CASTING PROCESSES

Advantages & Disadvantages

Taha Mustahsan Roll #: 14 Reg #: 2008-UET-IEFR-MECH-FD-08 Submitted to: Sir Syed Amjad Ahmed

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF DIFFERENT CASTING PROCESSES

PRESSURE DIE CASTING

Advantages
1. High speed production can be achieved as the whole process is completely automated. 2. Possible to obtain fairly complex castings than that feasible by gravity die casting due to the use of the movable cores. 3. Very small thicknesses can be easily filled as the liquid metal is injected under high pressure. 4. Very good surface finish can be obtained & most of pressure die castings can be directly electroplated without any further processing. 5. Closer dimensional tolerances & better mechanical properties can be obtained compared to sand casting. 6. Very economical for large scale production.

Disadvantages 1. Large capital investment is required to set up a pressure die casting process. 2. The die casting machines & tooling costs are very expensive. 3. Cannot be used for large castings as the casting machine capacity is limited. 4. It is not suitable for all materials because of the limitations of the die materials & the alloys used must have a low melting point. 5. High porosity is common & heat treatment is difficult.

APPLICATIONS Automotive parts like wheels, blocks, cylinder heads, manifolds etc. Aerospace castings. Electric motor housings. Kitchen ware such as pressure cooker. Cabinets for the electronics industry. General hardware appliances pump parts, plumbing parts.

Casting Processes | Advantages & Disadvantages

INVESTMENT CASTING

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Disadvantages

Advantages 1. Complex shapes which are difficult by any other method are possible. 2. Very close tolerances and excellent surface finish can be obtained. 3. Ready for use with little or no machining required. 4. Almost any metal can be cast. 5. No flash or parting lines. 6. Suit for producing complex shapes where other manufacturing processes are too costly and time-consuming.

1. Time consuming as shell molds cannot be reused. 2. Expensive as many labor involved in the preparation of the wax patterns & shell molds. 3. The size of the casting is often limited. 4. Occasional minute defects.

APPLICATIONS Typically materials that can be cast with this process are Aluminum alloys, Bronzes, Stainless steels, Satellite etc. Glass mold accessory castings, Valves and fittings, Gears, Levers and Splines are some of the popular usages. LIMITATIONS Time consuming process and costly. Exceptional surface finish possible but minute lacuna can cause rejection of castings as a result scrap rates can be high.

Casting Processes | Advantages & Disadvantages

SAND CASTING

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Disadvantages

Advantages 1. Low capital investment means that short production runs are viable. 2. Use of sand cores allows fairly complex shapes to be cast. 3. Large components can be produced. 4. Suitable for small batch production (small production rates). 5. It is a quick process. 6. All kind of metals can be used in sand casting process. 7. There is no size limit.

1. The process has a high unit cost, as it is labor intensive and time consuming. 2. The sand mold leaves bad surface finish. 3. Further machining process is required. 4. We cannot make thin sections. 5. Not suitable for mass production. 6. Scrap metal increased. 7. Poor material strength.

APPLICATIONS Sand casting process is used to make Engine blocks, Gear blanks Crankshafts Brake drums Fan blades Tubes etc.

Casting Processes | Advantages & Disadvantages

PLASTER MOLD CASTING

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Disadvantages

Advantages 1. Smooth "As Cast" finish (25 RMS) 2. Closer dimensional tolerance than Sand Casting 3. Intricate shapes and fine details including thinner "As Cast" walls are possible 4. Large parts cost less to cast than by Investment process

1. More costly than Sand or Permanent Mold-Casting 2. Limited number of sources 3. Requires minimum of 1 deg. draft

APPLICATIONS It can be used for making quick prototype parts as well as limited production parts. LIMITATIONS Poor productivity as it has lengthy processing problems. Close monitoring of the production process. The problems of poor mold permeability. Impaired mechanical properties a possibility as a result of slow cooling of the casting.

Casting Processes | Advantages & Disadvantages

CENTRIFUGAL CASTING

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Disadvantages

Advantages 1. Relatively very light impurities move inwards towards center. So they can be removed easily thus helping in producing sound castings. 2. These castings have a directional solidification starting from outside to inside. 3. Central core is not required for making a hole or pipe 4. Employment of gates and risers is not required 5. This technique is best suited for the mass production of symmetrical objects. 6. Castings yield is very high in some cases it is even equal to 100%

1. Centrifugal castings require very high investments. 2. Skilled labors are to be employed for this process. 3. Only some shapes can be generated by this casting process.

Applications Bearings for machines Pipes Liners for IC engines Rings and other annular components Wheels nozzles and similar parts.

Casting Processes | Advantages & Disadvantages

DIE CASTING

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Disadvantages

Advantages 1. Good dimensional tolerances are possible 2. Excellent part-part dimensional consistency 3. Parts require a minimal post machining 4. The process is more economical and efficient. 5. It offers a large range of shapes and components than any other manufacturing process.

1. Economical only in very large quantities due to high tool cost 2. Not recommended for hydrostatic pressure applications 3. For Castings where penetrant (die) or radiographic inspection are not required. 4. Difficult to guarantee minimum mechanical properties

LOST FOAM CASTING

Advantages 1. It is dimensionally accurate, maintains an excellent surface finish and has no parting lines so no flash is formed. 2. As compared to investment casting, it is cheaper because it is a simpler process and the foam is cheaper than the wax. 3. Foam is easy to manipulate, carve and glue, due to its unique properties. 4. The flexibility of LFC often allows for consolidating the parts into one integral component.

Disadvantages 1. The pattern costs can be high for low volume applications and the patterns are easily damaged or distorted due to their low strength. 2. If a die is used to create the patterns there is a large initial cost.

Application Lost foam casting is used mostly for automotive applications.

Casting Processes | Advantages & Disadvantages

PERMANENT MOLD CASTING

Advantages
1. 2. 3. Less expensive than Investment or Die Castings. Dimensional Tolerances closer than Sand Castings. Castings are dense and pressure tight. 3. 2. 1. process.

Disadvantages
Only non-ferrous metals may be cast by this Less competitive with Sand Cast process when three or more sand cores are required. Higher tooling cost than Sand Cast.

APPLICATIONS
Products include gears, splines, wheels, gear housings, pipe fittings, fuel injection housings, and automotive engine pistons.

MOLD CASTING

Advantages
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. It has better surface finish It has better dimensional tolerances. Machining process is reduced. Less foundry space required. Semi-skilled operators can handle the process. The process can be mechanized. 3. 1. 2.

Disadvantages
The raw materials are relatively expensive. The process generates noxious fumes which must be removed. The size and weight range of castings is limited.

APPLICATION
The applications of mold casting might be Crankshaft fabrication Steel casting parts Molded tubing fabrication Hydraulic control housing fabrication

Casting Processes | Advantages & Disadvantages