CASTING AND ITS

TYPES
By WAQAS AHMED

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MANUFACTURING

Manufacturingis the production of goods for use or sale using

labor andmachines,tools, chemical and biological processing, or
formulation. The term may refer to a range of human activity,
fromhandicrafttohigh tech, but is most commonly applied
toindustrial production, in whichraw materialsare transformed
intofinished goodson a large scale. Such finished goods may be
used for manufacturing other, more complex products, such
asaircraft,householdappliancesorautomobiles,

Therearemanytypesofmanufacturingprocess.

Types

of manufacturing process:

1.

Casting..

2.

Molding..

3.

Forming..

4.

Machining..

5.

Joining..

BUT WE ARE GOING TO DISCUSS!!

CASTING& ITS
TYPES!!!

Casting:
Castingisamanufacturingprocessbywhicha

liquidmaterialisusuallypouredintoamold,which
containsahollowcavityofthedesiredshape,and
thenallowedtosolidify.Thesolidifiedpartisalso
knownasacasting,whichisejectedorbrokenout
ofthemoldtocompletetheprocess
Castingmaterialsareusuallymetalsorvariouscold

settingmaterialsthatcureaftermixingtwoormore
componentstogether;examples
are epoxy,concrete,plasterandclay.Castingismostoften
usedformakingcomplexshapesthatwouldbeotherwise
difficultoruneconomicaltomakebyothermethods

Casting process can be divided into two basic

categories:-

1.Thoseforwhichanewmoldmustbecreatedfor
casting(theexpandable-moldprocesses)

2.Thosethatemployapermanent,reuseablemold(the
non-expandable-moldprocesses)

Types of casting!!!
Following

are the basic types of casting..:

Sand casting

Die casting

Shell mold casting

Permanent mold casting

Investment casting (lost wax casting)

Lost-foam casting

Centrifugal casting

There is some thing else too!!!

 Most

of the expandable-moldprocesses begin

with some form of reuseabledesigns!!!

PATTERNS

WITH

ALLOWANCES

PATTERN
Incasting,apatternisareplicaoftheobjectto

becast,usedtopreparethecavityintowhich
moltenmaterialwillbepouredduringthe
castingprocess

Patternsusedinsandcastingmaybemadeofwood,
metal,plasticsorothermaterials.Patternsaremadeto
exactingstandardsofconstruction,sothattheycanlast
forareasonablelengthoftime,accordingtothequality
gradeofthepatternbeingbuilt,andsothattheywill
repeatablyprovideadimensionallyacceptablecasting.

Types of pattern:-

1.Single piece pattern.

2.Split piece pattern.

3.Loose piece pattern.

4.Match plate pattern.

5.Sweep pattern.

6.Gated pattern.

7.Skeleton pattern

8.Follow board pattern.

9.Cope and Drag pattern

 Single

piece pattern:-

 Split

piece pattern:-

 Loose

piece pattern:-

 Match

plate pattern:-

 Sweep

pattern:-

 Gated

pattern:-

 Cope

and Drag pattern:-

One thing else..!!

CORES
Toproducecavitieswithinthecastingsuchas
forliquidcoolinginengineblocksandcylinder
headsnegativeformsareusedtoproducecores

NOW..!!!

We shell discuss all types of casting one

by one!!!

SAND CASTING
Sandcasting,alsoknownassandmoldedcasting,isametal

castingprocesscharacterizedbyusingsandas
themoldmaterial.Theterm"sandcasting"canalsorefertoan
objectproducedviathesandcastingprocess.Sandcastingsare
producedinspecializedfactoriescalledfoundries.Over70%of
allmetalcastingsareproducedviaasandcastingprocess

Sandcastingisrelativelycheapandsufficientlyrefractoryevenforsteel
foundryuse.Inadditiontothesand,asuitablebondingagent(usually
clay)ismixedoroccurswiththesand.Themixtureismoistened,typically
withwater,butsometimeswithothersubstances,todevelopstrengthand
plasticityoftheclayandtomaketheaggregatesuitableformolding.The
sandistypicallycontainedinasystemofframesormoldboxesknownas
aflask.Themoldcavitiesandgatesystemarecreatedbycompactingthe
sandaroundmodels,orpatterns,orcarveddirectlyintothesand.

