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Chapter Outline
1. Introduction
2. Design Considerations in Casting
3. Economics of Casting
Introduction
Successful casting practice requires proper control of a
large number of variables
Flow of the molten metal in the mold cavities, the
gating systems, the rate of cooling, and the gases
evolved would influence the quality of a casting
Design Considerations in Casting
All casting operations share the characteristics of phase change
and thermal shrinkage during the casting cycle
But each process will have its own design considerations
Sand casting will require mold erosion and sand inclusions in the
casting
Die casting will not have this concern
Defects frequently are random and difficult to reproduce
Design Considerations in Casting:
General Design Considerations for Castings

2 types of design issues in casting:


1. Geometric features and tolerances incorporated into
the part
2. Mold features that are needed to produce the desired
casting
Design Considerations in Casting:
General Design Considerations for Castings

Design of Cast Parts


Corners, angles, and section thickness
Flat areas
Shrinkage
Draft
Dimensional tolerances
Lettering and markings
Finishing operations
Design Considerations in Casting:
General Design Considerations for Castings

Locating the Parting Line


Parting line is the line or plane separating the upper (cope) and
lower (drag) halves of molds
Parting line should be along a flat plane rather than be contoured
Location is important as it influences mold design, ease of
molding, number and shape of cores required, method of support
and the gating system
Parting line should be low for less dense metals and located at
mid-height for denser metals
Design Considerations in Casting:
General Design Considerations for Castings

Locating and Designing Gates


Multiple gates are preferable
Gates should feed into thick sections of castings
A fillet should be used
Gate closest to the sprue should be placed sufficiently far away
from the sprue
Minimum gate length should be 3 to 5 times the gate diameter
Curved gates should be avoided
Design Considerations in Casting:
General Design Considerations for Castings

Runner Design
Runner is a horizontal distribution channel that accepts molten
metal from the sprue and delivers it to the gates
It is used to trap dross and keep it from entering the gates and
mold cavity

Designing Other Mold Features


Goal in designing a sprue is to achieve the required metal flow
rates while preventing excessive dross formation
Design Considerations in Casting:
General Design Considerations for Castings

Designing Other Mold Features


Goal in designing a sprue is to achieve the required metal flow
rates while preventing excessive dross formation
Turbulent flow rates should be avoided
A pouring basin is used to ensure uninterrupted metal flow into the
sprue
Filters are used to trap large contaminants and more laminar flow
Chills used to speed up solidification of the metal
Design Considerations in Casting:
General Design Considerations for Castings

Establishing Good Practices


High-quality molten metal is essential for producing
superior castings
Pouring of metal should not be interrupted
Stress relieving necessary to avoid distortions of
castings in critical applications
Design Considerations in Casting:
General Design Considerations for Castings

Expendable-mold process cool much slower than die


casting
Important design considerations are:
1. Mold Layout
- must be placed logically and compactly with gates
2. Riser Design
- consideration in size and placement of risers
3. Machining Allowance
- require for additional finishing operations
Design Considerations in Casting:
Design for Permanent-mold Casting
Designs may be modified to eliminate the draft for
better dimensional accuracy
Die-cast parts are net shaped to remove gates and
minor trimming to remove flashing and defects
They do not require a machining allowance
Design Considerations in Casting:
Computer Modeling of Casting Processes

Casting involves complex interactions among material and


process variables
A quantitative study of these interactions is essential to the proper
design and production of high-quality castings
Studies consist of heat flow, temperature gradients, nucleation
and growth of crystals, formation of dendritic and equiaxed
structures, impingement of grains and movement of the liquid
solid interface during solidification
Commercial software programs are Magmasoft, ProCast, Solidia
and AFSsolid
Economics of Casting
Cost of each cast part (unit cost) depends on several
factors, including materials, equipment, and labor
Each of individual factors affects the overall cost of a
casting operation
Economics of Casting
Costs are involved in melting and pouring the molten metal into
molds and in heat treating, cleaning, and inspecting the castings
Labor and skills required is also a consideration
Equipment cost per casting will decrease as the number of parts
cast increases
High production rate can justify the high cost of dies and
machinery

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