Squeeze Casting

The process is suitable for components with relatively thick wall sections with high mechanical properties, as for example required of safety components in automotive engineering. The cast components can be welded and heattreated, and they can be produced with near net shape. Aluminum alloys can be used which are difficult or impossible to produce by standard die casting.

Buhler selectively utilizes the advantages of the horizontal shot sleeve system.
Advantages using Buhler machines

• The velocity and pressure intensification profile matched to the component geometry can be programmed in very many discrete steps. Real time control maintains these parameters constant.
• Depending on the type of shot unit selected, it is possible to generate high pressure intensification values during the solidification phase.

Your benefits
• Low capital investment, as no special-purpose machines are required.
• Entering of future-oriented market segments using existing SC machines.
• Low maintenance and training requirements thanks to unified machine and die ranges.

Ceramic Mold Casting

The manufacturing process of ceramic mold casting is like the process of plaster mold casting but can cast materials at much higher temperatures. Instead of using plaster to create the mold for the metal casting, ceramic casting uses refractory ceramics for a mold material. In industry, parts such as machining cutters, dies for metalworking, metal molds, and impellers may be manufactured by this process.

Process

The first step in manufacture by ceramic mold casting is to combine the material for the mold. A mixture of fine grain zircon (ZrSiO₄), aluminum oxide, fused silica, bonding agents, and water, creates a ceramic slurry . This slurry is poured over the casting pattern and let set. The pattern is then removed and the mold is left to dry. The mold is then fired. The firing will burn off any unwanted material and make the mold hardened and rigid. The mold may also need to be baked in a furnace as well. The firing of the mold produces a network of microscopic cracks in the mold material. These cracks give the ceramic mold both good permeability and collapsibility for the metal casting process.



Once prepared, the two halves of the mold are assembled for the pouring of the metal casting. The two halves,(cope and drag section), may be backed up with fireclay material for additional mold strength. Often in manufacturing industry, the ceramic mold will be preheated prior to pouring the molten metal. The metal casting is poured, and let solidify. In ceramic mold casting, like in other expendable mold processes, the ceramic mold is destroyed in the removal of the metal casting.

Properties And Considerations Of Manufacturing By Ceramic Mold Casting

• Manufacturing by ceramic mold casting is similar to plaster mold casting in that it can produce parts with thin sections, excellent surface finish, and high dimensional accuracy. Manufacturing tolerances between .002 and .010 inches are possible with this process.
  


• To be able to cast parts with high dimensional accuracy eliminates the need for machining, and the scrap that would be produced by machining. Therefore precision metal casting processes like this are efficient to cast precious metals, or materials that would be difficult to machine.
  


• Unlike the mold material in the plaster metal casting process, the refractory mold material in ceramic casting can withstand extremely elevated temperatures. Due to this heat tolerance, the ceramic casting process can be used to manufacture ferrous and other high melting point metal casting materials. Stainless steels and tool steels can be cast with this process.
  


• Ceramic mold casting is relatively expensive.
  


• The long preparation time of the mold makes manufacturing production rates for this process slow.
  


• Unlike in plaster mold casting, the ceramic mold has excellent permeability due to the microcrazing, (production of microscopic cracks), that occurs in the firing of the ceramic mold.

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Plaster Mold Casting

Plaster mold casting is a manufacturing process having a similar technique to sand casting. Plaster of Paris is used to form the mold for the casting, instead of sand. In industry parts such as valves, tooling, gears, and lock components may be manufactured by plaster mold casting.

The Process

Initially plaster of Paris is mixed with water just like in the first step of the formation of any plaster part. In the next step of the manufacture of a plaster casting mold, the plaster of Paris and water are then mixed with various additives such as talc and silica flour. The additives serve to control the setting time of the plaster and improve its strength. The plaster of Paris mixture is then poured over the casting pattern. The slurry must sit for about 20 minutes before it sets enough to remove the pattern. The pattern used for this type of metal casting manufacture should be made from plastic or metal. Since it will experience prolonged exposure to water from the plaster mix, wood casting patterns have a tendency to warp. After striping the pattern, the mold must be baked for several hours, to remove the moisture and become hard enough to pour the metal casting. The two halves of the mold are then assembled for the casting process.

Properties and Considerations of Manufacturing by Plaster Mold Casting

• When baking the casting mold just the right amount of water should be left in the mold material. Too much moisture in the mold can cause metal casting defects, but if the mold is too dehydrated, it will lack adequate strength.
  