Basic process

Therearesixstepsinthisprocess:

1.Placeapatterninsandtocreateamold.
2.Incorporatethepatternandsandinagatingsystem.
3.Removethepattern.
4.Fillthemoldcavitywithmoltenmetal.
5.Allowthemetaltocool.
6.Breakawaythesandmoldandremovethecasting

Die casting
Diecastingisametalcastingprocessthatischaracterizedby
forcingmoltenmetalunderhighpressureintoamoldcavity.Themold
cavityiscreatedusingtwohardenedtoolsteeldieswhichhavebeen
machinedintoshapeandworksimilarlytoaninjectionmoldduring
theprocess.Mostdiecastingsaremadefromnon-ferrousmetals,
specificallyzinc,copper,aluminium,magnesium,lead,pewterandtin
basedalloysDependingonthetypeofmetalbeingcast,ahot-or
cold-chambermachineisused.
Thecastingequipmentandthemetaldiesrepresentlargecapitalcosts
andthistendstolimittheprocesstohighvolumeproduction.
Manufactureofpartsusingdiecastingisrelativelysimple,involving
onlyfourmainsteps,whichkeepstheincrementalcostperitemlow.It
isespeciallysuitedforalargequantityofsmalltomediumsized
castings,whichiswhydiecastingproducesmorecastingsthanany
othercastingprocess.Diecastingsarecharacterizedbyavery
goodsurfacefinish(bycastingstandards)anddimensional
consistency

Cast

metals:

Themaindiecastingalloysare:zinc,aluminium,magnesium,copper,lead,&tin;

althoughuncommon,ferous
Thefollowingisasummaryoftheadvantagesofeachalloy:

Zinc:theeasiestmetaltocast;highductility;highimpactstrength;easilyplated;economicalfor
smallparts;promoteslongdielife.

Aluminium:lightweight;highdimensionalstabilityforcomplexshapesandthinwalls;good
corrosionresistance;goodmechanicalproperties;highthermalandelectricalconductivity;retains
strengthathightemperatures.

Magnesium :theeasiestmetaltomachine;excellentstrength-to-weightratio;lightestalloy
commonlydiecast.

Copper:highhardness;highcorrosionresistance;highestmechanicalpropertiesofalloysdiecast;
excellentwearresistance;excellentdimensionalstability;strengthapproachingthatofsteelparts.

Leadandtin:highdensity;extremelyclosedimensionalaccuracy;usedforspecialformsof
corrosionresistance.Suchalloysarenotusedinfoodserviceapplicationsforpublichealthreasons.Type
metal,analloyofLead,TinandAntimony(withsometimestracesofCopper)isusedforcastinghand
settypeinletterpressprintingandhotfoilblocking.

Equipment:

Therearetwobasictypesofdiecastingmachines:

hot-chamber machines&cold-chamber machines.

Theseareratedbyhowmuchclampingforcetheycan
apply.Typicalratingsarebetween400and4,000st
(2,500and25,000kg)

Hot-chambermachines:

Hot-chambermachines,alsoknownasgooseneckmachines,rely
uponapoolofmoltenmetaltofeedthedie.Atthebeginningofthe
cyclethepistonofthemachineisretracted,whichallowsthemolten
metaltofillthe"gooseneck".Thepneumaticorhydraulicpowered
pistonthenforcesthismetaloutofthegooseneckintothedie.The
advantagesofthissystemincludefastcycletimes(approximately15
cyclesaminute)andtheconvenienceofmeltingthemetalinthe
castingmachine.Thedisadvantagesofthissystemarethathighmeltingpointmetalscannotbeutilizedandaluminiumcannotbe
usedbecauseitpicksupsomeoftheironwhileinthemoltenpool.
Duetothis,hot-chambermachinesareprimarilyusedwithzinc,tin,
andleadbasedalloys

 Cold-chambermachines:

