Casting Processes

ver. 1

ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

Prof. J.S. Colton

Types of Parts Made

Engine blocks
Pipes
Jewelry
Fire hydrants

ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

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 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

Prof. J.S. Colton

Melting
Raw material (charge)

Furnace
Heat

Atmosphere

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 iron

Furnace material
refractory ceramics
ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering
Prof. J.S. Colton

Furnaces

Blast furnace

Basic Oxygen Furnace

ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

Prof. J.S. Colton

Furnaces

Electric Arc Furnace

Oxygen-Fuel,
Oxygen Lance Furnace

ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

Prof. J.S. Colton

Furnaces

Induction Furnace

Electric Furnace

ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

Prof. J.S. Colton

Breakdown of Castings
Ingots for bulk deformation processing 85%
Cast to near net shape - 15%

ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

Prof. J.S. Colton

Complex, 3-D shapes

Near net shape

Low scrap
Relatively quick process
Intricate shapes
Large hollow shapes
No limit to size
Reasonable to good surface finish
ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering
Prof. J.S. Colton

Capabilities
Dimensions
sand casting - as large as you like
small - 1 mm or so

Tolerances
0.005 in to 0.1 in

Surface finish
die casting 8-16 micro-inches (1-3 m)
sand casting - 500 micro-inches (10-25 m)
ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering
Prof. J.S. Colton

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Processes

Sand
Shell
Plaster
Ceramic
Investment
Lost foam
Pressure
Vacuum

Die
Centrifugal
Squeeze
Semi-solid
Single crystal
Directional
solidification
Slush
Continuous
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Prof. J.S. Colton

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Metals processed by casting

Sand casting 60%

Investment casting 7%
Die casting 9%
Permanent mold casting 11%
Centrifugal casting 7%
Shell mold casting 6%

ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

Prof. J.S. Colton

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Sand Casting

ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

Prof. J.S. Colton

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Sand Casting

ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

Prof. J.S. Colton

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Sand Casting

ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

Prof. J.S. Colton

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Sand Casting Steps

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Prof. J.S. Colton

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ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

Prof. J.S. Colton

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Sand Cast Parts

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Permanent Mold Casting

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Low Pressure Casting

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Die Casting (high pressure)

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Die Casting Machine

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Die Casting

Cold chamber

Hot chamber

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Die Casting Part Example

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Continuous Casting

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ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

Prof. J.S. Colton

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ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

Prof. J.S. Colton

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ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

Prof. J.S. Colton

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Investment
Casting

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Investment (top) and Conventional

Castings

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Lost Foam Casting

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Lost Foam Castings

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Centrifugal Casting

horizontal

sand-lined mold
casting
ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering
Prof. J.S. Colton

vertical
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Centrifugal Casting

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Pipe Casting
Process

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Squeeze Casting

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Directional Solidification

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Vacuum Casting

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Casting Characteristics
Table 5.6
Typical

Process
Sand
Shell
Expendable
mold
pattern

Weig ht (kg)

Typical
surface
finish
(micron,
Ra)

Section
thickness (mm)
Shape
complexity Dimensional
*
accuracy*

materials
cast

Minimum

Maximum

Minimum

Maximum

All
All

0.05
0.05

No limit
100+

5-25
1-3

4
4

1-2
2-3

3
2

3
2

No limit
--

0.05

No limit

5-20

No limit

0.05

50+

1-2

1-2

--

0.005

100+

1-3

75

300

2-3

2-3

3-4

50

0.5
2

12
100

All
Nonferrou
Plaster
s
(Al, Mg,
mold
Zn, Cu)
All
(High melting
Investment
pt.)
Permanent
mold
All
Nonferrou
s
(Al, Mg,
Die
Zn, Cu)
Centrifugal
All

0.5

Porosity*

<0.05
50
1-2
1-2
3-4
1
-5000+
2-10
1-2
3-4
3
*Relative rating: 1 best, 5 worst.
Note : These ratings are only general; significant variations can occur, depending on the methods used.

ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

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Microstructure

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Microstructure - Dendrites

Finer structure at
walls
Grains / dendrites
grow to center
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Grains on Willie Bs head

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Microstructure - Dendrites

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Fluidity

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Casting Defects - Porosity

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Casting Defects

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Shrinkage
TABLE 5.1

Metal or alloy
Aluminum
Al4.5%Cu
Al12%Si
Carbon steel
1% carbon steel
Copper
Source: After R. A. Flinn.

Volumetric
solidification
contraction (%)
6.6
6.3
3.8
2.53
4
4.9

Metal or alloy
70%Cu30%Zn
90%Cu10%Al
Gray iron
Magnesium
White iron
Zinc

ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

Prof. J.S. Colton

Volumetric
solidification
contraction (%)
4.5
4
Expansion to 2.5
4.2
45.5
6.5

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Differential Cooling
Transition between thicker and thinner
sections can lead to porosity

ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

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Pipe Defect
Due to shrinkage giving rise to
a funnel-like cavity
Solutions
insulate top (glass wool)
heat top (exothermic mixture thermit)

ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

Prof. J.S. Colton

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Defects - Hot Tears

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Chills

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Design Rules Summary

Uniform wall thickness
Flat parting lines
Gradual thickness
transitions
Draft for removal
tapers: 0.5 to 2 degrees

Surface of mold gives

surface of part
ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering
Prof. J.S. Colton

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Sand Casting Rules

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Casting costs
TABLE 5.10
Cost*
Process
Die
Sand
L
Shell-mold
LM
Plaster
LM
Investment
MH
Permanent mold
M
Die
H
Centrifugal
M
* L, low; M, medium; H, high.

Equipment
L
M-H
M
L-M
M
H
H

Labor
LM
LM
MH
H
LM
LM
LM

ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

Prof. J.S. Colton

Production
rate (Pc/hr)
<20
<50
<10
<1000
<60
<200
<50

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Process economics

ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

Prof. J.S. Colton

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ME 4210: Manufacturing Processes and Engineering

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