Foundry Tools and Equipments

1. Shovel: - It is a tool used for mixing and tempering the moulding sand and for moving the
sand from the pile to the flask.

2. Riddle: - It consists of a circular or square wooden frame fitted with a standard wires mesh at
the bottom. It is used for removing foreign materials such as nails metal, splinters of wood etc
from the moulding sand both hand and power riddles are available.

3. Rammer: - It is a tool used for packing or ramming the sand in the moulding box. It is made
of wood or cast iron. It has got two ends one end is wedge shaped called the peen and the
opposite end called the butt and is cylindrical in shape.

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4. Trowel: - It consists of metal blade fitted with a wooden handle. It is used to smoothen the
surfaces of mould and it is also used to repair the damaged portions of mould. The usual trowel
is rectangular in shape and has either a round or square end.

5. Slick: - It is a double ended tool having a flat on one end and a spoon on the other end. This
tool is also made in a variety of shapes. It is used to repairing and finishing small surfaces and
round corners of the mould.

6. Lifter: - It is made of thin section of steel of various widths and lengths with one end bent at
right angles. It is used to clean and finish the bottom at sides of deep, narrow openings in
moulds.

7. Strike-off Bar: - It is made of metal or wood with a straight edge. It used to stick or stick-off
excess sand from the mould after ramming to provide a level surface.

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8. Sprue pin: - It is a cylindrical wooden piece pushed through the cope up to the joint of mould.
As the sprue pin is withdrawn, it leaves a sprue through which the metal is poured i.e. it is used
for making a sprue hole in the mould.

9. Bellows: - They are used to blow-off loose and particles from the pattern and mould cavity.

10. Swab:- It is a small brush used for applying small amount of water around the pattern before
removing it from the mould.

11. Gate cutter: - It is small piece of tin plate used for cutting gates and runners in the mould.

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12. Draw Spike (Screw):- It is a pointed steel rod with a loop at one end is used to remove the
pattern from the mould.

13. Mallet: - A raw hide mallet is used to loosen the pattern in the mould that it can be drawn
without damage the mould.

14. Vent rod: - A vent rod of wire is used to make a series of small holes permit gases to escape
while the molten metal is being poured.

15. Clamps: - Clamps are used for holding together the cope and drag of the completed mould to
prevent the cope from rising when the metal is introduced into the mould.

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16. Sprit Level: - The spirit level is used by the moulder to ensure that sand moulding box or
moulding machine table is horizontal.

17. Rapping Plate: - A rapping plate or lifting plate is used to facilitate rapping and lifting of the
pattern from the mould. The plate must be firmly attached to the pattern by long screws or even
bolts in large patterns.

18. Pouring weight: - It is plate of cast iron with a cross shaped opening cast in it to give
considerable liberty in placing the runner in the mould. It is used on the top of a mould for giving
a weight to prevent the pressure of the liquid metal from forcing the mould apart, causing a run
out.

19. Gaggers: - Gaggers sometimes called lifters are iron rods bent at one end or both ends. They
are used for reinforcement of sand in the top part of a moulding box and to support hanging
bodies of sand.

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20. Moulding Board & Bottom Board: A moulding board is a smooth wooden board on which
the flask and patterns are placed when the mould is turned over, the function of this board ends.
The mould is placed on a similar board called Bottom Board which acts as a support for the
mould until it is poured.
21. Moulding Boxes (Flasks):- Sand moulds are prepared in specially fabricated boxes called
Flasks. The purpose of the flask is to impart the necessary rigidity and strength to the sand
moulding. Moulding boxes are made of wood or metal and are used for making sand moulds.
Moulding boxes are made in two parts namely the top box is called Cope and the bottom box
called Drag.

There are two types of moulding boxes namely

Snap Flask
Box Flask

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MODEL 1

PREPARATION OF SAND MOULD BY USING SINGLE PIECE SOLID PATTERN

AIM: To prepare a sand mould cavity using a single piece soild patterns as shown in the figure.

Tools Used :- Shovel, Moulding flasks, Hand rammers, trowel, leveler, Lifter, vent rod, Bellows,
Swab, Sprue and Runner pin, Slick, Soild pattern and bottom board etc.

PROCEDURE
Prepare the molding sand mixture the various ingredients to proper consistence.
Keep the drag on the bottom board in the inverted position. Locate the center of the
molding box by drawing the two diagonals; place the given pattern at the center as shown
in the figure 1.
Sprinkle the parting sand on the pattern and remaining surface inside the molding box.
Now fill the drag half of the molding box with molding sand mixture. Ram the sand with
proper kind of sand ramming to a hard mass. Strike-off the excess sands with a leveler &
smooth the top surface of the mould using a travel as shown in fig 2.
Now keep the drag half in the upright position on the bottom board shown in the fig 3.
Now place the cope half of the molding box on the drag half, again sprinkle the parting
sand on the top surface of the drag. Place the riser pin on the pattern centre, & place the
sprue pin on the drag and convenient distance from the pattern as shown in fig 4.
Now by holding the sprue & riser pins fill the cope with the molding mixture and ram it
properly. Remove the excess sand & finish the surface with the leveler and trowel. Pierce
the vent rod to make will holes as shown in the figure 5.
Loosen the sprue & riser pins & remove them from the rammed sand carefully. Remove
the cope & place it inverted. Now by using sand lifters remove the sand from the drag to
cut in-gate and sprue base as shown figure 6. Finally shake the pattern & remove it from
the drag. Clean mould cavity for any loose sand, place the cope on the drag to close
mould cavity.