Theseareusedwhenthecastingalloycannotbeusedinhotchambermachines;theseincludealuminium,zincalloyswithalarge
compositionofaluminium,magnesiumandcopper.Theprocessfor
thesemachinesstartwithmeltingthemetalinaseparate
furnace.Thenapreciseamountofmoltenmetalistransportedtothe
cold-chambermachinewhereitisfedintoanunheatedshot
chamber(orinjectioncylinder).Thisshotisthendrivenintothedie
byahydraulicormechanicalpiston.Thisbiggestdisadvantageof
thissystemistheslowercycletimeduetotheneedtotransferthe
moltenmetalfromthefurnacetothecold-chambermachine

 Dies:

Twodiesareusedindiecasting;oneiscalledthe"coverdiehalf"
andtheotherthe"ejectordiehalf".Wheretheymeetiscalledthe
partingline.Thecoverdiecontainsthesprue(forhot-chamber
machines)orshothole(forcold-chambermachines),whichallows
themoltenmetaltoflowintothedies;thisfeaturematchesupwith
theinjectornozzleonthehot-chambermachinesortheshot
chamberinthecold-chambermachines.Theejectordiecontainsthe
ejectorpinsandusuallytherunner,whichisthepathfromthesprue
orshotholetothemoldcavity.Thecoverdieissecuredtothe
stationary,orfront,platenofthecastingmachine,whiletheejector
dieisattachedtothemovableplaten.Themoldcavityiscutinto
twocavityinserts,whichareseparatepiecesthatcanbereplaced
relativelyeasilyandboltintothediehalves

Theejectordiehalf:

Thecoverdiehalf:

 Process:

1.
2.
3.
4.

The following are the four steps intraditional die

casting, also known ashigh-pressure die
casting,
these are also the basis for any of the die casting
variations
Die preparation,
Filling,
Ejection,
Shakeout

Advantagesanddisadvantages:

Advantagesofdiecasting:

Excellentdimensionalaccuracy(dependentoncastingmaterial,buttypically0.1mm
forthefirst2.5cm(0.005inchforthefirstinch)and0.02mmforeachadditional
centimeter(0.002inchforeachadditionalinch).
Smoothcastsurfaces(Ra12.5micrometresor0.040.10thou).
Reducesoreliminatessecondarymachiningoperations.
Rapidproductionrates.
Castingoflowfluiditymetals.

Themaindisadvantagetodiecastingistheveryhighcapitalcost.Boththe
castingequipmentrequiredandthediesandrelatedcomponentsareverycostly,
ascomparedtomostothercastingprocesses.Thereforetomakediecastingan
economicprocessalargeproductionvolumeisneeded.Otherdisadvantagesare
thattheprocessislimitedtohigh-fluiditymetals,andcastingweightsmustbe
between30grams(1oz)and10kg(20lb).Inthestandarddiecastingprocess
thefinalcastingwillhaveasmallamountofporosity.Thispreventsanyheat
treatingorwelding,becausetheheatcausesthegasintheporestoexpand,
whichcausesmicro-cracksinsidethepartandexfoliationofthesurfac e

Shell molding
Shell

molding, also known asshell-mold casting,is an

expendable moldcastingprocess that uses aresincoveredsandto
form themold.

As compared tosand casting, this process has better dimensional accuracy,

a higher productivity rate, and lower labor requirements. It is used for
small to medium parts that require high precision.Shell mold casting is a
metal casting process similar to sand casting, in that molten metal is
poured into an expendable mold. However, in shell mold casting, the mold is
a thin-walled shell created from applying a sand-resin mixture around a
pattern. The pattern, a metal piece in the shape of the desired part, is
reused to form multiple shell molds. A reusable pattern allows for higher
production rates, while the disposable molds enable complex geometries to
be cast. Shell mold casting requires the use of a metal pattern, oven, sandresin mixture, dump box, and molten metal.
Shell mold casting allows the use of both ferrous and non-ferrous metals,
most commonly using cast iron, carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless
steel, aluminum alloys, & copper alloys. Typical parts are small-tomedium in size and require high accuracy, such as gear housings,
cylinder heads, connecting rods, & lever arms

 The

shell mold casting process consists of

the following steps:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Pattern creation
Mold creation
Mold assembly
Pouring
Cooling
Casting removal

