Chapter 07
Chapter 07
Chapter 07
Foundry
7.1 INTRODUCTION
A foundry is a place where castings are produced. Art of metal casting was practiced in
ancient India and China, as early as 5000 years ago. Earlier castings probably were made
in gold, brass, copper, silver and bronze. Various types of tools and equipments are used in
foundry, some of them are:
1. Hand tools
2. Moulding boxes (Flasks)
3. Moulding machines
4. Melting equipment
5. Pouring equipment
Casting is one of the oldest manufacturing processes. In this process, the raw material
is melted by heating. The moulds are prepared to have the shape of finished product. The
molten material which is free flowing fluid is poured in the mould and allowed to solidify.
Generally the mould is broken to obtain the solid product which is called casting.
Production of metal castings is one of basic process of metal working industries. Several
methods have been developed in order to meet requirements of properties, finish,
dimensions, etc. but, the oldest method is that of making sand castings in foundry. This
work consists of making a mould in sand in which molten metal is poured.
Casting is an important manufacturing process because of the distinct advantage of
making it possible to produce intricate shapes of wide range of sizes and having virtually
no directional properties. There have been many developments in this field through ages
and particularly in the last century. However, the basic requirements encountered in each
remain the same.
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Fig. 7.1 (a) Schematic illustration of a sand mould showing various features
(i) Pattern
It is a duplicate shape of the final casting. The moulding material is packed around
the pattern and the pattern is removed to produce a mould cavity. A pattern may
consist of one or many impressions and would normally be mounted on a board or
plate complete with a runner system. A typical pattern for hollow cylinder is shown
in Fig. 7.1(b).
(ii) Flask
The flask is the box that contains the moulding aggregate. In other words, it is a
rigid metal or wood frame used to hold the sand of which a mould is formed and
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usually consists of two parts, cope and drag. It is made up of wood for temporary
applications and more generally of metal for long-term use.
(iii) Pattern Layout
It is scaled drawing of a pattern showing its arrangement and structure features.
(iv) Parting Line
The parting line or parting surface is the interface that separates the two halves of
the mould (the cope and the drag).
(v) Cope and Drag
The upper half of flask above the parting line is called cope. The drag refers to the
bottom half of a horizontally parted mould.
(vi) Core
It is used for making hollow cavities in casting.
(vii) Riser
It is a reservior of molten metal provided in the mould so that hot metal can flow back
into the mould cavity, to compensate for any shrinkage that occurs during
solidification.
(viii) Gating System
The portion of the passage through which the molten metal enters the mould cavity.
(ix) Pouring Cup
Pouring cup or pouring basin is the portion of the gating system that initially receives
the molten metal from the pouring vessel and controls its delivery to the rest of the
mould.
(x) Sprue
The channel, usually vertical, that connects the pouring basin with gating system.
(xi) Vent
An opening or passage in a mould or core to facilitate escape of gases when the
mould is being filled.
(xii) Draft
Taper on the vertical sides of a pattern or corebox that permits the withdrawal without
damaging the walls of mould.
(xiii) Laddle
A container used to transfer molten metal from the furnace to the mould.
(xiv) Binder
The bonding agent used as an additive to mould or core sand to impart strength and
plasticity in a “green” or dry state.
(xv) Dowel
A pin of various types used in the parting surface of parted patterns or dies to assist
correct registry.
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7.4 PATTERN
Casting is process in which the molten metal gets solidified into a desired shape in cavity
generally made up of sand (some times these cavities are made of metals and are called
permanent moulds). Sand moulds (cavities) are made each time if a casting is to be produced.
These sand moulds are made with the help of patterns. Thus patterns are tools to produce
a cavity of desired shape. They are a replica of the casting. They are similar in shape but
not identical in size of the product. Sometimes the patterns may be only a part of the whole
casting particularly if the casting is symmetrical around an axis. On occasions a pattern
may be made up for many castings. It may have gating system as its part or it could be
without it. Thus patterns are essentially the means to achieve the castings.
For the best results a pattern must be designed and produced keeping in view the
requirements of not only the casting but also the pattern itself and the overall economy of
the process. This requirement calls for selection of proper material, type of pattern design,
production and its maintenance. [See Fig. 7.1(b)]
Fig. 7.2
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of losing some parts of the pattern if not stored properly. The required cavity shape is
shown in Fig. 7.4(a) which is obtained by a pattern as shown in Fig. 7.4(b) and lose pieces
A and B. The Figs. 7.4(c) and (d) further explain the use of loose prices.
