University of the East - Manila

Mechanical Engineering Department

Materials Science & Engineering for ME

Foundry Sand Casting

ROYO, ANGELICA JULIANNE A.

I. DEFINITION OF TERMS…………………………………………………………….3

II. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………..5

III. MANUFACTURING PROCESS……………………………………………………6

A. FLOWCHART………………………………………………………………...6

B. DISCUSSION OF PROCESS………………………………………………8

C. RAW MATERIALS……………………………………..……...………..…..10

D. EQUIPMENT OR MACHINERIES…………………………..……...…….10

IV. DEFECTS…………………………………………………………………………..12

V. REFERENCES………………………...…………………………………………...13

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DEFINITION OF TERMS

Foundry Sand Casting - is the act of pouring molten metal into a mold and letting it set up into an
object is known as metal casting.

Foundry Sand - used in foundry casting processes and is clean, consistent in size, and of
excellent quality.

Green Sand - is silica sand that has been lightly processed to include bentonite clay, water, and
sea coal.

Green sand casting - is the predominant industrial method used by foundries.

Heat Furnace - It is a contained environment with the capacity to heat materials to extremely
high temperatures, such as when melting metals.

Blow - The blow is a sizable hollow or hole created by gases that shift the shape of molten metal.

Scar - A scar is a shallow blow because to insufficient permeability or venting. It usually takes
place on a level surface.

Blister - Identical to a scar, a blister is a tiny wound that has a thin layer of metal covering it.

Scab - This flaw appears in sand casting when a section of the mold's face lifts or cracks, and
metal fills the space left behind. Gas may be freed with enough force when the metal is poured
into the hollow to break up the sand, which is then washed away and the resulting cavity is filled
with metal.

Core Shift - A core shift is a flaw where the core of a cast travels from where it was meant to be
because of the buoyancy of molten metal.

Mold Shift - Mold shifts are brought on by the mold coping moving laterally in relation to the
drag. As a result, the separation line of the finished cast has a step or indent.

Drop - An unevenly formed projection on a casting's surface is called a drop. This flaw results
from the break-away of a portion of the mold sand due to faulty packing, weak molding sand,
broken molding equipment, or severe jolts and impacts at the flask during mold assembly. A

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dirty casting surface will result from the loose sand that falls into the hollow, either on the top or
bottom of the casting.

Shrinkage - In a casting, a shrinkage cavity is a depression brought on by the volume contraction

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INTRODUCTION

Foundry Sand Casting is the act of pouring molten metal into a mold and letting it set up
into an object is known as metal casting. Castings are the names for the solidified objects. Sand
casting is the process of pouring molten metal into a mold made of sand and letting it set there.
The most popular method for casting metals in production is called sand casting, and virtually all
casting metals may be employed in this method. Gears, dies used in the packaging industry,
cylinder heads, pump housings, and valves are a few examples of contemporary products produced
using the sand-casting methods. Six fundamental steps make up the sand-casting procedure.

Sand used in foundry casting processes is called foundry sand and is clean, consistent in size, and
of excellent quality. For ferrous (such as iron and steel) and non-ferrous (such as copper,
aluminum, and brass) metal castings, the sand is bonded to create molds or patterns. Metal casting
shake-out sand is frequently recycled back into the production of foundry sand.

Green Sand is silica sand that has been lightly processed to include bentonite clay, water, and sea
coal. The minor ingredient amounts, and sand gradation required are often determined by the type
of metal being cast. Through a thermal procedure, the green sand is recovered and must first be
cooled before being added once more to the casting process. Green sand casting is the predominant
industrial method used by foundries.

Another widely used technique is no bake casting, which is used to create "core molds" or smaller
quantities of complex castings for both ferrous and non-ferrous metals. In this technique, the sand
is mixed with a chemical binder or catalyst immediately before being poured into the mold. This
chemical reaction causes the sand to harden and keep the mold's shape. Since this reaction is
temperature-sensitive, it is crucial to keep the sand at a constant, uniform temperature to improve
the cast product quality.

