Different types of Castings defects

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A properly designed casting, a properly prepared mould and correctly malted metal should result in a defect free casting. However, if proper control is not exercised in the foundry-sometimes it is too expensive - a variety of defects may result in a casting.


These defects may be the result of:
(a) improper pattern design,
(b) improper mould and core construction,
(c) improper melting practice,
(d) improper pouring practice and
(e) Because of molding and core making materials.
(f) Improper gating system
(g) Improper metal composition
(h) Inadequate melting temp and rate of pouring
It creates a deficiency or imperfection.

Exceeding quality limits imposed by design and service casting defects are mainly 3 categories. These are:

(1) Major or most severe defects
(2) Intermediate defects
(3) Minor defects

Surface defects:

Due to design and quality of sand molds and general cause is poor ramming.

Blow:

Blow is relatively large cavity produced by gases which displace molten metal form.

blow casting defect


 Scar:

Due to improper permeability or venting.A scare is a shallow blow. It generally occurs on flat surf; whereas a blow occurs on a convex casting surface. A blister is a shallow blow like a scar with thin layer of metal covering it,

casting defect


Scab:

This defect occurs when a portion of the face of a mould lifts or breaks down and the recess thus made is filled by metal. When the metal is poured into the cavity, gas may be disengaged with such violence as to break up the sand which is then washed away and the resulting cavity filled with metal. The reasons can be: - to fine sand, low permeability of sand, high moisture content of sand and uneven moulds ramming.


Drop:

Drop or crush in a mould is an irregularly shaped projection on the cope surface of a casting. This defect is caused by the break-away of a part of mould sand as a result of weak packing of the mould, low strength of the molding sand, malfunctioning of molding equipment, strong jolts and strikes at the flask when assembling the mould.
The loose sand that falls into the cavity will also cause a dirty casting surface, either on the top or bottom surface of the casting, depending upon the relative densities of the sand and the liquid.

Penetration:

It is a strong crust of fused sand on the surface of a casting which results from insufficient refractoriness of molding materials, a large content of impurities, inadequate mould packing and poor quality of mould washes. 
When the molten metal is poured into the mould cavity, at those places when the sand packing is inadequate, some metal will flow between the sand particles for a distance into the mould wall and get solidified. When the casting is removed, this lump of metal remains attached to the casting. Of course, it can be removed afterwards by chipping or grinding.


Buckle:

A buckle is a long, fairly shallow, broad, vee depression that occurs in the surface of flat castings. It extends in a fairly straight line across the entire flat surface.
It results due to the sand expansion caused by the heat of the metal, when the sand has insufficient hot deformation. It also results from poor casting design providing too large a flat surface in the mold cavity.  
Buckling is prevented by mixing cereal or wood flour to sand.

Internal defects:

Blow holes:

Blow holes, gas holes or gas cavities are well rounded cavities having a clean and smooth surface. They appear either on the casting surface or in the body of a casting.
These defects occur when an excessive evolved gas is not able to flow through the mould. So, it collects into a bubble at the high points of a mould cavity ad prevents the liquid metal from filling that space. 
This will result in open blows. Closed, cavities or gas holes are formed when the evolved gases or the dissolved gases in the molten metal are not able to leave the m ass of the molten metal as it solidifies and get trapped within the casting.
These defects are caused by : 
i) excessive moisture content (in the case of green sand moulds) or organic content of the sand, moisture on chills, chaplets or metal inserts, 
ii) inadequate gas permeability of the molding sand (due to fine grain size of sand, high clay content, hard ramming), 
iii) poor venting of mould, insufficient drying of mould and cores, cores not properly vented, high gas content of the molten metal, 
iv) low pouring temperature and incorrect feeding of the casting etc.

Pin holes:

Pin holes are small gas holes either at the surface or just below the surface. When these are present, they occur in large numbers and are fairly uniformly dispersed over the surface. 

This defect occurs due to gas dissolved in the alloy and the alloy not properly degassed.

