A Case Study by V.K.N.

Umasankar Address:
111, Jalvayu Towers, NGEF Layout,
Inspection and Corrosion Engineer (SIPD) Sadanand Nagar, Bangalore – 560038
Karnataka, India

Email ID: vkn.umasankar@gmail.com

IMPORTANCE OF METHODING

IN MANUFACTURING QUALITY CASTINGS

INTRODUCTION

Importance of methoding cannot be ignored while the foundry unit tries to compete with the open market
nationally and internationally in the attempt to produce castings of the highest quality to be used in the
industry. These days with such a fierce competitive world and every foundry doing that extra bit to have
an edge over the next, one must strive at all times to be abreast of the latest developments and also aim
at achieving the highest quality castings so that the product does not come back to bite you later on.

One bad product is enough in this competitive world to knock us off our feet. One bad product could even
cause such a flurry that all the castings be sent back for want of re-checking and for want of corrections
after a series of tests conducted. Such a series of activities not only cause the production and testing to
fall back a step but also causes the rest of the clients eyeing the company suspiciously.

Be one step ahead – Quality castings first time every time – customer complaints must be unheard of –
look for six sigma or higher standards of quality – think for the best in the industry – aim and achieve
that.

This technical paper is an attempt to bring forward a simple case study that focuses on the necessity of
methoding in the casting industry. This is an attempt at emphasizing the fact that one cannot take it for
granted that one method statement is good for all. One must never ever bypass the principles that aid in
“The Directional Solidification of Castings”.

The Problem

A company ABC has an order to cast ball valves of the same size but in two different classes. Now
although the size is the same due to change in class or rating the effective thickness of the wall changes.
The decision was taken by this company, probably due to the number of processes involved in the
manufacture post casting completion and acceptance from the foundry that they would not have had
sufficient time to go on with the development of a new pattern and core box to fit the bill.

The casting manufacturer was supposedly the best they had with both meeting delivery schedules and
the assumed soundness of the castings they have been producing. Even with the latest developments in
the foundry industry and the developments of using the state of art methods in determining the
soundness of the casting, one would surely ignore the fact that in some of the most advanced countries
the foundry industry to this day depends on the skill of the Foundryman in producing the best castings
ever.

We must be proud of the very fact that we have been playing a very important role in the industry
combining pattern making, variations involved in the moulding techniques, variations involved in the

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A Case Study by V.K.N. Umasankar Address:
111, Jalvayu Towers, NGEF Layout,
Inspection and Corrosion Engineer (SIPD) Sadanand Nagar, Bangalore – 560038
Karnataka, India

Email ID: vkn.umasankar@gmail.com

melting process, variations in temperature at various stages from pouring to the final solidification, not
forgetting the human moods involved as well, the variations that we as Foundrymen deal with every
single day is huge. Technology has gone leaps and bounds and so have the costs involved in procuring
them. No wonder an experienced and skilled Foundryman is considered the best innovator in the
industry to this very day.

Even with all these factors it is but important that we produce quality castings first time every time –
customer complaints must be unheard of – look for six sigma or higher standards of quality – think for the
best in the industry – aim and achieve that.

Is what we are looking for very difficult or impossible to achieve? The answer is NO.

With a little amount of planning, proper set of drawings, planning in the lines of, “Directional solidification
of castings”, the casting drawings, the methoding drawing which encompasses all the works from the
pattern, melting temperatures, moulding methods involved, fettling processes, method of checking the
first casting depending on the specifications involved, and then produce a pattern and core box drawing
considering all the parameters to be included from within. Well it does not end here, the casting is still to
be produced and after this completion one must as per the requirement carry out all the tests to ensure
soundness of the casting.

Now what happens when we deviate from what we normally as a Foundryman have to do?

We end up having produced defective castings and or a defective process which will be totally out of
control. To correct this we need to start the whole process all over again from scratch.

Here this paper is all about, a casting considered is a Ball Valve – a very typical example wherein a
foundry ABC has a bulk order of two castings of the same size but different classes, but on the contrary
decides to use one methoding, the same pattern, and also use the same core box. The only decision that
was made by foundry ABC was to use machining process to cut through excess metal mainly in the inlet
outlet bore so that it suits with the class without realizing the possible problems that would arise.

The simple task of even radiographing the first casting which is normally used by foundries to check if the
methoding they have used is correct was also bypassed taking into simple account the experience and
the name they have in the national and international market. The quality plan also did not mention the
radiography at the casting stage. There were effectively many lapses which could have at some stage
cause the lapse to be found out, but all such instances were bypassed probably due to the time factor of
delivery involved.

One leaked valve caused a lot of 500 valves to be rejected, and sent back to be re-inspected, to find the
root cause. Re-inspect all the valves, correct, re-inspect and dispatch the valves half way across the
world.

This case study is to highlight the issue, so it can be avoided by one and all.

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A Case Study by V.K.N. Umasankar Address:
111, Jalvayu Towers, NGEF Layout,
Inspection and Corrosion Engineer (SIPD) Sadanand Nagar, Bangalore – 560038
Karnataka, India

Email ID: vkn.umasankar@gmail.com

Sequence of Events

01. 6”X 4” Reduced Bore RF is a regular production Item in this foundry, but then they manufactured
castings to patterns supplied by their clients.
02. The foundry has made a prototype casting for this order as indicated.
03. The foundry was not advised of the criticality of these castings and that these castings will be
weld overlaid internally with CRA.
04. The prototype casting was only 10% RT tested to ensure they are free from defects.
05. The methodology involved in designing the prototype casting was using manual modulus
calculations for Bonnet, nominal bore area, and Outer Flange.
06. The foundry indicated that they counter the effects of varying sectional modulus of the prototype
castings using chills, risers and thermal pads.
07. The foundry had not proposed any NDT technique to ensure that the region of interest is taken
care of.
08. The moulding and core making techniques involved are using a 2 part resin.
09. The gating and risering system used by the foundry includes use of filters, ceramic runners and
exothermic sleeves as risers, and bottom pouring ladles – the normal practice.
10. Electric Arc Furnace 4500 Kgs & Ladle Capacity 4500 Kgs was being utilized.
11. The composition controlled prior to pouring is by using a spectrometer.
12. The Foundry did not have a clue of what went wrong.

