Manufacturing

Casting: Casting is a manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured into a
mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The
solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to complete
the process.

Pattern: Pattern is the model or replica or mirror image or duplicate of the original casting or
desired casting.

The common types of patterns

Following are the different types of pattern used in casting:
1. Single piece or solid pattern
2. Split pattern
3. Match plate pattern
4. Cope and drag pattern
5. Gated pattern
6. Loose-piece pattern
7. Sweep pattern
8. Skeleton pattern

1. Single-piece or Solid Pattern

Single piece pattern, also called solid pattern is the lowest cost casting pattern. It is very suitable
for simple process, and small scale production and the large casting manufacturers prefer it
because this kind of casting pattern make casting process just needing simple shapes, flat
surfaces like simple rectangular blocks. One flat surface is used to separate planes.

2. Split Pattern
For casting unusual shape split patterns are used to form a mould. These types of pattern are
usually made in two parts. One part will produce the lower half of the mould and the other upper
half. The two parts may or may not be of the same size and shape. These are held in their proper
relative positions by means of dowel-pins. Dowl-pins are faster in one-piece and fitting at the
holes bored in the other piece. The surface which the parting line or parting surface. The patterns
are made in two or three pieces. Because many times the design of casting offers difficulty in
mould making and withdrawal of patterns if a solid pattern is used.
3. Match Plate Pattern
These types of pattern is made in two pieces. One-piece mounted on one side of the plate and the
other piece on the other side of the plate called the match plate pattern. The plate can only carry a
pattern or a group of patterns on its two sides in the same way. The plate is usually made of
aluminum. The gate and runner are also connected to the plate with the pattern. These patterns
are used where the rapid production of small and precise castings occurs on a large scale. These
patterns are very favorable in machine moulding. Their manufacturing cost is quite high.

4. Cope or Drag Pattern

Just like its name, cope and drag pattern has consisted of two separate plates, and it has two parts
which can be separately molded on the molding box, and these parts create the cavity. This kind
of pattern has a bit similar with the two-piece pattern and is usually used in large casting.

5. Gated Pattern
Gated patterns are used in the mass production of small castings. For such castings, multi-cavity
moulds are prepared i.e. a single sand mould carries a number of cavities as shown in the
diagram. The patterns for these castings are interconnected by gate formers. These gate formers
provide suitable channels or gates in the sand for feeding the molten metal to these cavities. A
single runner can be done to feed all cavities. This saves moulding time also there is uniform
feeding of molten metal.

6. Loose Piece Pattern

In these types of pattern, some single piece patterns are made to have loose pieces in order to
enable their easy withdrawal from the mould. These pieces make an integral part of the pattern
while moulding. After the mould is finished, the pattern is withdrawn, leaving the pieces in the
sand. These pieces are later withdrawn separately through the cavity formed by the pattern as
shown in the diagram.

7. Sweep Pattern
Sweep pattern uses a wooden board with proper size to rotate along one edge to shape the cavity.
This kind of casting pattern creates a cavity in the vertical direction and the base of it is attached
with sand, and it also creates casting in a very short time, and it has consisted of three parts:
spindle, base and sweep which also called wooden board.

8. Skeleton Pattern
When the size of the casting is very large and only a few numbers are to be made, it is
uneconomical to make a solid pattern of that size. In such cases, a pattern consisting of a wooden
frame and strips is made, called a skeleton pattern.
Types of pattern allowances:
Shrinkage allowance:
After solidification of the metal from further cooling (room temp.) dimensions of the patterns
increases. So pattern size is bigger than that of the finished cast products. This is known as
shrinkage allowance.
Draft or taper allowance:
Pattern draft is the taper placed on the pattern surfaces that are parallel to the direction in which
the pattern is withdrawn from the mould (that is perpendicular to the parting plane), to allow
removal of the pattern without damaging the mould cavity.
Distortion allowance:
This allowance is taken into consideration when casting products of irregular shapes. When these
are cooled they are distorted due to metal shrinkage.
Finishing or machining allowance:
Machining allowance or finish allowance indicates how much larger the rough casting should be
over the finished casting to allow sufficient material to insure that machining will "clean up" the
surfaces. This machining allowance is added to all surfaces that are to be machined. Machining
allowance is larger for hand molding as compared to machine molding.
Shaking or rapping allowance:
To take the pattern out of the mould cavity it is slightly rapped to detach it from the mould
cavity. So the cavity is increased a little.
Moulding sand properties and its classification:
The moulding is a process of making a cavity or mould out of sand by means of a pattern. The
molten metal is poured into the moulds to produce casting.

Properties of moulding sand

Permeability
It is the property of sand which permits the steam and other gases to pass through the sand
mould. The porosity of sand depends upon its grain size, grain shape, moisture and clay
components are the moulding sand. If the sand is too fine, the porosity will below.
Plasticity
It is that property of sand due to which it flows to all portions of the moulding box or flask. The
sand must have sufficient plasticity to produce a good mould.
Adhesiveness
It is that properties of sand due to it adheres or cling to the sides of the moulding box.
Cohesiveness
It is the property of sand due to which the sand grains stick together during ramming. It is
defined as the strength of the moulding sand.
Refractoriness
The property which enables it to resist high temperature of the molten metal without breaking
down or fusing.
Green strength
The strength of sand in its wet stage is called green strength. The sand should have adequate
strength in its wet and dry state. When we pour the molten metal, the sand adjacent to metal dries
and it should not erode.
Chemical resistivity
The sand should not chemically react with the molten metal so that it can be used for long time
to make mould.