. Examplesofshellmoldeditemsincludegearhousings,cylinder

heads&connectingrods.Itisalsousedtomakehigh-precision
moldingcores

Process:

Theprocessofcreatingashellmoldconsistsofsixsteps:

Finesilicasandthatiscoveredinathin(36%)thermosettingphenolicresinand
liquidcatalystisdumped,blown,orshotontoahotpattern.Thepatternisusually
madefromcastironandisheatedto230to315C(450to600F).Thesandis
allowedtositonthepatternforafewminutestoallowthesandtopartiallycure.
Thepatternandsandaretheninvertedsotheexcesssanddropsfreeofthepattern,
leavingjustthe"shell".Dependingonthetimeandtemperatureofthepatternthe
thicknessoftheshellis10to20mm(0.4to0.8in).
Thepatternandshelltogetherareplacedinanoventofinishcuringthesand.The
shellnowhasatensilestrengthof350to450psi(2.4to3.1MPa).
Thehardenedshellisthenstrippedfromthepattern.
Twoormoreshellsarethencombined,viaclampingorgluingusingathermoset
adhesive,toformamold.Thisfinishedmoldcanthenbeusedimmediatelyor
storedalmostindefinitely.
Forcastingtheshellmoldisplacedinsideaflaskandsurroundedwithshot,sand,
orgraveltoreinforcetheshell.

Themachinethatisusedforthisprocessiscalledashell molding machine.Itheatsthe

pattern,appliesthesandmixture,andbakestheshell.

 Advantages

and disadvantages:

Oneofthegreatestadvantagesofthisprocessisthatitcanbe
completelyautomatedformassproduction.Thehighproductivity,
lowlaborcosts,goodsurfacefinishes,andprecisionoftheprocess
canmorethanpayforitselfifitreducesmachiningcosts
.Therearealsofewproblemsduetogases,becauseoftheabsence
ofmoistureintheshell,andthelittlegasthatisstillpresenteasily
escapesthroughthethinshell.Whenthemetalispouredsomeofthe
resinbinderburnsoutonthesurfaceoftheshell,whichmakes
shakingouteasy.

 Permanent

mold casting:

Permanentmoldcastingismetalcastingprocessthatemploys
reusablemolds("permanentmolds"),usuallymadefrommetal.The
mostcommonprocessusesgravitytofillthemold,howevergas
pressureoravacuumarealsoused.Avariationonthetypical
gravitycastingprocess,calledslushcasting,produceshollow
castings.Commoncastingmetalsarealuminum,magnesium,
andcopperalloys.Othermaterialsincludetin,zinc,andleadalloys
andironandsteelarealsocastingraphitemolds

 Process:

Therearefourmaintypesofpermanentmoldcasting:

1.

gravity,

2.

slush,

3.

low-pressure,

4.

vacuum.

 Gravityprocess:

Thegravityprocessbeginsbypreheatingthemoldto150200C(300-400F)toeasetheflowandreducethermal
damagetothecasting.Themoldcavityisthencoatedwith
arefractorymaterialoramoldwash,whichpreventsthecasting
fromstickingtothemoldandprolongsthemoldlife.Anysand
ormetalcoresaretheninstalledandthemoldisclamped
shut.Moltenmetalisthenpouredintothemold.Soonafter
solidificationthemoldisopenedandthecastingremovedto
reducechancesofhottears.Theprocessisthenstartedallover
again,butpreheatingisnotrequiredbecausetheheatfromthe
previouscastingisadequateandtherefractorycoatingshould
lastseveralcastings.Becausethisprocessisusuallycarriedout
onlargeproductionrunworkpiecesautomatedequipmentis
usedtocoatthemold,pourthemetal,andremovethecasting

 Slush:

Slushcastingisavariantofpermanentmoldingcasting
tocreateahollowcastingorhollowcast.Intheprocess
thematerialispouredintothemoldandallowedtocool
untilashellofmaterialformsinthemold.The
remainingliquidisthenpouredouttoleaveahollow
shell.Theresultingcastinghasgoodsurfacedetailbut
thewallthicknesscanvary.Theprocessisusuallyused
tocastornamentalproducts,such
ascandlesticks,lampbases,andstatuary,fromlowmelting-pointmaterials.Asimilartechniqueisusedto
makehollowchocolatefigures
forEasterandChristmas