The temperature of the sand may vary depending on how foundries store and disperse their no
bake sand or dry and chill their recycled green sand. Because foundry sand is a crucial component
of the casting process, utilizing sand that is too hot or cold results in poor casting quality, which
has an adverse impact on the entire production chain. It can lead to greater scrap rates and more
bentonite usage when the molten metal is put into a mold made of green sand that is too h

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 MANUFACTURING PROCESS

FLOWCHART

SAND PREPARATION MOLD MAKING PATTERN MAKING

REMOVAL OF CORE MAKING

MELTING OF RAW CASTING POURING

SAND RECLAMATION REMOVAL OF PRODUCTS

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 SANDPAPER
MACHINING

PAINTING
HEAT FURNACE

FINAL PRODUCT (PAN)

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DISCUSSION OF PROCESS

CREATE A MOLD. The casting mold must be made as the initial stage. Sand is stuffed into the
mold's two halves to create a sand mold. The pattern, which is a duplicate of the casting's external
shape, is surrounded by a dense layer of sand. The hollow that will produce the casting is left
behind when the pattern is taken away. The "cope" and "drag," respectively, are the names of the
mold's top and bottom portions.

PREPARE AND CLAMP THE MOLD. After the mold is constructed, it needs to be ready for the
pouring of molten metal. The mold cavity's surface is first lubricated to aid in the casting's removal
(the type of lubricant used depends depend on the sand and metal used), and then the mold halves
are closed and firmly held together. To prevent material loss, it is crucial that the mold halves
remain tightly together. The two parts are joined in this image using "jackets."

POUR MOLTEN METAL INTO MOLD. A gating system, or gap, connecting the casting cavity
to the mold's exterior is used to flow molten metal into the mold. These molds use weights and
"jackets" to hold the two parts together. This mold is being filled with aluminum liquid.

ALLOW METAL TO COOL. As soon as the molten metal reaches the cavity of the mold, it starts
to cool and harden. The final shape of the casting is created after the cavity is fully filled and the
metal solidification process is complete. The mold cannot be opened until the required cooling
period has passed.

REMOVE HARDENED CASTING FROM MOLD. The casting can be conveniently removed
from the sand mold by breaking it after the solidification period has passed. The process of shaking
the sand and casting out of the flask is usually carried out using a vibrating machine. Sand that
will be reused is cleaned up. Sand and oxide layer adhesions will probably still be present on the
casting after removal. To get rid of the leftover sand, shot blasting may be utilized.

TRIM EXCESS METAL. The substance from the channels in the mold solidifies and adheres to
the casting during cooling. Either manually or with the aid of a trimming press, this extra material
needs to be removed from the casting. The size of the casting will determine how long it takes to
reduce the extra material. Longer trimming times are necessary for larger castings. The trimming-
related scrap material is either thrown away or utilized again during the sand-casting process.

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POLISH AND FINAL PRODUCT. The casting may be polished or finished to give a functional
surface for its intended usage, depending on the intended use of the finished product. To smooth
the casting's surface and remove any remaining roughness, surface finishes of various grades can
be used. Patriot can offer finished castings like the one in the above picture, which has been heat
treated and machined, or raw castings that are ready for usage. It is also possible to include
auxiliary processes like finishing and powder coating.

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RAW MATERIALS

Iron Ore

Iron ore refers to rocks or minerals from which metallic iron is extracted for commercial use.
These minerals appear dark grey to rusty red in color and are usually rich in iron oxides. Iron
occurs in these ores in the form of such chemical compounds as hematite, magnetite, siderite,
limonite, or goethite.

EQUIPMENT OR MACHINERIES

Shovel

A shovel consists of a square pan fitted with a wooden handle. It is used for mixing and for
moving the sand from one place to another in the foundry.

Riddle

A riddle has a standard wire mesh fixed into a circular or square wooden frame. It is used for
cleaning the moulding sand.