(a)
(b)
Fig. 7.8 Sweep Patterns
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(a)
(b)
1. It is the accuracy of the dimension of the cast product which is important. Therefore,
pattern must be such that the cast product obtained from the mould meets this
requirement. The contraction of the metal and any machining allowance must be
accounted for. The pattern must not only have accurate dimension but must also
carry necessary allowances.
2. Patterns must possess good surface finish. This is to avoid the sticking of sand to its
surface while moulding and pulling it out of the cavity. Bad surface finish may damage
the mould surfaces.
3. Proper material selection must be made as per the need. This requires the consideration
of volume of production, type of moulds, etc.
4. Choice of parting surface must be correct. It is observed that the greater portion of
the pattern must remain in the drag for good castings. However, the parting surface
should be such that it facilities in moulding.
5. Besides the above the following other consideration are important for proper moulding
and other strength:
(i) Sharp edges and corners should not be allowed on the pattern.
(ii) Changes in section should be smooth, gradual and uniform.
(iii) Jointed cores for uniform holes must be avoided in order to avoid mismatch of
axis in the casting.
(iv) Core prints which have to be provided with the pattern should be located properly
and should be strong enough.
(v) Preferably the runners and gates should form part of the pattern.
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The accuracy of the casting is limited by the type of sand and the moulding process.
Sand castings made from coarse green sand impart a rough texture on the surface of the
casting, and this makes them easy to identify. Air-set moulds can produce castings with
much smoother surfaces. Surfaces can also be ground and polished. The casting is covered
in a residue of oxides, silicates and other compounds. This residue can be removed by
various means, such as grinding, or shot blasting.
During casting, some of the components of the sand mixture are lost. Green sand can
be reused after adjusting its composition to replenish the lost moisture and additives. The
pattern itself can be reused several times to produce new sand moulds. The sand moulding
process has been used for many centuries to produce castings manually. Since 1950, partially
automated casting processes have been developed for production lines.
“blows”. Before pasting two core halves together, adequate channels may be scratched into
a surface which will be at the interior of core. Large cores may be made hollow to help
proper venting.
3. Sprue Base Well: Holds some molten metal, at the bottom end of sprue.
4. Runner: Horizontal passage that takes molten metal to ingates. It is normally at the
level of parting line.
5. Runner Extension: It is the extension of runner beyond last gate.
6. Ingate: In gates are the passages that connect runner to cavity.
7. Riser: A vertical hollow tube in which molten metal rises after cavity has been filled.
Any gating system designed should aim at providing a defect free casting. Gating system
is shown in Fig. 7.12. You may also see Fig. 7.6. The metal flow can also be manipulated by
placing a filter at the junction of runner and in gates or at the junction of sprue and
runner.
The desirable objectives of gating system are summarized below.
(i) Allow the metal to flow rapidly and fill the mould quickly.
(ii) Allow the metal to flow with a minimum of turbulence, particularly into the cavity.
(iii) Not to allow the aspiration of gases.
(iv) Induce solidification at the centre with progressive solidification towards the risers.
(v) Not to cause damage to the surface of the cavity. Too rapid flow of metal may cause
loose sand particles to be entrapped in the metal.
Sprue holes adequate in size, decreasing in size towards the bottom prevent aspiration.
To have all these requirement together is a tall order still mould designer should try to
achieve as many of the above objectives as possible.
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7.16 GATES
These are the openings through which the molten metal enters the mould cavity. These are
also called ingates. The shape and cross-section of the ingate should be such that it can
readily be broken off after casting solidifies and also that it allows the metal enter quietly
into the mould cavity. Following are the different types of gates used in casting design.
1. Top Gate: This is the type of gating through which the molten metal enters the
mould cavity from the top. Since the first metal entering the gate reaches the bottom
and hotter metal is at the top, a favourable temperature gradient towards the gate is
achieved. Also the mould is filled very quickly. But as the metal falls directly into the
mould cavity through a height, it is likely to cause mould erosion and turbulence in
the mould cavity. It may form dross and as such top gate is not advisable for those
materials which are likely to form excessive dross. It is suitable only for simple castings
shapes which are essentially shallow in nature as shown in Fig. 7.13.