 Low-pressure:

Low-pressurepermanentmold(LPPM)castingusesa
gasatlowpressure,usuallybetween3and15psig(20to
100kPag)topushthemoltenmetalintothemoldcavity.
Thepressureisappliedtothetopofthepoolofliquid,
whichforcesthemoltenmetaluparefractorypouring
tubeandfinallyintothebottomofthemold.Thepouring
tubeextendstothebottomoftheladlesothatthe
materialbeingpushedintothemoldisexceptionally
clean.Norisersarerequiredbecausetheapplied
pressureforcesmoltenmetalintocompensatefor
shrinkage.Yieldsareusuallygreaterthan85%because
thereisnoriserandanymetalinthepouringtubejust
fallsbackintotheladleforreuse

 Vacuum:

Vacuumpermanentmoldcastingretainsallofthe
advantagesofLPPMcasting,plusthedissolvedgasesin
themoltenmetalareminimizedandmoltenmetal
cleanlinessisevenbetter.Theprocesscanhandlethinwalledprofilesandgivesanexcellentsurfacefinish.
Mechanicalpropertiesareusually10to15%betterthan
gravitypermanentmoldcastings.Theprocessislimited
inweightto0.2to5kg

 Advantages

and disadvantages:

Themainadvantagesarethereusable mold, good

surface finish,&good dimensional accuracy

Therearethreemaindisadvantages:
high tooling cost,
limited to low-melting-point metals,
short mold life

1.

2.
3.

Investment casting

Investmentcastingisanindustrialprocessbasedonand
alsocalledlost-waxcasting,oneoftheoldestknownmetalformingtechniques.From5,000yearsago,when beeswax
formedthepattern,totodayshigh-technologywaxes,
refractorymaterialsandspecialistalloys,thecastingsallow
theproductionofcomponentswithaccuracy,repeatability,
versatilityandintegrityinavarietyofmetalsandhighperformancealloys.

Theprocessisgenerallyusedforsmallcastings,buthasbeenusedto
producecompleteaircraftdoorframes,steelcastingsofupto300kg
(660lbs)andaluminiumcastingsofupto30kg(66lbs).Itisgenerally
moreexpensiveperunitthandiecastingorsandcasting,buthaslower
equipmentcosts.Itcanproducecomplicatedshapesthatwouldbedifficult
orimpossiblewithdiecasting,yetlikethatprocess,itrequireslittle
surfacefinishingandonlyminormachining..

Processes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Produce a master pattern:

Mould making:
Produce the wax patterns:
Assemble the wax patterns:
Investment:
De wax:
Burnout & preheating:
Pouring:
Removal:

We shell discuss all processes one by

one!!!

 Produce

a master pattern:

Anartistormould-makercreatesanoriginalpattern
fromwax,clay,wood,plastic,steel,oranothermaterial.!!!

 Mould

making:

Amould,knownasthemasterdie,ismadeofthemaster
pattern.Themasterpatternmaybemadefromalowmelting-pointmetal,steel,orwood.Ifasteelpatternwas
createdthenalow-melting-pointmetalmaybecast
directlyfromthemasterpattern.Rubbermouldscanalso
becastdirectlyfromthemasterpattern.Thefirststep
mayalsobeskippedifthemasterdieismachined
directlyintosteel.

 Produce

the wax patterns:

Althoughcalledawaxpattern,patternmaterialsalsoincludeplastic
andfrozenmercury.Waxpatternsmaybeproducedinoneoftwo
ways.Inoneprocessthewaxispouredintothemoldandswished
arounduntilanevencoating,usuallyabout3mm(0.12in)thick,
coverstheinnersurfaceofthemould.Thisisrepeateduntilthe
desiredthicknessisreached.Anothermethodisfillingtheentire
mouldwithmoltenwax,andletitcool,untiladesiredthicknesshas
setonthesurfaceofthemould.Afterthistherestofthewaxis
pouredoutagain,themouldisturnedupsidedownandthewax
layerislefttocoolandharden.Withthismethoditismoredifficult
tocontroltheoverallthicknessofthewaxlayer

