Casting Methods
Prof. Juhani Orkas
Google Books: Handbuch für technisches Produktdesign
Overview
• Lost mould • Permanent mould
– Permanent pattern – Without pattern
• Sand casting • Die casting
– Manual shaping • Gravity die casting
– Mechanical shaping • Centrifugal casting
• Shell moulding • Injection moulding
• Ceramic moulding • Continuous casting
– Lost pattern • Strip casting
• Investment casting (lost-wax
casting)
• Lost foam casting
• Vacuum casting
[Link]
Casting
• Fluid metal poured into a mold and solidified by cooling
Casting four crankshafts (Gravity casting) Casting six cover plates (Gravity casting)
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Sand casting
lost mould, permanent pattern
• Cope
• Drag
• Core
• Gating system
– Riser
– Sprue
[Link]
Sand casting
Riser
• Reservoir of molten metal
– Prevent cavities due to
shrinkage
– Liquid is less dense than solid
• Controlling of the solidification
direction
– Preferably pointed to the riser
• Leakage of the gas while
casting
– Open-riser
[Link]
Sand casting
Pattern
• Solid pattern
– geometrically simple parts
– low quantities
• Split pattern
– geometrically complex parts
– moderate quantities
[Link]
Sand casting
Pattern
• Match-plate pattern
– larger quantities
– often in automated process
• Cope and drag Pattern
– when a match-plate pattern
would be too heavy
– larger quantities
– often in automated process
Sand casting
Cope pattern
[Link]
Sand casting
Mold making
• Silica sand SiO2
• Binder
• Water
Sand casting
Insert cores
[Link]
Sand casting
Assembly
Core print
[Link]
Sand casting
Casting
[Link]
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Sand casting
Mechanical shaping
Sand casting
Mechanical shaping
[Link]
Sand casting
• Advantages • Disadvantages
– Very large parts – Some porosity possible
– Complex shapes – Moderate surface finish and
– Many material options tolerance
– Low tooling and equipment – Secondary machining often
cost required
– Recyclable scrap – Low production rate
– Short lead time possible – High labor cost
– Often cores needed
[Link]
Shell moulding
lost mould, permanent pattern
• Heated pattern
• Resin in mixture cures
• Thin-walled shell
[Link]
Shell moulding
• Advantages • Disadvantages
– Complex shapes and fine – High equipment cost
details – High tooling costs
– Very good surface finish – Environment aspects
– Little scrap generated
Ceramic moulding
lost mould, permanent pattern
• Permanent pattern
• Ceramic slurry
– Binder
– Refractory powder
• Can fill the rest with sand
• Mould forming at low
temperatures
• Shaw-method
– burn
• Unicast-method
– evaporate
[Link]
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Ceramic moulding
• Advantages • Disadvantages
– For high temperature castings – Mold must be baked
– Very good surface finish – Expensive
– Very accurate
– No casting skin
[Link]
Investment casting
lost mould, lost pattern
[Link]
Investment casting
• Assembling casted wax pattern • Building the ceramic shell
to a pattern tree – Ceramic slurry
– Sand and fireclay
– Drying
[Link]
Investment casting
• Melting out of the wax • Firing the hollow ceramic shell
– Hollow ceramic shell – Over 1000 °C
[Link]
Investment casting
• Casting direct in the hot shells • Break of the ceramic shell
– by vibration
– chemical
[Link]
Investment casting
• Automatic gearbox housing
– EN AC-AlSiMg0.6
– Quick-Cast (Stereolithography SL)
xx
Investment casting
• One-piece compressor stator
– 108 separate airfoils
– Courtesy Howmet Corp
[Link]
Investment casting
• Advantages • Disadvantages
– Complex shapes and fine – Time-consuming process
details – High labor cost
– Many material options, – High tooling cost
– High strength parts – Long lead time possible
– Very good surface finish and
accuracy
– Little need for secondary
machining
– CAD-Models direct usable
[Link]
Lost foam casting
lost mould, lost pattern
• Polystyrene (foam) Pattern
– Sprayed refractory compound
• No cavity
• Molten metal vaporizes foam
– Metal fill the resulting mold
cavity
[Link]
Lost foam casting
[Link]
Lost foam casting
[Link]
Lost foam casting
• Advantages • Disadvantages
– Complex shapes without cores – High pattern costs
– Dimensionally accurate – Low strength of the pattern
– Excellent surface finish • Easily damaged or distorted
– No draft required
– No parting line (no flash)
– Natural directional solidification
[Link]
Die casting (hot chamber)
permanent mould, no pattern
• Alloy with low melting point
– Zn-,Sn-,Pb-alloys
• Molten metal in a open pot
• Injection by plunger through a
gooseneck
• 70 – 350 bar
• Fine grain due to the pressure
– High strength
• 200-400 shots per hour
[Link]
Die casting (hot chamber)
permanent mould, no pattern
[Link]
Die casting (cold chamber)
permanent mould, no pattern
• Alloys with higher melting point
– Al-, Cu-, Mg-alloys
• Ladled from the pot into shot
camber
• Injection by plunger
• 140 – 1400 bar
• Fine grain due to the pressure
– High strength
• 200-400 shots per hour
[Link]
Die casting
[Link]
Die casting
• Advantages • Disadvantages
– Large parts – Trimming is required
– Complex shapes – High tooling cost
– High strength parts – High equipment cost
– Very good surface finish and – Limited die life
accuracy – Long lead time
– High production rate
– Low labor cost
– Scrap can be recycled
[Link]
Gravity die casting
permanent mould, no pattern
• Similar to sand casting and die
casting
• Pre-heated permanent mould
– 150-260 °C
• Ceramic coating for part
removal and mould lifetime
• Pouring like sand casting
[Link]
Gravity die casting
• Advantages • Disadvantages
– Complex shapes – High tooling cost
– Good mechanical properties – Long lead time possible
– Many material options
– Low porosity
– Low labor cost
– Scrap can be recycled
[Link]
Centrifugal casting
permanent mould, no pattern
• Refractory ceramic coating
• No runner or gating system
• 300-3000 RPM
– Fine grain at the outer
surface
– Less dense impurities at
the inner surface
[Link]
Centrifugal casting
• Advantages • Disadvantages
– Very large parts – Limited to cylindrical parts
– Good mechanical properties – Secondary machining is often
– Good surface finish and required for inner diameter
accuracy – Long lead time possible
– Low equipment cost
– Low labor cost
– Little scrap generated
[Link]
Continuous casting/Strip casting
permanent mould, no pattern
[Link]
Continuous casting