so that it solidifies before
it leaves the mould.
5.
The metal after coming out of the mould is further cooled by direct water spray (or water
with air) to complete solidification.
6.
The solidified metal is continuously extracted (along with the dummy bar) by 'pinch
rolls', bent and fed horizontally and finally cut to the desired length.
7.
The dummy bar is initially placed at the bottom of the mould to receive the first liquid
metal (since the bottom of the mould is open). It is later disconnected from the casting.

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Advantages
Sprue, runner, riser etc., are not used. Hence, no waste metal. This leads to 100 %
casting yield*.
Capable of producing in single operation, rods, sections and tubes with varying
sizes and wall thickness.
Process is automatic.
Product has good consistent soundness.
Mechanical properties are high
Disadvantages
Not suitable for small quantity production.
Continuous and efficient cooling of moulds is required, else, center-line shrinkage
develops.
Requires large floor space.

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12. CENTRIFUGAL CASTING

Centrifugal casting is a process in which the molten metal is poured and allowed to solidify
in a revolving mould.
The centrifugal force due to the revolving mould holds the molten metal against the mould
wall until it solidifies.
The material used for preparing moulds may be cast iron, steel, sand or graphite (for nonferrous castings).
The process is used for making castings of hollow cylindrical shapes.
The various centrifugal casting techniques include:
a) True centrifugal casting
b) Semi-centrifugal casting and
c) Centrifuge casting.

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12.a. True Centrifugal casting

True centrifugal casting is used to produce parts that are symmetrical about the axis
like that of pipes, tubes, bushings, liners and rings.
The outside shape of the casting can be round, octagonal, hexagonal etc., but the
inside shape is perfectly (theoretically) round due to radially symmetric forces.
This eliminates the need for cores for producing hollow castings.
Figure shows the true centrifugal process.

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Figure: True centrifugal process

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Steps involved in the process

1.
The mould of the desired shape is prepared with metal and the walls are coated with
a refractory ceramic coating.
2.
The mould is rotated about its axis at high speeds in the range of 300 - 3000 rpm. A
measured quantity of molten metal is poured into the rotating mould.
3.
The centrifugal force of the rotating mould throws the liquid metal towards the
mould wall and holds the molten metal until it solidifies.
4.
The casting cools and solidifies from its outer surface towards the axis of rotation of
the mould thereby promoting directional solidification.
5.
The thickness of the casting obtained can be controlled by the amount of liquid
metal being poured.
An inherent quality of true centrifugal castings is based on the fact that, the non-metallic
impurities in castings being less dense than the metal, are forced towards the inner surface
(towards the axis) of the casting due to the centrifugal forces. These impurities can be
machined later by a suitable machining process (say boring operation).
The mould may be rotated horizontally or vertically.
When the mould is rotated about horizontal axis, a true cylindrical inside surface is
produced; if rotated on a vertical axis, parabolic inside surface is produced.
Cores and gating/risering systems are not required for this process.

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12.b. Semi-centrifugal casting

Semi-centrifugal casting process is used to produce solid castings and hence, requires a core
to produce hollow cavities.
The process is used only for symmetrically shaped objects and the axis of rotation of the
mould is always vertical.
Gear blanks, sheaves, wheels and pulley are the commonly produced parts by this process.
Figure shows the process to produce a wheel shaped casting.

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Steps involved in the process

The mould is prepared in the usual manner using cope and drag box.
The mould cavity is prepared with its central axis being vertical and concentric with the
axis of rotation.
The core is placed in position and the mould is rotated at suitable speeds, usually less than
true centrifugal casting process.
The centrifugal force produced due to the rotation of the mould causes the molten metal to
fill the cavity to produce the desired shape.

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12.c. Centrifuging Process

In true and semi centrifugal process, the axis of the mould/cavity coincide with the
axis of rotation.
Where as in centrifuging process, the axis of the mould cavity does not coincide
with the axis of rotation.
The mould is designed with part cavities located away from the axis of rotation.
Hence, this process is suitable for non-symmetrical castings.
Figure shows the centrifuging process.