Visible defects:

Wash:

A cut or wash is a low; projection on the drag face of a casting that extends along the surface, decreasing in height as it extends from one side of the casting to the other end. 
It usually occurs with bottom gating castings in which the molding sand has insufficient hot strength, and when too much metal is made to flow through one gate into the mold cavity,

Rat tail:

A rat tail is a long, shallow, angular depression in the surface of a flat rating and resembles a buckle, except that, it is not shaped like a broad vee. 

The reasons for this defect are the same for buckle.

Hot tear:

Hot tears are hot cracks which appear in the form of irregular crevices with a dark oxidized fracture surface. They arise when the solidifying met does not have sufficient strength to resist tensile forces produced during solidification. 
They are chiefly from an excessively high temperature of casting metal, increased metal contraction incorrect design of the gating system and casting on the whole (causing portions of the casting to be restrained from shrinking freely during cooling which in turn causes excessive high intern resistance stresses), poor deformability of the cores, and non-uniform cooling which gives rise t internal stresses. This defect can be avoided by improving the design of the casting and by having a mould of low hot strength and large hot deformation.

Shrinkage:

A shrinkage cavity is a depression or an internal void in a casting that results from the volume contraction that occurs during solidification.

Swell:

A swell is a slight, smooth bulge usually found on vertical faces of castings, resulting from liquid metal pressure. It may be due to low strength of mould because of too high a water content or when the mould is not rammed sufficiently.

Shift:

Mold shift refers to a defect caused by a sidewise displacement of the mold cope relative to the drag, the result of which is a step in the cast product at the parting line.
Core shift is similar to mold shift, but it is the core that is displaced, and (he dis-placement is usually vertical. Core shift and mold shift are caused by buoyancy of the molten metal 


misrun or cold sheet or short run casting defect

Misrun or cold sheet or short run:

This defect is incomplete cavity filling. The reasons can be: - inadequate metal supply, too- low mould or melt temperature, improperly designed gates, .or length to thickness ratio of the casting is too large. When molten metal is flowing from one side in a thin section, it may loose sufficient heat resulting in loss of its fluidity, such that the leading edge of the stream may freeze before it reaches the end of the cavity.


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Different types of patterns used in casting

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Pattern: 

mold patterns
A replica of the  the final casting, used to form the mold cavity.        
A pattern is an element used for making cavities in the mould, into which molten metal is poured to produce a casting. It is not an exact replica of the casting desired.
There are certain essential differences. It is slightly larger than the desired casting, due to the various allowances (shrinkage allowance, machining allowance etc.).

Pattern materials:


1.     Wood:

Advantages:
1.       Light in weight
2.       Comparatively inexpensive
3.       Good workability
4.       Lends itself to gluing and joining
5.       Holds well varnishes and paints
6.       Can be repaired easily
                                Disadvantages:
1.       Inherently non uniform in structure
2.       Posses poor wear and abrasion resistance
3.       Can not withstand rough handling
4.       Absorbs and gives off moisture, so that it varies in volume, wraps and thus changes its mechanical properties

2.      Metals:  

Advantages:
1.       More durable and accurate in size than wooden patterns
2.       Have a smooth surface
3.       Do not deform in storage
4.       Are resistant to wear, abrasion, corrosion and swelling
5.       Can withstand rough handling
                                Disadvantages:
1.       Expensive as compared to wood
2.       Not easily repaired
3.       Heavier than wooden patterns
4.       Ferrous patterns can get rusted
The common metals used for pattern making are:
1.       Cast iron
2.       Brass
3.       Aluminum
4.       White metal

3.     Plaster gypsum cement


4.     Plastic compound

Advantages:
1.       Facilitates the production process.
2.       Makes it more economical in cost and labor.
3.       Plastic patterns are highly resistant to corrosion, lighter and stronger than wood patterns.
4.       Molding sand sticks less to plastics than to wood.
5.       No moisture absorption.
6.       Smooth surface of patterns.
7.       Plastic patterns are Strong. And so they are dimensionally stable.

5. Wax

Wax is the best material for surface finish. 


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Casting - The basic steps of casting and its applications

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What is Casting : 

Casting is one of the most ancient processes of manufacturing metallic components. Also with few exceptions  it is the first step of manufacturing metallic components.