Assemble

the wax patterns:

Thewaxpatternisthenremovedfromthemould.Dependingonthe
applicationmultiplewaxpatternsmaybecreatedsothattheycanall
becastatonce.Inotherapplications,multipledifferentwaxpatterns
maybecreatedandthenassembledintoonecomplexpattern.Inthe
firstcasethemultiplepatternsareattachedtoawaxsprue,withthe
resultknownasapatterncluster,ortree;asmanyasseveral
hundredpatternsmaybeassembledintoatree.Foundriesoftenuse
registrationmarkstoindicateexactlywheretheygo.Thewax
patternsareattachedtothesprueoreachotherbymeansofaheated
metaltool.Thewaxpatternmayalsobechased,whichmeans
thepartinglineorflashingarerubbedoutusingtheheatedmetal
tool.Finallyitisdressed,whichmeansanyotherimperfectionsare
addressedsothatthewaxnowlookslikethefinishedpiece.

 Investment:
Theceramicmould,knownastheinvestment,isproducedbythree

repeatingsteps:coating,stuccoing,andhardening.Thefirststep
involvesdippingtheclusterintoaslurryoffinerefractorymaterial
andthenlettinganyexcessdrainoff,soauniformsurfaceis
produced.Thisfinematerialisusedfirsttogiveasmoothsurface
finishandreproducefinedetails.Inthesecondstep,thecluster
isstuccoedwithacoarseceramicparticle,bydippingitinto
afluidisedbed,placingitinarainfall-sander,orbyapplyingby
hand.Finally,thecoatingisallowedtoharden.Thesestepsare
repeateduntiltheinvestmentistherequiredthickness,whichis
usually5to15mm

De

wax:

Theinvestmentisthenallowedtocompletelydry,whichcantake16
to48hours.Dryingcanbeenhancedbyapplyingavacuumor
minimizingtheenvironmentalhumidity.Itisthenturnedupsidedownandplacedinafurnaceorautoclavetomeltoutand/or
vaporizethewax.Mostshellfailuresoccuratthispointbecausethe
waxesusedhaveathermalexpansioncoefficientthatismuchgreater
thantheinvestmentmaterialsurroundingit,soasthewaxisheatedit
expandsandinducesgreatstresses.Inordertominimizethese
stressesthewaxisheatedasrapidlyaspossiblesothatthesurfaceof
thewaxcanmeltintothesurfaceoftheinvestmentorrunoutofthe
mold,whichmakesroomfortherestofthewaxtoexpand.Incertain
situationsholesmaybedrilledintothemoldbeforehandtohelp
reducethesestresses.Anywaxthatrunsoutofthemoldisusually
recoveredandreused.

 Burnout

& preheating:

Themoldisthensubjectedtoaburnout,whichheatsthemold
between870C&1095Ctoremoveanymoistureandresidual
wax,andtosinterthemold.Sometimesthisheatingisalsousedas
thepreheat,butothertimesthemoldisallowedtocoolsothatitcan
betested.Ifanycracksarefoundtheycanberepairedwithceramic
slurryorspecialcements.Themoldispreheatedtoallowthemetal
tostayliquidlongertofillanydetailsandtoincreasedimensional
accuracy,becausethemoldandcastingcooltogether

 Pouring:

Theinvestmentmoldisthenplacedcup-upwardsintoatubfilled
withsand.Themetalmaybegravitypoured,butiftherearethin
sectionsinthemolditmaybefilledbyapplyingpositiveair
pressure,vacuumcast,tiltcast,pressureassistedpouring,
orcentrifugalcast

 Removal:

Theshellishammered,mediablasted,vibrated,waterjeted,or
chemicallydissolved(sometimeswithliquidnitrogen)toreleasethe
casting.Thesprueiscutoffandrecycled.Thecastingmaythenbe
cleaneduptoremovesignsofthecastingprocess,usually
bygrinding

The investment shell for casting a turbocharger rotor:

A view of the interior investment shows the smooth

surface finish and high level of detail:

The completed workpiece:

 Advantages

of Investment casting:

Averysmoothsurfaceisobtainedwithnopartingline.

