Designing castings with thin sections.

By Tomovic, Mileta Publication: Modern Casting Date: Wednesday, October 1 2003

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Casting processes provide design freedom by allowing engineers to place metal where needed to meet desired criteria. Typically, functional demands of the part as well as induced stress distribution result in a non-uniform mass distribution in a designed structure. This means that a casting shape can assume non-uniform distribution of interconnected thick and thin sections. An example of such a configuration of interconnected unequal sections is shown in Fig. 1, in which heavy sections are surrounded with thin sections. This configuration does not allow the gating system or side riser to feed the heavy sections properly and fails to eliminate shrinkage defects in these isolated masses. As a result, this type of mass distribution requites the application of strategically located top risers to feed the isolated heavy sections. [FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

In this configuration, each heavy section may require a separate top riser, resulting in low yield, increased labor for casting cleaning, and increased final part cost. Sometimes, configurations like this are required to satisfy the structural and functional demands imposed by the operating conditions. However, there ate certain instances that can lend themselves to redesign to make the shape more readily castable without additional risers. In those circumstances, a designer's knowledge of the metalcasting process or close collaboration between the designer and foundry engineer can play a significant role in modifying the shape to suit the process. For example, the wheel shown in Fig. 2 has a central hub that is isolated within a thin section. A side riser probably would not be sufficient to feed the central section of the wheel so a top riser on the hub would have to be used. [FIGURE 2 OMITTED] An alternative solution to this problem would be to add a feeding pad on the cope side, which would connect the side riser and central hub (Fig. 3). A feeding pad is essentially additional metal added to the casting that allows directional

solidification to progress towards the side riser. The addition of a feeding pad would result in a solid casting while maximizing the yield by eliminating the heavier top riser. This type of modification can be made in many instances without affecting the part's functionality and only minimally increasing its weight. In application, when the part is rotating around a central axis, the additional pad can be added on the opposite side to maintain dynamic balance. [FIGURE 3 OMITTED] Another geometric modification that can be considered to improve component castability with isolated masses is to reallocate the existing geometric features. For example, ribs are used to provide additional structural support to isolated bosses. The size of the ribs is an important factor in casting since it determines how far the molten metal can flow and how will solidify. If the ribs are too thin, this will promote rapid cooling and premature solidification and w result in either a co shut during pouring inadequate feeding , the boss, causing shrinkage defects. Alternately, large ribs will add the weight of the casting. Hence, ribs should be dimensioned properly to satisfy structural integrity while allowing castability.

Figure 4 shows an example of a casting that has an isolated boss connected with three ribs. The ribs provide sufficient structural rigidity and size to feed the boss, but insufficient size to allow prop feeding of the boss. As a result, solidification shrinkage can occur on the boss, resulting in a casting defect. [FIGURE 4 OMITTED] A potential solution is to redistribute the central rib onto two side ribs This would eliminate the central rib while increasing the size of the side ribs by one hall of the central rib. This modification would not affect structural integrity, as the part would function as originally intended. However the size of the ribs will now allow proper feeding of the boss and eliminate shrinkage related defects. 1 2 3 Next Page