2. Bottom Gate: When molten metal enters the mould cavity slowly it would not cause
any mould erosion. Bottom gate is generally used for very deep moulds as shown in
Fig. 7.14. It takes some what longer time for filling of the mould and also generates
a very unfavourable temperature gradient.
3. Porting Gate: This is the most widely used gate in sand castings as shown in
Fig. 7.15. The metal enters the mould at the parting plane when part of the casting
is in the cope and part in the drag. This type of gating tries to derive the best of both
types of gates, viz. top and bottom gates. Of all the gates, this is also easiest and most
economical to make.
4. Step Gate: Such gates are used for large and heavy castings. The molten metal
enters mould cavity through a number of ingates which are arranged in vertical
steps. The size of ingates are normally increased from top to bottom such that metal
enters the mould cavity from the bottom most gate and then progressively moves to
higher gates. This ensures a gradual filling of the mould without any mould erosion
and produce a sound casting. Step gating is shown in Fig. 7.16.
7.17 RISER
The function of a riser is to feed the casting during solidification so that no shrinkage cavities
are formed. Risers also provide access to any sand particles and oxidation products (slag)
from mould cavity. The requirement of risers depends to a great extent upon the type of
metal poured and the complexity of the castings. The risers are usually vertical holes to the
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top surface of the mould in which the molten metal may rise and are of sufficient size so that
the molten metal contained in them will remain molten until that in the casting has solidified
and gone through its period of most severe shrinkage. A riser is shown in Fig. 7.17.
Fig. 7.17
7.19 RUNNERS
Runner connects the sprue to ingates, thus letting the metal enter the mould cavity. The
runner is generally horizontal passage.
The runner is generally used in large casting. It receives the molten metal from the
sprue base and distributes the same to casting through gates as shown in Fig. 7.20.
Fig. 7.20
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The runners are normally made trapezoidal in cross-section and may be located either
in the cope or drag part of the mould. It is advantageous to keep the runner in the cope part
where it also works as the riser. In aluminium and magnesium castings a runner is used in
the drag, because in such metals the sand sinks and it helps in catching loose sand particles.
Runners are often extended beyond gates. In such cases first impurities and sand particles
moving ahead of liquid metal are trapped there and do not enter the casting.
fuel. Since the molten metal is covered with a slag, it is not in direct contact with the
combustion flames and gases so the chemical composition can be controlled and a high
quality product obtained. In this furnace it is easy to control the rate of heating and the
temperature of the metal. The initial and operating costs of the air furnace are higher than
those of the Cupola.
7.21 CUPOLA
Cupola is a blast furnace. A type of cupola in its simple form is shown in Fig. 7.21. It is
made in boiler plate shell, erected on another steel plate which is supported on brick structure
(platform). The shell is built with firebricks. The iron base is covered with fireclay sloping
in the direction of tap hole. The tap hole ends in a channel which allows the metal to flow
into the ladle. The cupola is often built outside the foundry and the channel passes through
the wall. An opening opposite to the tap hole is made through which the furnace is fired. It
can be covered with a steel plate after fire is made. This hole is also used for cleaning the
furnace before each fire. The tuyeres carry the air blast from bottom where blowers are
placed. The materials are fed in the furnace through a charging hole which is slightly
above the charging platform at about half the height of cupola structure. After the small
fire is created coke is added and the furnace is fired. The charge of iron is made together
with fluxing material. It is followed by layers of coke and iron. The coke weight may vary
from 1/15 to 2/10 of metal weight. The tap hole is lined with fireclay 2 to 3 hours before
starting fire. The blast is allowed in the furnace after closing the charging door. At this
stage the tap hole is blocked by clay stopper. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes for molten
material to begin to run down and can be seen through a mica window. When metal has
collected, the clay plug at the tap hole is broken and the metal allowed to flow. As the flow
continues additional charge of coke, metal and flux is made. The metal from cupola is often
collected in ladles which are lined with fireclay. Ladles are taken to moulding and metal
poured. The ladles are kept heated before receiving metal and molten metal is covered with
coal dust or charcoal for protection from oxidation.