Dimensionalaccuracyisgood.

Certainunmachinablepartscanbecasttopreplanned
shape.

 Disadvantages

of Investment casting:

Thisprocessisexpensive,isusuallylimitedtosmall
casting,andpresentssomedifficultieswherecoresare
involved.

Holescannotbesmallerthan1/16 in.(1.6mm)and
shouldbenodeeperthanabout1.5timesthediameter.

Investmentcastingsrequireverylongproduction-cycle
timesversusothercastingprocesses.

Thisprocessispracticallyinfeasibleforhigh-volume
manufacturing,duetoitshighcostandlongcycletimes.

 Applications:

Investmentcastingisusedintheaerospaceandpower
generationindustriestoproduceturbinebladeswith
complexshapesorcoolingsystems

Lost-foam casting
Lost-foamcasting(LFC)isatypeofevaporativepatterncastingprocessthatissimilartoinvestment
castingexceptfoamisusedforthepatterninstead
ofwax.
Thisprocesstakesadvantageofthelowboilingpointof
foamtosimplifytheinvestmentcastingprocessby
removingtheneedtomeltthewaxoutofthemold

Process:
First,apatternismadefrompolystyrenefoam,whichcanbedonemanydifferentways.Forsmall
volumerunsthepatterncanbehandcutormachinedfromasolidblockoffoam;ifthegeometryis
simpleenoughitcanevenbecutusingahot-wirefoamcutter.Ifthevolumeislarge,thenthe
patterncanbemass-producedbyaprocesssimilartoinjectionmolding.Pre-expandedbeadsof
polystyreneareinjectedintoapreheatedaluminummoldatlowpressure.Steamisthenappliedto
thepolystyrenewhichcausesittoexpandmoretofillthedie.Thefinalpatternisapproximately
97.5%airand2.5%polystyrene.Pre-madepouringbasins,runners,andriserscanbehotgluedto
thepatterntofinishit.
Next,thefoamclusteriscoatedwithceramicinvestment,alsoknownastherefractorycoating,via
dipping,brushing,sprayingorflowcoating.Thiscoatingcreatesabarrierbetweenthesmoothfoam
surfaceandthecoarsesandsurface.Secondlyitcontrolspermeability,whichallowsthegascreated
bythevaporizedfoampatterntoescapethroughthecoatingandintothesand.Controlling
permeabilityisacrucialsteptoavoidsanderosion.Finally,itformsabarriersothatmoltenmetal
doesnotpenetrateorcausesanderosionduringpouring.Afterthecoatingdries,theclusterisplaced
intoaflaskandbackedupwithun-bondedsand.Thesandisthencompactedusingavibration
table.Oncecompacted,themoldisreadytobepoured.Automaticpouringiscommonlyusedin
LFC,asthepouringprocessissignificantlymorecriticalthaninconventionalfoundrypractice.
Thereisnobake-outphase,asforlost-wax.Themeltispoureddirectlyintothefoam-filledmould,
burningoutthefoamasitpours.Asthefoamisoflowdensity,thewastegasproducedbythisis
relativelysmallandcanescapethroughmouldpermeability,asfortheusualoutgassingcontrol

Advantages

and disadvantages:

Thiscastingprocessisadvantageousforverycomplexcastingsthat
wouldregularlyrequirecores.Itisalsodimensionallyaccurate,
maintainsanexcellentsurfacefinish,requiresnodraft,andhasno
partinglinessonoflashisformed.Ascomparedtoinvestment
casting,itischeaperbecauseitisasimplerprocessandthefoamis
cheaperthanthewax.Risersarenotusuallyrequiredduetothe
natureoftheprocess;becausethemoltenmetalvaporizesthefoam
thefirstmetalintothemoldcoolsmorequicklythantherest,which
resultsinnaturaldirectionalsolidificationFoamiseasyto
manipulate,carveandglue,duetoitsuniqueproperties

Thetwomaindisadvantagesarethatpatterncostscanbehighfor
lowvolumeapplicationsandthepatternsareeasilydamagedor
distortedduetotheirlowstrength.
Ifadieisusedtocreatethepatternsthereisalargeinitialcost.