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Hareesha N G, Asst. Prof, DSCE, Bengaluru

33

Steps involved in the process

1. Several mould cavities are arranged in a circle
and connected to a central down sprue through
gates.
2. The axis of the down sprue is common to the
axis of rotation of the mould.
3. As the mould is rotated, the liquid metal is
poured down the sprue which feeds the metal
into the mould cavity under centrifugal force.
4. The rotational speed depends on a number of
factors such as, the moulding medium (sand,
metal or ceramic), size of the casting, type of
metal being poured and the distance of the
cavity from the central axis (sprue axis).
5. Centrifuging is done only about a vertical axis.

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13. SQUEEZE CASTING

Squeeze casting or squeeze forming or liquid metal forging is a combination of casting and
forging process.
Figure shows the sequence of operations involved in the process.

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Steps involved in the process

The process makes use of two dies: bottom die and top die,
cast and machined in such a way that upon mating leaves a
cavity similar to the shape of the desired casting. Refer figure
(a).

2.

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The bottom die is preheated to around 200 - 250C with

the help of a torch and sprayed by a water based graphite
lubricant to facilitate easy removal of casting after
solidification. Refer figure (b).

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3. Measured quantity of molten metal is poured into the bottom die as shown in
figure (c). As the metal starts solidifying, pressure is applied to the top die causing
it to move rapidly towards the bottom die.
4. This causes the molten metal to get squeezed and fill the mould cavity. Refer
figure (d). The squeezing pressure is applied until solidification is completed.
5. The casting is ejected by operating the lift pin provided in the bottom die, and the
die is then made ready for the next cycle. Refer figure (e)
Squeeze casting is commonly used for casting aluminum and magnesium alloys.
Cores can be used in this process to produce holes and recesses.

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Advantages
Metals which have poor fluidity characteristics can be cast by this process.
Shrinkage and gas porosity will be less due to the applied pressure during
solidification.
Enhanced mechanical properties because of the fine grain structure caused by rapid
solidification.
Good surface finish.
Disadvantages
Process is costlier. Manufacturing of dies to accurate dimensions involves complex
processes.
Accurate metering of molten metal is a slight difficult problem.
Un-economical for small quantity production.

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14. SLUSH CASTING

Slush casting is a process in which hollow castings are produced without the use of cores.
The process is not preferred to produce objects for engineering use, instead, it is used to
make objects like statues, toys, lamp base, candle sticks and others, where only the external
features of the object are important. Refer figure (c).

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Hareesha N G, Asst. Prof, DSCE, Bengaluru

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Steps involved in the process

In this process, the molten metal is poured in a metallic mould and permitted to remain in
the mould for a short interval of time. Refer figure (a).
Solidification begins at the mould walls, as they are relatively cool and then progresses
inward.
When a shell of desired thickness is formed, the mould is inverted and the metal which is
still in the liquid state is drained off. Refer figure (b).
The thickness of the shell obtained depends on the time for which the metal was allowed to
remain in the mould and also the thermal conductivity of the mould.
When the mould halves are separated, a hollow casting with good features on its external
surfaces, but variable wall thickness is, obtained as shown in figure (c).
Advantages
Process is inexpensive.
Hollow castings can be made without using cores.
Disadvantages
Process is used for art and decorative work only.
Only low melting point alloys with narrow freezing ranges can be used.

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15. THIXOCASTING PROCESS

Thixocasting, although similar to squeeze casting, is a more
refined process in which the casting material, for example,
aluminum alloy is subjected to a heating treatment to
prepare a semi-molten material having solid and liquid
phases co-existing therein.
The semi-molten material is injected into a cavity whose
shape resembles to the shape of the desired product and
rapidly compressed at very high pressures.
This is a high potential technology bringing together
quality metallurgy, advanced mechanical properties and
excellent dimensional precision.
The yield strength of the part made by thixocasting is
around 220 MPa compared to a maximum of 140 MPa, that
obtained by a pressure die casting process.
It is therefore used in the manufacture of light weight parts
especially in automobiles that are subjected to severe
stresses.

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Thank You