Rammer

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A hand rammer is made of wood or metal. It is a short rammer and is used for packing and
ramming the sand for bench molding. The floor rammer is similar in construction but have long
handles. It is used for floor molding or for ramming large molds

Slick

A slick is a double ended tool having a flat on one end and a spoon on the other. It is used for
repairing and finishing the mould surfaces after the pattern is withdrawn.

Lifter

A lifter is made of thin sections of steel of various width and lengths with one end bent at right
angles. It is used for smoothing and cleaning out depressions in the mould.

Swab

A straightforward swab features a little brush with long hemp fibers. A soft hair brush is located
at the open end of a bulb swab, which has a rubber bulb to hold the water. Before the pattern is
erased, the sand around the edge is moistened with it.

Bellow

Sand that has become loose is blown off the mould's cavities and surface using a hand-operated
bellow.

Trowel

It has a wooden handle and a metal blade. Small trowels of various forms are used to smooth
over the splitting surface of the mould as well as to finish and fix mold voids.

Molding Boxes

The sand molds are created in flasks, which are specifically made containers that are open at the
top and bottom. They are constructed of two sections, which are joined together by dowel pins.
Cope is the term used for the upper portion and drag for the bottom. The middle piece, if the
flask is formed of three pieces, is referred to as a cheek. These flasks can be made out of metal or
wood.

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Heat Furnace

It is a contained environment with the capacity to heat materials to extremely high temperatures,
such as when melting metals.

DEFECTS

Blow- The blow is a sizable hollow or hole created by gases that shift the shape of molten metal.

Scar - A scar is a shallow blow because to insufficient permeability or venting. It usually takes
place on a level surface.

Blister - Identical to a scar, a blister is a tiny wound that has a thin layer of metal covering it.

Scab - This flaw appears in sand casting when a section of the mold's face lifts or cracks, and
metal fills the space left behind. Gas may be freed with enough force when the metal is poured
into the hollow to break up the sand, which is then washed away and the resulting cavity is filled
with metal.

Core Shift - A core shift is a flaw where the core of a cast travels from where it was meant to be
because of the buoyancy of molten metal.

Mold Shift - Mold shifts are brought on by the mold coping moving laterally in relation to the
drag. As a result, the separation line of the finished cast has a step or indent.

Drop - An unevenly formed projection on a casting's surface is called a drop. This flaw results
from the break-away of a portion of the mold sand due to faulty packing, weak molding sand,
broken molding equipment, or severe jolts and impacts at the flask during mold assembly. A
dirty casting surface will result from the loose sand that falls into the hollow, either on the top or
bottom of the casting.

Shrinkage - In a casting, a shrinkage cavity is a depression brought on by the volume contraction

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 REFERENCES

Foundry Sand Casting Process: Simple Step by Step | Patriot Foundry. (2017, July 10). Patriot
Foundry & Castings. https://www.patriotfoundry.com/news/foundry-sand-casting-
process-steps/
Solex Thermal Sciences | Energy Efficient Heat Exchanger Technology. (2020). Solex Thermal
Sciences. https://www.solexthermal.com/resources/articles/what-is-foundry-
sand/#:~:text=Foundry%20sand%20is%20clean%2C%20uniformly%20sized%2C%20hi
gh%20quality
Raw Materials ~ Industrial Foundry. (n.d.). Www.industrialfoundry.com. Retrieved October 26,
2022, from https://www.industrialfoundry.com/raw-materials/
Foundry Tools and Equipments. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2022, from
https://www.aboutmech.com/2020/09/foundry-tools-and-
equipments.html#:~:text=Some%20important%20foundry%20tools%20and%20equipme
nts%20are%20shovel%2C
creatureworks. (2017, May 22). Are You Working with a Quality Foundry? | Patriot Foundry.
Patriot Foundry & Castings. https://www.patriotfoundry.com/news/casting-
defects/#:~:text=The%20proper%20design%20and%20molding%20from%20a%20truste
d

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