Different Types of Casting Processes Used in Manufacturing

Casting manufacturing is a process in which liquefied material, such as molten metal, is poured into the cavity of a specially designed mold and allowed to harden. After solidification, the workpiece is removed from the mold to undergo various finishing treatments or for use as a final product. Casting methods are typically used to create intricate solid and hollow shapes, and cast products are found in a wide range of applications, including automotive components, aerospace parts, etc.

Different Types of Casting and the Casting Process
Although casting is one of the oldest known manufacturing techniques, modern advances in casting technology have led to a broad array of specialized casting methods. Hot forming processes, such as die-casting, investment casting, plaster casting, and sand casting, each provide their own unique manufacturing benefits. Comparing both the advantages and disadvantages of the common types of casting processes can help in selecting the method best suited for a given production run.

Sand Casting
Sand casting typically relies on silica-based materials, such as synthetic or naturally-bonded sand. Casting sand generally consists of finely ground, spherical grains that can be tightly packed together into a smooth molding surface. The casting is designed to reduce the potential for tearing, cracking, or other flaws by allowing a moderate degree of flexibility and shrinkage during the cooling phase of the process. The sand can also be strengthened with the addition of clay, which helps the particles bond more closely. Automotive products such as engine blocks are manufactured through sand casting.

Sand casting involves several steps, including patternmaking, molding, melting and pouring, and cleaning. The pattern is the form around which the sand is packed, usually in two parts, the cope and the drag. After the sand is compacted enough to replicate the pattern, the cope is removed and the pattern extracted. Then, any additional inserts called core boxes are installed and the cope is replaced. After the metal has been poured and solidified, the casting is removed, trimmed of the risers and gates that were used in the pouring process, and cleaned of any adhered sand and scale.

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