Engineering Analysis of Sand casting
Heating Pouring Solidification Shrinkage
Heating:
Heating furnaces are used to heat the metal beyond melting point, sufficient enough for the casting. The heat energy supplied is
equal to i) Heat to rise the temperature up to melting point, ii) Heat of fusion to convert it from solid to liquid, iii) Heat to rise the
molten metal to the desired temperature for pouring.
H= total heat required to rise temperature to the pouring temperature. J (Btu).
Row= density of the metal (g/cm3).
Cs= Specific heat for the solid J/g-c.
Tm= Melting temperature of the metal (*C).
To= Starting temperature/ Ambient temperature.
Hf= Heat of fusion.
Cl= Specific heat for liquid.
Tp= Pouring temperature. Heating
V= volume of metal being heated.
Heating
Pouring:
The factors affecting the pouring are: Pouring temperature, pouring rate and turbulence.
1. Pouring Temperature: Temperature at which molten metal is introduced into the mold.
2. Pouring rate: Volumetric rate at which the molten metal is poured into the mold, if the rate is too slow, the
metal will chill and freeze before filling the cavity. If the pouring rate is excessive, turbulence can become a
serious problem.
3. Turbulence should be avoided during pouring for different reasons; it tends to accelerate the formation of
metal oxides that can become entrapped during solidification.
• Turbulence should be avoided during pouring for different reasons; it tends to accelerate the formation of
metal oxides that can become entrapped during solidification.
Pouring
• Turbulence also accelerates mold erosion i.e. gradual wear of mold surface due to impact of flowing metal.
• Molten metal are dense and highly reactive so they cause high rate of erosion especially in turbulent regime.
Engineering Analysis of pouring:
An important relationship that governs the flow of liquid metal though gating system and into the mold is Bernoulli theorem
which states that the sum of the energies (head, pressure, kinetic and friction) at any two points in a flowing liquid are equal.
This can be written in the following form:
Pouring
Flow rate and Time required to fill the mold:
Another important relationship is the continuity law which states that the volume flow rate remains constant throughout the
liquid. It can be expressed as:
Pouring
Runner from the sprue base to the mold cavity is horizontal hence head h is same as it is at the sprue base, the Q through gate
into the mold cavity remains equal to vA at the base. Time required to fill mold cavity of volume V will be;
Fluidity:
• Molten metal flow characteristics are often describe by the term fluidity. It is a measure of capability of a metal to flow into
and fill the mold before freezing.
• It’s inverse of viscosity. Hence if viscosity increases, fluidity decreases.
• Standard method to test fluidity is spiral mold test as shown below
Pouring
Fluidity is indicated by the length of the solidified metal in spiral channel. Longer cast spiral means greater fluidity of the molten
metal.
Factors affecting fluidity are: pouring temp relative to melting point, viscosity, metal composition and heat transfer to the
surroundings.
Pouring
SOLIDIFICATION and COOLING:
Transformation of molten metal into its solid state.
Pure Metals-
Pure material solidifies and melts at a constant temperature which is represented by a cooling curve as shown
below
Most alloys
Alloys freezes over a range of temperature rather than
at a single temperature. The exact range depends upon alloy
system and composition.
Solidification