National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology, Hatia, Ranchi

SPECIAL CASTING TECHNIQUES

Submitted by: SAKET ORAON M.Tech (M.E) Roll No ME12M10

INTRODUCTION
Sand mould casting produces satisfactory results at lowest cost in many cases and enjoys wide applications. However they are single purpose molds. Sand castings are labor intensive and time consuming and hence have high unit cost. Sand mould leaves bad surface finish and hence requires further processing. They are also not suitable for mass production. However new methods are developed to eliminate the demerits of conventional casting process and to serve certain specific purposes. They are called Special Casting Techniques.

Advantages of Special Casting Techniques

Greater dimensional accuracy. Higher metallurgical quality. Low production cost. Ability to cast extremely thin sections. High production rate. Better surface finish. Castings are slightly stronger and more ductile than sand mould made castings.

Classification of Special Casting Techniques

GRAVITY DIE OR PERMANENT MOULD CASTING

This type of casting is known as Gravity Die Casting in England and as Permanent Mould Casting in U.S.A. In this metal is poured under gravity only and no pressure is applied. In this method,

permanent mold is used. Permanent mould is made of dense, fine grained, heat resistant cast iron, steel, meehanite bronze, anodized aluminum etc. Mold thickness is from 15mm to 50mm. Cores used may be made up of metal(say steel) or dry sand. The sprue, risers, runners, gates and vents are machined into the parting surface of one or both mold halves. Coatings Mould surface is heated, a refracting coating in the form of slurry is sprayed or brushed on the mold cavity, riser, gate and runner surfaces. French chalk binder is commonly used for aluminum and magnesium casting. Coating is dried and smoothed with steel wool. Refractory coating protects mould surfaces from erosion and checking. Permanent Mould Coatings Production Casting drawing is analysed to establish parting lines, draft, core requirements and gating system. Mold drawing is prepared From the master pattern, a plaster cast is made. It is then cast in the mould material (iron or steel) by either sand mould or ceramic mould process. After forming the mould is stress relieved and any distortion or warpage that appeared is corrected. Mold is preheated (near 700oF for Al and Mg) and given refractory coating. Mould halves are closed properly and liquid metal is poured into it under gravity. Castings are ejected from the mould after they are solidified.

 Ejected castings are hot, relatively soft and can easily bend. Thus they are stacked on racks and permitted to cool.

Advantages Closer dimensional tolerance and accuracy obtained. Smoother surface and better appearance achieved. Fine grained metal structure. Metal cores employed can produce holes with much smaller diameter than sand cores. Inserts can be usefully employed and readily cast in place. Mass production of casting is more economical. Less floor space needed. Operation consumes much less time. Faster production rate. Structurally superior and stronger castings can be produced.

Disadvantages A permanent mould costs much more than a sand mould. Castings of all sizes and shapes cannot be cast. Unsuitable for steel castings due to very high temp of molten steel. Uneconomical for small production runs. A casting is always likely to be chilled because of its contact with metal mould.

Applications Carburetor bodies Hydraulic break cylinders Refrigeration castings Washing machine gears and gear covers Connecting rods and automotive pistons Oil pump bodies Typewriter segments Aircraft and missile castings

DIE CASTING

Die casting is invariably used to denote Pressure Die Casting only, since the process of Gravity Die Casting is more commonly known as Permanent mould casting. The prominent advantage of this process is the speed and also that the complete cycle of operation lends itself to mechanization. In Pressure die casting molten metal is forced into permanent mould (die) cavity under pressure. Pressure (70 to 5000 kg/cm2) is obtained by compressed air or hydraulically. Associated with externally applied high pressure is the high velocity with which the molten metal is injected. Complete process can be made automatic except that the operator has to occasionally coat the die surface with refractory coatings.

Die-casting dies A die is sort of permanent mold and is made in two halves for facilitating the removal of casting. One die half is stationary and is known as cover die whereas other die half called ejector die moves. The two halves are kept in perfect alignment with the help of dowel pins. Molten metal is forced under pressure into closed die for making a casting. When the casting has got solidified, movable die half containing the casting is pulled open over the ejector pins.

Types of Die-Casting Machines There are four main types of Die-Casting Machines: 1.) Hot chamber die-casting machine 2.) Cold chamber die-casting machine 3.) Air blown or goose-neck type machine 4.) Vacuum die-casting machine Advantages Same dies are used again and again. Dies are capable of retaining their accuracy and usefulness for long periods of production. High production rate. Close dimensional tolerance. Very thin sections can be cast without difficulty. Quite intricate shapes can be die-cast.