Fig. 7.21 shows the cupola commonly used for melting cast iron. A sheet A stands on a
base plate B which is supported by a brick platform C. The shell is lined with fire bricks D.
Fire is started through opening E and tuyeres F blast the furnace. The pipes G supply air to
tuyeres. Main air supply pipe H is at the bottom. The furnace is charged through door I
from platform K. L is the mica window from which flowing material is observed.
7.23 FETTLING
It is the process of cleaning of casting obtained after solidification in the mould. The mould
is knocked off. The exterior of casting is brushed with wire brush or shot blasted to remove
sand from skin. Castings which are not delicate may be tumbled in a rattler. Projections
from runners, risers and gates and fins are to be cut away.
They are removed using cold chisel in case of iron, by flame in case of steel or by sawing
in case of non-ferrous casting. Cores are cleaned out by drifts.
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7.24 CHILLS
Chills are metallic pieces, mainly iron of high melting point placed in moulds to come in
contact of poured metal in the region which is required to be harder than the rest of the
casting. The metal pieces in the mould quickly cool the molten metal and prohibit the
precipitation of free carbon developing high surface hardness. Larger the thickness of the
chill deeper will be the hardened layer.
Finer grain moulding sand is often responsible for lower permeability. Excessive ramming,
higher clayey content and higher moisture in the mould are other reasons for poor
permeability and hence for B-type defects.
Blow holes and openblows are spherical, flattened or elongated cavities present on
the surface or inside the casting. On the surface they are called openblows and inside they
are called blowholes. Moisture of the mould on evaporation enters the casting and if entrapped
leaves blow holes and openblows.
Such porosity as caused by above defects may leave a damaged surface and may also
cause loss of ductility. Some of the surface defects are shown in Fig. 7.22.
appropriate moulding method. The latter can be taken care of by altering the gating design
to reduce the turbulence. Fig. 7.24 shows wash.
Metal Penetration: When the molten metal enters the gaps between the sand grains,
the result would be a rough casting surface. The main reason for this is that, either the
grain size of the sand is too coarse, or no mould wash has been applied to the mould cavity.
This can also be caused by higher pouring temperatures. This belongs to category A of
ICFTA classification.
Fig. 7.24
Fusion: This is caused by the fusion of sand grains with the molten metal, giving a brittle,
glassy appearance on the casting surface. The main reason for this defect is that the clay in the
moulding sand is of lower refractoriness or that the pouring temperature is too high.
Runout: A run is caused when the molten metal leaks out of the mould. This may be
caused either due to faulty mould making or because of the faulty moulding flask.
Rat Tails and Buckles: Rat tail is caused by the compression failure of the skin of the
mould cavity because of the excessive heat in the molten metal. Under the influence of the
heat, the sand expands, thereby moving the mould wall backwards and in the process
when the wall gives way, the casting surface may have a marked small line whose number
may increase. Poor expansion and hot strength properties are the reason. High pouring
temperature may also cause these defects. Buckles are the rat tails which are severe.
Swell: Under the influence of the forces of metal pressure the mould wall may move
back causing a swell in the dimensions of the casting. As a result of the swell, the feeding
requirements of castings increase which should be taken care of by the proper choice of
risering. The main cause of this is the faulty mould making procedure adopted. A proper
ramming of the mould would not permit this defect.
Drop: The dropping of loose moulding and or lumps, normally from the cope surface
into the mould cavity, is responsible for this defect. This is essentially, due to improper
ramming of the cope flask.
7. QUESTIONS
1. Describe basic steps in casting processes.
2. Look at the figure below and identify the parts marked.
3. Describe a pattern and its use. What different types of patterns are used?
4. Sand is most important component in casting process. How many types of sand are
used in foundry? How does the sand bind? Describe bonding clays.
5. What is a core? In figure below for casting a bent pipe with two flanges identify items
1, 2, 3 and 4.
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6. Describe different moulding methods. Identify the components of gating system in
figure below.
7. What are different types of gate? Mention if any specific advantage is associated
with any type. What should be the relationship in area of section of gate with that of
runner.
8. How is the metal melted in foundry practice? Describe cupola with the help of a
diagram.
9. Differentiate between the chills and chiplets.
10. Identify the sources of defects in casting. Mention defects under each source.