Analysis
This analysis serves to state the progress of the investigation carried out on the 6”X 4”Reduced Bore RF
valve that was found to leak during hydrostatic testing.

The root cause analysis of the defect is as follows:

01. Casting defect, confirmed by radiographs taken and modulus calculations done at the site of
leakage.

Inclusions associated with Blow Holes

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A Case Study by V.K.N. Umasankar Address:
111, Jalvayu Towers, NGEF Layout,
Inspection and Corrosion Engineer (SIPD) Sadanand Nagar, Bangalore – 560038
Karnataka, India

Email ID: vkn.umasankar@gmail.com

Shrinkage

02. Defects in the moon shaped Inconel (625) areas in which the bored hole for the seat pin locator
is drilled.

03. The defects in the Inconel (625) originate from the fact that the underlying carbon steel is
porous.

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A Case Study by V.K.N. Umasankar Address:
111, Jalvayu Towers, NGEF Layout,
Inspection and Corrosion Engineer (SIPD) Sadanand Nagar, Bangalore – 560038
Karnataka, India

Email ID: vkn.umasankar@gmail.com

This was attributed to the fact that the casting had an excessive amount of shrinkage cavity present. To
determine the extent of shrinkage the casting was sectioned around the leak path zone as shown in the
figure below. The figure below is the complete reconstruction of the section. The arrow marks indicate
the sections.

The insufficient amount of metal supplied during the casting can be observed by the defect shown below,
but if we were to take one step backwards to the methoding calculations and the modulus calculations
we can see the issue involved.

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A Case Study by V.K.N. Umasankar Address:
111, Jalvayu Towers, NGEF Layout,
Inspection and Corrosion Engineer (SIPD) Sadanand Nagar, Bangalore – 560038
Karnataka, India

Email ID: vkn.umasankar@gmail.com

Leak Path

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A Case Study by V.K.N. Umasankar Address:
111, Jalvayu Towers, NGEF Layout,
Inspection and Corrosion Engineer (SIPD) Sadanand Nagar, Bangalore – 560038
Karnataka, India

Email ID: vkn.umasankar@gmail.com

Demonstration of leak path by reconstruction -

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A Case Study by V.K.N. Umasankar Address:
111, Jalvayu Towers, NGEF Layout,
Inspection and Corrosion Engineer (SIPD) Sadanand Nagar, Bangalore – 560038
Karnataka, India

Email ID: vkn.umasankar@gmail.com

04. The drilled bore hole shows defects confirmed by Ferroxyl tests & boroscope examination.

05. The defect in the drilled bore hole is due to the porosity in the Inconel (625).

06. Consequently there is a potential leak path of hydrocarbons from the bored hole through the
Inconel (625) into the carbon steel, if used in service without correction.

Demonstration of Leak by a Simple Water Leak Test

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A Case Study by V.K.N. Umasankar Address:
111, Jalvayu Towers, NGEF Layout,
Inspection and Corrosion Engineer (SIPD) Sadanand Nagar, Bangalore – 560038
Karnataka, India

Email ID: vkn.umasankar@gmail.com

Cause Analysis:

When the client supplied the pattern and core box to the foundry manufacturer, the foundry decided to
make a methoding statement for the class 1500 valve and apply it to the class 900 valve in the process
of creating a defect in the class 900 valve which got exposed during subsequent operation of machining.

There was no inspection stage between the machining stage and the next cladding operation and the
shrinkage defect that would have opened was subdued below the 625 cladding that was done. No one in
the cladding area ever reported the issue and the testing were completed at the workshop. Due to the
layer of freshly applied 625 clad overlay the leak path did not probably open. But subsequently due to
transportation and other possible reasons during the loading and unloading due to non availability of a
suitable metallurgical bonding between the clad and the base material the clad weld in the region of the
spongy shrinkage mass would have given way and cracked open thus opening the leak path.

Now when these already tested valves were opened from the boxes to be suitably located and the line
should have been tested the opening would have got bigger and creating the presence of a clearly well
defined leak path.

The leakage path was observed during a N2He leak test where even the finest of the fines cracks, would
show the leak path through the body.

Course of Action:

01. The valve disconnected from location.

02. Hydro-tested in the workshop to reconfirm the leak path.
03. A similar size valve was picked at random from the stock yard and tested to find yet another leak.
04. All valves from this manufacturer were sent back for re-testing and correction at the
manufacturer’s end.
05. The defected Inconel (625) area was excavated in the test valve.
06. Defects in the underlying carbon steel were found.
07. Consequently repairs of the defected area are considered impossible, since Inconel (625) cannot
be welded on porous carbon steel.

Recommendation:

01. The manufacturer was advised to cast new bodies in Inconel (625) and re-use the internals.

Lessons learned:

01. Methoding of castings to be taken with utmost importance.

02. Defect found at any stage must be reported and a corrective procedure followed to rectify it
rather than try and proceeding to the next stage of operation.
03. If the defect is due to a methoding related or a foundry related issue it has to be brought into the
notice of the foundry so that a necessary action is taken at their end to avoid occurrences in the
future.

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