 Surface smoothness of 1250 micro-mm root-mean-square can be obtained. Machining cost, labor costs are very small. Die castings are less defective than sand casting. A number of non ferrous alloys can be die-cast. Economical when used for large scale production. Limitations Ferrous alloys are not cast. Maximum size of casting is restricted to about 100kg for zinc and 35 kg for aluminum. Uneconomical for small scale production (say less than about 20,000 castings). Die casting technique requires comparatively a longer period of time for going into production. Die casting technique requires special skill on the part of maintenance and supervisory personnel. Sometimes dies may produce an undesirable chilling effect on the die casting. Applications Automobile parts and aircraft industry Marine uses Domestic appliances Textile machinery Impellers for corrosive liquid pumps

 Electrical machinery parts Chemical apparatus

CENTRIFUGAL CASTING
The process of centrifugal casting is also known as liquid forging. It consists of rotating the mould at high speed as the molten metal is poured into it. Due to centrifugal force molten metal is directed outward from the centre, towards the inside surface of the mould, with considerable pressure. In this process, a uniform thickness of metal is deposited all along the inside surface of the mould, where it solidifies, and the impurities being lighter remain nearer to the axis of the rotation. The process enables the production of castings with greater accuracy and better physical properties as compared to sand castings. It also enables the production of distinct surface detail and dense metal structure. Symmetrical shapes are best suited for it.

The Centrifugal Casting Methods can be classified as follows: 1. True centrifugal casting 2. Semi-centrifugal casting

3. Centrifuging

True Centrifugal Casting

A typical horizontal true centrifugal casting machine is shown in the figure. The main features of a true centrifugal casting are that the axis of rotation of the mould and that of casting are the same. Also, the central hole through the casting is produced by the centrifugal force without use of a central core. The axis of rotation of the mould may be vertical, horizontal or inclined at any suitable angle between 70 o to 90o. End cores are usually employed at the two ends of the mould to prevent molten metal from being thrown out at the ends. A few examples involving the application of this method are the hollow cast iron pipes, gun barrels, bushings, etc.

Semi centrifugal Casting This process which is also known as Profiled Centrifugal Casting is widely used for relatively large castings which are symmetrical in shape, such as discs, pulleys, wheel, gears, etc. In this method wheel is rotated about a vertical axis and the metal is poured through a

central sprue. It is not necessary to cast only one mould at a time.

Several moulds can be stacked together, one over the other, and fed simultaneously through a common central sprue as shown in fig.

This provision increases the production considerably. The centrifugal force is used to fed the metal outward to fill the mould cavity completely. Centrifuging This is also sometimes known as Pressure Casting. It mainly differs from true centrifugal casting methods in that, unlike the latter two, the axis of rotation and that of moulds do not coincide with each other, as

the moulds are situated at a certain distance from the central vertical axis of rotation all around the same. Shapes of casting do not carry any limitations in this method and a variety of shapes can be cast.

Advantages of True Centrifugal Castings The castings produced are very sound, having a clean metal as most of the impurities are collected on the inner surface and can be removed later on through machining. The percentage of reject is very small. The castings have dense metal with very good mechanical properties. An effective directional solidification is invariably achieved. The requirement of a core to produce a central hole is avoided in most of the cases. The need for separate gate and runner is eliminated completely. Even minute surface details on the casting can be achieved. The production rate is sufficiently high. Thin sections and intricate shapes can be easily cast.

Limitations of True Centrifugal Castings All shapes cannot be cast through this process. The complete equipment requires a heavy initial investment. Its maintenance is also quite expensive and its operation needs the employment of skilled labour.

CONTINUOUS CASTING

This process essentially consists of pouring the molten metal into the upper opening of a vertical metal mould, opens at both ends, cooling is rapidly and removing the solidified product in a continuous length from the lower end of the mould. This process is largely applicable to

brass, bronze, copper and aluminium and to a limited extent to the cast iron and steel. A no of processes have been developed for continuous casting of various metals and alloys, as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Asarco Process for copper and bronze. Reciprocating mould process for brass. Alcoa Direct Chill Process for aluminium. Williams Process for carbon and alloy steels. Hazelett Process for direct casting of sheets.

Of these, the most popularly used method is Asarco Process. In this process the pouring die and cooling jacket are made integral with the furnace. It also incorporates an integral valve to stop the metal flow into the mould when desired. The molten metal flows into the mould from below the metal surface so that no impurities are included in it. As it flows down it is cooled rapidly by quick dissipation of heat by circulating water in the jacket around the metal mould. Withdrawing Rolls below the mould helps in pulling down the solidified casting at a controlled speed. Below the roll is fitted a saw to cut the product to desired lengths. This process is vastly used for copper and bronze. Many popular shapes like round, rectangular, hexagonal and fluted etc., can be cast. In the Reciprocating Mould Process, used for casting brass, water cooled Reciprocating Copper Mould is used. The molten metal is poured into the mould from the holding furnace through a 12.7 mm diameter tube. As the metal descends it is cooled by circulating water and the solid slab is pulled by withdrawing rolls. It is then cut to desired length by a saw. The movement of the rolls and the reciprocating motion of the mould are properly synchronised by means of operating Cams. Williams Process for casting of carbon and alloy steels uses a brass mould. Provision is made for effective rapid cooling. The Alcoa

Direct Chill process for aluminium utilises stationary moulds placed on the platen of a Hydraulic Elevator.