3.

Laboratory Practice 2: Sand Mould Design & Making

3.1 Objectives

The objective of making and designing the sand mould is to familiarize with the
technique of mould making, to study the various moulding materials and their mixing
and to understand the important of gating and riser systems in metal casting.

1.2 Preparation
 Moulding sand
 Moulding flask
 Pattern
 Rammers
 Mixer
 Carbon dioxide gas
 Clamp
 Gum
 Bucket
 Sand mixing machine
I. The prepared wooden patterns and moulding box were used here to produce
the mould.

a. Diagram: The preparation of moulding box

II. Moulding box was clamped by two clamps and ready for making mould.
III. Wooden pattern was spited by chalk to all its surface and placed into moulding
box.

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 Figure: Wooden pattern was spited by chalk
IV. The sands were poured into sand mixing machine and mixed with calculated
sodium silicate (about 8%) to become silica sands (SiO2) to prepare the
moulding sand.

Figure: Pouring sodium silicate into sand

V. Sand mixture were removed to bucket and poured into moulding box slowly.
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3.3 The Process of Making the Mould

Diagram: Sand Casting Process

I. The sand mixture was rammed by rammers into the moulding box until the
level of top of the moulding box.

Diagram: Ramming sand

II. Ruler was used to level the top of the moulding box.
III. Small holes were created in the surface of the sand mould. The carbon dioxide
gas was pumped into the sand mould to harden the mould.
IV. Two pipe were placed into another moulding box. The propose to place two
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 pipes were to form riser and runner.
V. The sand mixture was poured and rammed until the top of moulding box.
VI. Ruler was used to level the top of the moulding box.
VII. Small holes were created in the surface of the sand mould. The carbon dioxide
gas was pumped into the sand mould to harden the mould.
VIII. The wooden patterns and pipes were removed and the sand was spread on the
surface of mould.
IX. The cope and drag were assembled and the position of runner and riser were
marked.
X. The cope was removed and the runway of riser and runner to mould cavity
was created.
XI. The mould was assembled back by gum and ready for pouring.

3.4 The Final Shape of the Mould

Diagram: The sand mould after pattern is removed

When the sand mould is compared to the pattern drawing, it can say that this
sand mould is very beautiful and identical to what is predicted. The only defection of
this sand mould is the letter of N and M. This is because when the pattern is removed
from the sand mould, the sand mixture is stacked at the pattern and it is removed
together with pattern. The sand mould is stacked at the pattern because there has no
chalk and sand at that surface of pattern. To overcome this problem, the sand mixture
that is stick at the pattern is removed, and gummed into the sand mould. To prevent
the problem, chalk is need to coated all the surface of the pattern and the sand need to
spread more and evenly at the pattern before the pattern is cover by sand mixture.
Moulding box was clamped by two clamps is to prevent the sand mixture
leak out from the moulding box. Wooden pattern was spited by chalk to all its
surface is to prevent the sand mixture stick together with the pattern. The silica
sands were used for making mould because it is refractoriness, cohesiveness,

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 collapsibility and good permeability of moulds and cores allows gases and steam
evolved during casting to escape easily. Ruler was used to level the top of the
moulding box to remove the redundant of soil above the level of moulding box.
Small holes were created in the surface of the sand mould. The carbon dioxide gas
was pumped into the sand mould to harden the mould. Riser is need to produce to
prevent shrinkage of product. Runner is need to produce as a runway to let the
aluminium molten flow into mould capacity when poring process. Sand is need to
spread on the surface of mould before mould is assembled to prevent cope and
drag stick together. The mould was assembled back by gum to stick the cope and
drag.

4. Laboratory Practice 3: Melting, Pouring, Solidification and

Finishing

4.1 Objectives

The objective of melting, pouring, solidification and finishing are to familiarize

with the operation of induction melting furnace, to study the effect of pouring time
and temperature on the quality of casting and to practise the correct way of cleaning
and pouring of molten metal.

4.2 Preparation
 Induction melting furnace
 Safety wears
 Ladle
 Slag coagulator
 Aluminium Alloy
 Hammer
 File

4.3 The Process of Melting, Pouring, Solidification and Finishing

I. 2kg of Al-Si alloy was melted for each mould in the crucible using Induction
melting furnace.
II. When the alloy in the molten stage, the slag coagulator was added to refine the
molten metals.

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 III. The safety wears were worn by students before pouring.
IV. The molten is carried by two student with each student were held one and
another side of ladle.
V. The molten metal was poured into the sand mould and they were allowed to
solidify to obtain the casting sample.
VI. After the molten metal solidified, the casting was removed from the mould by
hammer.
VII. The attached gating and riser systems on the casting were removed.
VIII. The casting was polish and fine finished.

Figure: Pouring Process

4.4 The Final Shape of the Products

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 Figure: Comparison of casting and pattern
The shape of casting and pattern is same and it is identical. So, pouring process
is very success because it has no defection expect the mistake of letter M. The letter of
M is uneven because the mould is not hard enough when pouring. So the molten will
solidify unevenly and cause this defection. To overcome this problem, The uneven
part need to undergo filing process to make the letter to more even.
When the alloy in the molten stage, the slag coagulator was added to refine the
molten metals. The safety wears were worn by students before pouring. This is
because the metal molten are very hot and cannot be touched. So, it is very dangerous
and need to be caution when pouring. The molten metal need to pour evenly into the
sand mould to prevent the uneven flow of molten metal into the mould cavity. Uneven
flow of molten metal into the mould cavity will lead to form bubble in mould cavity.
If the bubble is unable to escape before it is solidified, it will lead to form a hole in the
casting. This defective will reduce the strength of casting.