VIKING FOUNDRY (Ltd) Pty
ABSTRACT
The objective of this paper is to investigate on casting defects found in the production of
irons namely cast iron and ductile iron. The examination of casting is done on castings
produced at Viking Foundry (Pty) Ltd. The defect of interest in this investigation is shrinkage
defect.
Shrinkage defects leads to structural weaknesses, reduced mechanical properties, and
compromised performance. By understanding the underlying reasons for shrinkage defects,
appropriate measures can be taken to prevent and mitigate their occurrence. This paper
explores the various factors contributing to shrinkage in these materials and presents effective
remedies to ensure the production of high-quality castings.
INTRODUCTION:
Imperfections or inconsistencies that affect a component's ability to meet quality standards
are called casting defects. Imperfections in casting can occur for a number of causes,
including material failure, faulty casting machinery, and poor casting processes. The casting
process is widely used for producing a variety of components, including those made from
cast iron and ductile iron. For this paper two casting were investigated and found to have
shrinkage defect. Shrinkage defects in these materials occur due to volumetric changes during
the solidification process. This paper aims to identify the causes of shrinkage defects and
present practical solutions to minimize their occurrence.
CASTING DEFECT EXAMINATION
On observing the castings it was determined that the casting defect on the castings is
shrinkage. When a shrink or porosity is detected in a casting, there are several immediate and
simple steps that can be taken to identify the cause of the problem. Firstly, the geometry of
the casting should be examined to determine whether the location of the defect is close to a
sharp radius or a potential hot spot. At the same time, the sand in the region of the shrink
should be examined to look for any soft spots. Sand integrity accounts for a high proportion
of shrinkage defects, for example, a lower sand compaction can often be the cause of an
unexplained sudden outbreak of shrinkage.
Metallurgically, there are many factors that can affect the shrinkage tendency. In a study done
by Ecob C.M reviewing common metallurgical defects in ductile cast iron, he observed that
an increase in magnesium in ranges above 0.05% the castings are more prone to shrink than
those with a magnesium content between 0.035-045% figure 1 below shows the relationship
between magnesium and shrinkage.
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Figure 1: Effect of magnesium content on shrinkage
Other causes of shrinkage in casting are as follows:
1. Liquid Shrinkage:
Liquid shrinkage is a result of volume reduction during the solidification process as the
molten metal cools down and transforms into a solid. It primarily occurs due to the
contraction of the material as it changes phases. High casting temperatures and rapid cooling
rates exacerbate liquid shrinkage in castings.
High casting temperature exacerbate shrinkage for the following reasons:
• High casting temperature means the metal has high thermal energy, as such during
solidification of the metal undergoes greater volume reduction or liquid shrinkage.
This then results in formation of cavities within the casting.
• High casting temperature leads to rapid solidification, which create unfavourable
solidification conditions.
• Solidification Range: Ductile irons have a narrow solidification range due to their
higher carbon content; high casting temperature reduces the range further making it
challenging to control solidification and causing shrinkage.
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2. Inadequate Feeding:
Improper gating and riser design can result in inadequate feeding, preventing molten metal
from filling the mold completely. This leads to localized solidification and the formation of
shrinkage defects.
3. Cooling Rates:
Excessive cooling rates during the solidification process promote the formation of shrinkage
defects in the microstructure of cast iron and ductile iron.
4. A low carbon equivalent, or metal that has been held for some time at temperature, due to
a mechanical breakdown, for example, is also prone to shrinkage. In these cases, the inherent
nuclei within the melt will be low and some preconditioning may be necessary to achieve a
good level of nucleation.
Cure for the Causes:
3.1. Controlled Casting Temperature:
Maintaining an appropriate casting temperature ensures that the liquid metal can flow
smoothly and uniformly into the mold. This helps reduce liquid shrinkage and provides more
time for feeding. This control is required more so for casting with high thickness.
3.2. Optimization of Solidification Range:
To address shrinkage-related issues, the solidification range should be optimized through
proper alloying and casting practices. This includes selecting suitable alloys and modifying
the cooling rate during solidification.
3.3. Effective Gating and Riser Design:
Well-designed gating and riser systems facilitate proper metal flow and feeding throughout
the casting, reducing the risk of shrinkage defects.
3.4. Controlled Cooling Rate:
Controlling the cooling rate during solidification can be achieved through the use of
insulating materials or controlled cooling chambers. This helps prevent excessive cooling
rates and subsequent shrinkage defects.
CONCLUSION:
The shrinkages found in the casting parts were found to be caused by high pouring
temperature. This is observed on the casting with high thickness, the casting integrity got
compromised during solidifications. As a result due to the thickness of the casting the sand
integrity was affected where the metal slips through the sand causing metal penetration or
flash like defects on top on the casting. Furthermore, the observation of high pouring
temperature is observed on the risers, as high pouring temperature results in rapid cooling of
the casting the riser as they are exposed to the outside temperature the solidification occurred
more rapidly on them thus limiting them from feeding the castings.
There are more effects that can be studied metallurgically on shrinkage causes this would
include compacted graphite within the nodular structure of ductile iron, number and shape of
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nodule whether the nodules are exploded or not, spiky graphite, carbon equivalent when this
is high it can cause graphite floatation, and carbides. All this may cause a casting to be prone
to shrinkage in ductile irons.
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REFERENCES
Chokkalingam, B. & Mohamed Nazirudeen, S.S. (2009). Analysis of Casting Defect Through
Defect Diagnostic Study Approach. Journal of Engineering Annals of Faculty of Engineering
Hunedoara. 72, 209-212.
Ecob, C.M. (n.d). A Review of Common Metallurgical Defects in Ductile Cast Iron. Available
online:
[Link]
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Rapid Direct. (2022). 17 Types of Casting Deffects: Understanding Their Causes and
Solutions. Available online: [Link]
Zhou, Gen. (2005). Analysis of Reasons Causing Riser Feeding Failure in Nodular Iron
Castings Production. Available online:
[Link]
ding_failure_in_nodular_iron_castings_production