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MODEL 2

PREPARATION OF SAND MOLD WITHOUT USING PATTERN

AIM: To prepare the two halves of the sand mold as per the drawing shown in the figure.

Tools Used: Shovel, Molding flasks, Hand rammers, trowel, leveler, Lifter, vent rod, Bellows,
Swab, Sprue ping, Slick etc.

PROCEDURE
Keep the drag box on the table, fill it with molding sand and then ram the sand using a
flat head rammer. Put more sand & ram it with a round head rammer. Strike off the
excess sand & finish the top surface of the mould using a leveler & a trowel.
Sprinkle parting sand on top of the finished drag mould. Draw the two diagonals using a
vent rod on the surface & obtain the centre of the drag mould box. Draw hexagon on the
drag box.
Now keep the cope box on top of the drag box. Keep the wooden sprue rod & the riser at
appropriate locations on the drag & fill the cope box with molding sand. Finish the cope
box in the same manner.
Lift the cope box & keep it in inverted position on the table. Now using the sand lifter
remove the sand from the drag mould box to get the desired shape, i.e. Circle and
Hexagon in the drag half as shown in figure. Finish the mould after cutting the gate in the
drag portion.

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 MODEL 3

PREPARATION OF SAND MOLD WITHOUT USING PATTERN

AIM: To prepare the two halves of the sand mold as per the drawing shown in the figure.

Tools Used: Shovel, Molding flasks, Hand rammers, trowel, leveler, Lifter, vent rod, Bellows,
Swab, Sprue ping, Slick etc.

PROCEDURE
Keep the drag box on the table, fill it with moulding sand. First ram the sand with a flat
head rammer. Put more sand & ram it with a round head rammer. Strike off the excess
sand & finish the top surface of the mould using a leveler & a trowel.
Sprinkle parting sand on top of the finished drag box. Draw the two diagonals using a
vent rod on the surface & obtain the centre of the drag mould box. Draw circle on the
drag box top surface.
Now keep the cope box on top of the drag box. Keep the wooden sprue rod & the riser at
appropriate locations on the drag & fill the cope box with molding sand. Finish the cope
box in the same manner.
Lift the cope box & keep it in inverted position on the table. Now using the sand lifter
remove the sand from the mould to get the desired shape, i.e. one circle in the cope and
another circle in the drag half as shown in figure. Finish the mould after cutting the gate
in the drag portion.

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 INTRODUCTION TO FORGING

Forging is a process in which the work piece is shaped by compressive forces applied
through various dies and tools. It is one of the oldest metal working operations. Most forgings
require a set of dies a press or a forging hammer.

A number of operations are used to change the shape of the raw material to the finished
from. The typical forging operations are drawing, upsetting edging, punching, bending, setting
down, cutting & welding.

1. Drawing: The reduction in c/s of the work with concurrent increase in length is called
drawing. It is accomplished in forging by striking the metal piece with flat dies to reduce its
thickness and increase its length and width. Fig (a) represents the stock, fig (b) shows the stock
after hammering with straight peen hammer & Fig(c) shows the finished forging after the flatter
has been used.

2. Fullering: Fullering is used to reduce the cross-sectional area of a portion on the stock. An
example of fullering operation is the forging of a connecting rod.

3. Upsetting: It is an operation just opposite to drawing and involves increasing the cross-
sectional area usually by hammering or pressing in a direction parallel to the ingot axis. The
required shape is given to the ingot spreading it between the two dies.

4. Edging: Edging is the gathering operation used to shape the ends of the bars as shown in fig
(a).

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5. Punching: It is a process of making holes by using a hot punch over a cylindrical die as
shown in fig (b).

6. Bending: Bending is performed by hammering the metal over the edge of the anvil or over the
block of metal held in a vice. Different types of bent shapes such as angles, ovals & circles etc
can be produced as shown in fig (c).

7. Setting down: It is the operation through which the rounding of a corner is removed to make
it square by means of set hammer.

8. Cutting: It is a process of cutting a metal with the help of a chisel and hammer when the
metal is in the red hot condition.

9. Welding: It is a process of joining metal pieces to increase the length by pressing or

hammering them which they are at forging temperature. It is also known as forge welding.

10. Hand forging: Hand Forging is achieved by striking regular blows with suitable tools
against the blank which is placed on a supporting platform viz., an anvil. This is employed only
to shape a small number of light forgings, chiefly in repair shops. Hand forging is substituted by
power forging in recent years.

11. Power Forging: In Power forging the work pieces are heated to the prescribed temperature
and then brought under hammer which delivers blows on pieces with the striker and changes its
shape. The work pieces are handled with tongs. Power Forging is done by power hammers
(spring, pneumatic and air) or Presses.