Gating System

Parts functions:
Cope box: Cope box is the upper part of the moulding flask.
Drag box: Drag box is the lower part of the moulding flask.
Pouring Basin
The part of Gating system is made on or in the top of the mould. The main purpose of pouring
basin is to direct the flow of metal from the ladle to the sprue, to help to maintain the required
rate of liquid metal flow. Sometimes, the metal is directly poured into the top of the sprue, which
is made with a funnel-shaped opening.
Sprue:
The vertical passage that passes through the cope and connects the pouring basin with the runner
or gate is called the sprue.
Runner
In large castings the molten metal carried from sprue to gates around the cavity through a
passageway called runner is generally preferred in drag, same times in cope depends on the
shape of casting. The Runners are of large cross-section and often streamlined to slow down and
smooth out the flow, and are designed to provide approximately uniform flow rates to the various
parts of the mould cavity.
Gate
A gate is a passage through which metal flows from the runner to mould cavity. The location &
size of gates is so arranged that they can feed liquid metal to the casting at the rate consistency
with the rate of solidification.
Types of gates:
(i) Top gating (ii) Bottom gating (iii) Parting line gating
Skim bod
It is extension along the runner provides the elimination of ingredient particle in the circular
shape portion. Thus it prevents these impurities from going into the mould cavity and also gives
a slow and progressive flow of molten metal into a mould cavity.
Cavity
It is the hallow shape or space that is obtained by molding process. The molten metal enters in
the mould cavity. The finished product is obtained by mould cavity shape.
Riser
Risers are a part of the feeding system. The risers is a passage of sand made in the mould during
ramming. It provides the direction solidification of molten metal It escapes the gases in cavity
during casting. It also indicates the filling of cavity. The rate at which the pouring metal is stop
or not. The riser is placed top most portion of the mould cavity.
Core:
Function of cores: Core is used for making cavities (holes) and hollow projections in the casting.
Parting line: Parting line separates the cope box & drag box.
Vent hole: An opening in the mold to allow the escape of hot gases.

List of Mechanical Properties of Materials

The following are the mechanical properties of materials.
Strength
Elasticity
Plasticity
Hardness
Toughness
Brittleness
Stiffness
Ductility
Malleability
Cohesion
Impact strength
Fatigue
Creep

#1 Strength
 Strength is the mechanical property that enables a metal to resist deformation load.
 The strength of a material is its capacity to withstand destruction under the action of
external loads.
 The stronger the materials the greater the load it can withstand.
#2 Elasticity
 According to dictionary elasticity is the ability of an object or material to resume its
normal shape after being stretched or compressed.
  When a material has a load applied to it, the load causes the material to deform.
 The elasticity of a material is its power of coming back to its original position after
deformation when the stress or load is released.
 Heat-treated springs, rubber etc are good examples of elastic materials.

#3 Plasticity
 The plasticity of a material is its ability to undergo some permanent deformation
without rupture(brittle).
 Plastic deformation will take place only after the elastic range has been exceeded.
 Pieces of evidence of plastic action in structural materials are called yield, plastic flow
and creep.
 Materials such as clay, lead etc are plastic at room temperature, and steel plastic when at
bright red-heat.

#4 Hardness
 The resistance of a material to force penetration or bending is hardness.
 The hardness is the ability of a material to resist scratching, abrasion, cutting or
penetration.
 Hardness indicates the degree of hardness of a material that can be imparted particularly
steel by the process of hardening.
 It determines the depth and distribution of hardness is introduce by
the quenching process.
#5 Toughness
 It is the property of a material which enables it to withstand shock or impact.
 Toughness is the opposite condition of brittleness.
 The toughness is may be considering the combination of strength and plasticity.
 Manganese steel, wrought iron, mild steel etc are examples of toughness materials.
#6 Brittleness
 The brittleness of a property of a material which enables it to withstand permanent
deformation.
 Cast iron, glass are examples of brittle materials.
 They will break rather than bend under shock or impact.
 Generally, the brittle metals have high compressive strength but low in tensile strength.
#7 Stiffness
 It is a mechanical property.
 The stiffness is the resistance of a material to elastic deformation or deflection.
 In stiffness, a material which suffers light deformation under load has a high degree of
stiffness.
 The stiffness of a structure is important in many engineering applications, so the modulus
of elasticity is often one of the primary properties when selecting a material.
#8 Ductility
 The ductility is a property of a material which enables it to be drawn out into a thin
wire.
 Mild steel, copper, aluminium are the good examples of a ductile material.
#9 Malleability
 The malleability is a property of a material which permits it to be hammered or rolled
into sheets of other sizes and shapes.
 Aluminium, copper, tin, lead etc are examples of malleable metals.
#10 Cohesion
 It is a mechanical property.
 The cohesion is a property of a solid body by virtue of which they resist from being
broken into a fragment.
#11 Impact Strength
 The impact strength is the ability of a metal to resist suddenly applied loads.
#12 Fatigue
 The fatigue is the long effect of repeated straining action which causes the strain or
break of the material.
 It is the term ‘fatigue’ use to describe the fatigue of material under repeatedly applied
forces.
#13 Creep
 The creep is a slow and progressive deformation of a material with time at a constant
force.
 The simplest type of creep deformation is viscous flow.
 Some metals are generally exhibiting creep at high temperature, whereas plastic, rubber,
and similar amorphous material are very temperature sensitive to creep.
 The force for a specified rate of strain at constant temperature is called creep strength.