• The fluid plaster slurry flows readily over the pattern, making an impression of great detail and surface finish. Also due to the low thermal conductivity of the mold material the casting will solidify slowly creating more uniform grain structure and mitigating casting warping. The qualities of the plaster mold enable the process to manufacture parts with excellent surface finish, thin sections, and produces high geometric accuracy.
  

Castings of high detail and section thickness as low as .04 - .1 inch, (2.5 - 1 mm), are possible when manufacturing by plaster mold casting

• There is a limit to the casting materials that may be used for this type of manufacturing process, due to the fact that a plaster mold will not withstand temperature above 2200F (1200C). Higher melting point metals can not be cast in plaster. This process is typically used in industry to manufacture castings made from aluminum, magnesium, zinc, and copper based alloys.
  


• Manufacturing production rates for this type of metal casting process are relatively slow, due to the long preparation time of the mold.
  


• The plaster mold is not permeable, which severely limits the escape of gases from the casting. 

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Green Sand Molding

The most common method used to make metal castings is green sand molding. In this process, granular refractory sand is coated with a mixture of bentonite clay, water and, in some cases, other additives. The additives help to harden and hold the mold shape to withstand the pressures of the molten metal.
The green sand mixture is compacted through mechanical force or by hand around a pattern to create a mold. The mechanical force can be induced by slinging, jolting, squeezing or by impact/impulse.
The following points should be taken into account when considering the green sand molding process:

• for many metal applications, green sand processes are the most cost-effective of all metal forming operations;
• these processes readily lend themselves to automated systems for high-volume work as well as short runs and prototype work;
• in the case of slinging, manual jolt or squeeze molding to form the mold, wood or plastic pattern materials can be used. High-pressure, high-density molding methods almost always require metal pattern equipment;
• high-pressure, high-density molding normally produces a well-compacted mold, which yields better surface finishes, casting dimensions and tolerances;
• the properties of green sand are adjustable within a wide range, making it possible to use this process with all types of green sand molding equipment and for a majority of alloys poured.

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Permanent Mold Casting

Permanent mold casting is a metal casting process that shares similarities to both sand casting and die casting. As in sand casting, molten metal is poured into a mold which is clamped shut until the material cools and solidifies into the desired part shape. However, sand casting uses an expendable mold which is destroyed after each cycle. Permanent mold casting, like die casting, uses a metal mold (die) that is typically made from steel or cast iron and can be reused for several thousand cycles. Because the molten metal is poured into the die and not forcibly injected, permanent mold casting is often referred to as gravity die casting.

Permanent mold casting is typically used for high-volume production of small, simple metal parts with uniform wall thickness. Non-ferrous metals are typically used in this process, such as aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, and copper alloys. However, irons and steels can also be cast using graphite molds. Common permanent mold parts include gears and gear housings, pipe fittings, and other automotive and aircraft components such as pistons, impellers, and wheels.

The permanent mold casting process consists of the following steps:

1. Mold preparation - First, the mold is pre-heated to around 300-500°F (150-260°C) to allow better metal flow and reduce defects. Then, a ceramic coating is applied to the mold cavity surfaces to facilitate part removal and increase the mold lifetime.
2. Mold assembly - The mold consists of at least two parts - the two mold halves and any cores used to form complex features. Such cores are typically made from iron or steel, but expendable sand cores are sometimes used. In this step, the cores are inserted and the mold halves are clamped together.
3. Pouring - The molten metal is poured at a slow rate from a ladle into the mold through a sprue at the top of the mold. The metal flows through a runner system and enters the mold cavity.
4. Cooling - The molten metal is allowed to cool and solidify in the mold.
5. Mold opening - After the metal has solidified, the two mold halves are opened and the casting is removed.
6. Trimming - During cooling, the metal in the runner system and sprue solidify attached to the casting. This excess material is now cut away.

Permanent Mold Casting

Using these basic steps, other variations on permanent mold casting have been developed to accommodate specific applications. Examples of these variations include the following:

• Slush Casting - As in permanent mold casting, the molten metal is poured into the mold and begins to solidify at the cavity surface. When the amount of solidified material is equal to the desired wall thickness, the remaining slush (material that has yet to completely solidify) is poured out of the mold. As a result, slush casting is used to produce hollow parts without the use of cores.
• Low Pressure Permanent Mold Casting - Instead of being poured, the molten metal is forced into the mold by low pressure air (< 1 bar). The application of pressure allows the mold to remain filled and reduces shrinkage during cooling. Also, finer details and thinner walls can be molded.
• Vacuum Permanent Mold Casting - Similar to low pressure casting, but vacuum pressure is used to fill the mold. As a result, finer details and thin walls can be molded and the mechanical properties of the castings are improved.