Centrifugal casting

Centrifugalcastingorroto-castingis
acastingtechniquethatistypicallyusedtocastthinwalledcylinders.Itisnotedforthehighqualityofthe
resultsattainable,particularlyforprecisecontroloftheir
metallurgyandcrystalstructure.Unlikemostother
castingtechniques,centrifugalcastingischieflyusedto
manufacturestockmaterialsinstandardsizesforfurther
machining,

 Process:

Incentrifugalcasting,apermanentmoldisrotatedcontinuously
aboutitsaxisathighspeeds(300to3000rpm)asthemoltenmetal
ispoured.Themoltenmetaliscentrifugallythrowntowardsthe
insidemoldwall,whereitsolidifiesaftercooling.Thecastingis
usuallyafine-grainedcastingwithaveryfine-grainedouter
diameter,owingtochillingagainstthemouldsurface.Impurities
andinclusionsarethrowntothesurfaceoftheinsidediameter,
whichcanbemachinedaway.
Castingmachinesmaybeeither horizontal or verticalaxis.Horizontalaxismachinesarepreferredforlong,thincylinders,
verticalmachinesforrings.

Features of centrifugal casting:

Castingscanbemadeinalmostanylength,thickness&diameter.

Differentwallthicknessescanbeproducedfromthesamesizemold.

Eliminatestheneedforcores.

Resistanttoatmosphericcorrosion,atypicalsituationwithpipes.

Mechanicalpropertiesofcentrifugalcastingsareexcellent

Onlycylindricalshapescanbeproducedwiththisprocess.

 Materials:

Typicalmaterialsthatcanbecastwiththisprocess
areiron, steel, stainless steels, glass, and alloys
of aluminum, copper & nickel.
Twomaterialscanbecasttogetherbyintroducingasecond
materialduringtheprocess.

Applications:

Typicalpartsmadebythisprocessare pipes, boilers, pressure

vessels ,flywheels, cylinder liners and other parts that are axisymmetric.Itisnotablyusedtocastcylinder linersandsleeve
valvesforpistonengines,partswhichcouldnotbereliably
manufacturedotherwise.

WHY CASTING..!!!!!

 Advantages

of Casting:

1. On Basis of Size of Object to be Manufactured:

Sizeofcastobjectsvaryoverlargerange.Anobjectfrom 5gm
to200tonn,anythingcanbecast.
2. On Basis of Complexity:
Castingcanbeeffectivelyusedforcomplexshapedobjects.It
canworkwheregeneralmachiningprocessescannotbeused,
asincomplicatedinnerandoutershapesofobject.
3. Weight Saving:
Componentmadewithcastingprocessislighterthanthe
componentmadewithothermachiningprocesses.
4. Control Over The Process:
Castingprovidesversatility.Widerangeofpropertiescanbe
attainedbyadjustingpercentageofalloyingelements.

5. Accuracy:
Castingcanbemadewithhairlikeprecisionprovided
propermoldingandcastingtechniqueisemployed.
6. Fibrous Structure:
Onlycastinghavethisadvantage.Castingleaves
componentwithitssolidfibrousstructurewhichinherit
greatcompressivestrength.So,componentsubjectedto
compressivestrengtharemadewithcastingegICengine
cylinder.
7. Control Over Grain Size:
Grainsizeofcastcomponentcanbeeasilycontrolledby
controllingcoolingratewhichinturncanbeusedto
modifytheproperties.
8. Low Cost:
Casingisoneofcheapestmethodformassproduction.

 Disadvantages

of Casting:

ThoughcastingischeapestforMASSProduction,it
becomesnoneconomicalincaseofJOBproduction.

Sandcastingleavesroughsurfacewhichneeds
machininginmostofcases.Itaddsupthecostin
production.

Insandcasting,poordimensionalaccuracyisachieved.

Castproductsaresuperiorforcompressiveloadsbutthey
areverypoorintensileorshockloads.(Theyarebrittle).

 FINALLY THATS

ALL !!!!!!