A glossary of metal casting processes to help you understand the different types of processes employed in metal casting.
- Centrifugal Molding – A process that horizontally or vertically rotates a metal or graphite mold during the solidification of the casting. This is especially useful for cylindrical shapes.
- Ceramic Holding – AKA “Shaw process” uses clay to create the casting molds.
- Chemically Bonded Sand Molding Processes – Uses chemicals to bond or cure the mold during the mixing cycle, gassing of the sand mixture or heat to finish the cure of the mold.
- Cleaning – Removing runners, flash, risers, extra sand and metal from a casting.
- CO2 Inorganic Shell Molding – Uses CO2 gas with a sand and sodium silicate mixture to create an instantly hardened mold.
- Cure – The process of hardening
- Die Casting – This process injects molten metal under high pressure into permanent metal dies for volume production of aluminum, magnesium and zinc castings.
- Dry Sand Molding – A modified green sand molding process whereby the mold is baked at 400-600°F. This is the preferred metal casting processes method to cast parts with exact dimensions.
- Flaskless Molding – A type of green sand molding what uses a master flask as an integral part of the mechanized production of the mold.
- Green Sand Molding – The process that uses a mold made of compressed moist sand that is packed around the metal or wood pattern. “Green” indicates that the mold is not baked or dried.
- “H” Process Molding – This process uses rigid, double-sided molds which are filled in a horizontal, controlled pouring. Each mold consists of two halves, which each carrying a half casting impression.
- Heat treatment – The process of timed heating and cooling operations that are applied to an alloy or metal while it is solid to produce certain mechanical properties.
- High-Density Molding – AKA “impact molding” is a type of green sand molding that uses advancements in technology to compact the sand around the pattern and virtually eliminate mold-wall movement.
- Hitchiner Casting Process – This process uses a vacuum or counter gravity system to fill the resin or chemically-bonded mold with molten metal.
- Investment Casting – A casting process that uses a wax or thermoplastic pattern that is covered or surrounded by refractory slurry. Once the mold is solidified and dried, the wax or thermoplastic pattern is melted or burned out leaving a cavity that is then filled with a molten metal.
- Lost Foam – AKA “expanded polystyrene molding” or “full mold process” uses an expandable polystyrene pattern in loose sand to create a mold
- Nobake Process – AKA “airset process” where mold are allowed to “set” or harden in the open air
- Precision Casting and Molding – Metal casting processes that produces casting that have a better surface finish with precise detail and a greater degree of dimensional accuracy.
- Shakeout – The process of removing the set casting from the mold.
- Shaw Process – AKA “ceramic molding” utilizes a clay base to create the mold components
- Shell (Organic) Molding – Uses a resin-bonded silica sand in the most rapid mold-creation process.
- Skin-Dried Molding – Air dried molds often preferred to green sand molds where surface moisture is lessened
- Squeeze Casting – Process uses a cylinder to push the molten metal into the molds.
- Tight Flask Molding – This process, also a type of green sand molding, uses a metal or wood flask to hold the sand.
- Vacuum (“V”) Process Molding – Uses dry, unbonded sand to create the molds.
The requirements of all these metal casting processes are that the metal solidifies in such a way as to make the most of its properties and at the same time avoid defects like gas porosity, trapped inclusions and shrinkage voids.
For more information about Metal Casting Processes
|