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FORGING TOOLS

The tools and equipments used and their applications in numerous forging operations are as
follows.

1. Anvil: - The Anvil forms a support for black-smiths work when hammering. The Body of the
anvil is made of mild steel with a tool steel face welded on the body, but beak or horn used for
bending curves is not steel faced. The round hole in the anvil called pritchel hole and is used for
bending rods of small diameter and as a die for hot punching operation. The square hole is used
for holding square shanks of various fittings.

2. Swage Block: - This forge shop tool is used for many squaring, sizing heading, bending and
forming operations. It is 0.25 mt or more wide and may be used either fiat or edgewise in its
stand.

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3. Hand hammers: Two kinds of hammers are used in hand forging
1. The Hand Hammer used by the smith himself
2. The Sledge Hammer used by the striker

The Hand Hammers may be classified as

Ball Peen Hammer
Straight Peen Hammer
Cross Peen Hammer

Hammer heads are made of cast steel, the ends hardened and tempered. The striking face
is slightly convex, the weight of a hand hammer varies from about 0.5kg to 2kg, while the weight
of sledge hammer varies from 4 kg to 10 kg.

4. Tongs: The work piece to be forged is generally held with tongs. The tongs generally used for
holding the work piece are,

The Gad Tong used for general pickup work either straight or tapered.
The Straight Lip Flutted Tong used for square, circular and hexagonal bar stock.
The Ring Tong used for bolts, rivets and other work of circular section.
The flat Tong used for holding work of rectangular section.

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5. Chisels: Chisels are used for cutting metals and for nicking prior breaking. They may be hot
or cold depending on whether the metal to be cut hot or cold. The main different between the two
in is the edge. The edge cold chisel is hardened and tempered with an angle of about 60 0, while
the edge of a hot chisel is 300 and the hardening is not necessary. The edge made slightly
rounded for better cutting action.

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6. Swages: Swages are used for work which has to be reduced and finished to round, square or
hexagonal form. These are made with half grooves of dimensions to suit the work being reduced.
Swages consist two parts, the top part having a handle and the bottom part having a square shank
which fits in the hardie in the anvil face.

7. Fullers: Fullers are for necking down a piece of work. They are made in tip and bottom tools
as in the case of swages. Fullers are made in various shapes and sizes according to needs, the size
denoting the width of the fuller edge.

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8. Flatters: Flatters are used to give smoothness and accuracy to articles which have already
been shaped by fullers and swages.

9. Set Hammer: It is really a form of flatter. A set hammer is used for finishing corners in
shouldered work where the flatter would be inconvenient. It is also used for drawing out.

10. Punch & Drift: A punch is used for making holes in metal part when it is at forging heat and
holes are opened out by driving through a larger tapered punch called a drift.

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List of formulas used to calculate Volume:

1. Cylinder

2. Cone

3. Frustum of a Cone

4. Square Pyramid

5. Square Prism

6. Hexagonal Pyramid

7. Hexagonal Prism

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 MODEL-1

AIM: To prepare a forging model of given dimension as shown in the figure.

Tools used: Anvil, Hand Hammer, Flatters, Swage Block, Tongs etc.

PROCEDURE
Switch on the Furnace
Keep the given work piece in the furnace and heat it to the red hot temperature
(Plastic State).
Heat one and of the bar for a sufficient length to make the head or cool the other one
end of the bar.
Jump up heated end on the anvil. Flatten head by hammering against the end of a
bush, placing directly over the square hole in the anvil, through which the shank will
pass.
Swage the adjacent portion of the head in to a square section of given dimensions.
Finally hammer the other end of the shank to get a square pyramid section of given
dimensions on an anvil.

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 MODEL-2

AIM: To prepare a forging model of given dimension as shown in the figure.

Tools used: Anvil, Hand Hammer, Flatters, Swage Block, Tongs etc.

PROCEDURE
Switch on the Furnace
Keep the given work piece in the furnace and heat it to the red hot temperature
(Plastic State).
Heat the given piece to entire length.
The length of heated work piece is increased to the required length by drawing down
or swaging.
Swage the whole length of the work piece into a square cross-section.
Bend the work piece on the swage block edges having square groove.
Finally hammer the other end of the shank to get a conical surface of given
dimensions on an anvil.

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 MODEL-3

AIM: To prepare a forging model of given dimension as shown in the figure.

Tools used: Anvil, Hand Hammer, Flatters, Swage Block, Tongs, Cupping tool etc.

PROCEDURE
Switch on the Furnace
Keep the given work piece in the furnace and heat it to the red hot temperature
(Plastic State).
Heat one and of the bar for a sufficient length to make the head or cool the other one
end of the bar.
Jump up heated end on the anvil.
Flatten head by hammering against the end of a bush, placing directly over the square
hole in the anvil, through which the shank will pass.
Swage the adjacent portion of the head into a hexagonal section of given dimensions.
Forge chamfer on head by cupping tool, using the bush.
Finally hammer the other end of the shank to get a conical surface of given
dimensions on an anvil.

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