The Basic steps of casting 



1.       Melting the metal.
2.       Pouring it into a previously made mould or cavity which conforms to the shape of the desired component.
3.       Allowing the molten metal to cool and solidify in the mould.
4.       Removing the solidified component from the mould, cleaning it and subjecting it to further treatment, if necessary.     
               

Applications of casting process :


(a)    automobile engine blocks, cylinder blocks of automobile
(b)   airplane engines, pistons’ and piston rings,
(c)    Machine tool beds and frames, mill rolls,
(d)   Water supply and sewer pipes, sanitary fittings and agricultural parts etc.

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Flux shielded metal arc welding process principle

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In the flux shielded metal arc welding process coalescence is produced from the electric arc. Here the electric arc is produced between the workpiece and the electrode. Here is to mention that the electrode is coated by flux to prevent oxide formation. In other other words the coating prevents contamination from the environment.
This coating also helps in performing stability and weld metal protection. The electrode also works as a filler material.


Principle of the process 

Flux shielded metal arc welding


In this process heat needed for welding is obtained from the electric arc created between a coated electrode and the workpiece.  The arc temperature can be increased or decreased by employing higher or lower arc currents as a result the arc heat is also can be controlled. A high current with  a very small arc length can give very intense heat.
The arc melts the electrode and the job. Material from the filler rod or electrode are transferred to the job, through the arc and are deposited along the weld joint. The flux coating melts, produces a gaseous shield and slag to prevent atmospheric contamination of the molten metal.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Submerged Arc Welding

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Advantages of Submerged Arc Welding

1. Molten flux provides very suitable conditions for high current to flow. Great intensities of heat can be generated and kept concentrated to weld thicker sections with deep penetrations.

2. Because of high heat concentration, considerably higher welding speeds can be caused.

3. Because of high heat concentration and high welding speeds weld distortion is much less.

4. High metal deposition rates cane be achieved. Single pass welds can be made in thick plates with normal equipment.

5. Welding is carried out without sparks, smoke, flash or spatter.

6. Weld metal deposit possesses uniformity, good ductility, corrosion resistance and good impact strenght.

7. Very neat appearance and smooth weld shapes can be got.

8. The submerged process can be used for welding in exposed areas with relatively high winds.

9. Practically, no edge preparation is necessary for materials under 12 mm in thickness.

Disadvantages of Submerged Arc Welding


1. Since the operator cannot see the welding being carried out, he cannot judge the progress of welding accurately. Therefore accessories like jigs and fixtures, pointers, light beam focusing devices or roller guides may be used for proper welding at the joint.

2. The flux needs replacing of the same on the joint which is not always possible.

3. The progress is limited to welding in flat position and on the metal more than 4.8 mm thick. In small thicknesses burn through is likely to occur.

4. The process requires edge preparation and accurate fit up on the joint. Otherwise the flux may spill through the gap and arc may burn the workpiece edges.

5. Flux is subjected to contamination that may cause weld porosity.

6. Weld metal chemistry is difficult to control. A change in welding variables especially when using alloyed fluxes may affect weld metal composition adversely.

7. Cast iron, Al alloys, Mg alloys, Pb and Zn cannot be welded by this process.

submerged arc welding


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Enthalpy and Entropy and Internal energy

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Internal energy in thermodynamics 

Internal energy is defined as the sum of microscopic energies of all the molecules of a system which may appear in several complex forms. These forms may include 

  • Inter-molecular potential energy, associated with   forces between the molecules. 
  • Molecular K.E associated with transitional and rotational velocity of each molecules.
  • Intra molecular energy within the molecular/atomic structures and related forces. 
Internal energy is primarily and function of temperature. The term internal energy was first used    by Rudolph  Clausius And William Rankin in 1852. 

Enthalpy  

Definition of Enthalpy

Enthalpy is mathematical combination of internal energy and pressure energy of the fluid. It is expressed as H= U + pV in extensive or h= u+pv in intensive forms. Common expression in S.I system has a unit of kJ/kg (intensive). 
Enthalpy was introduced by German scientist R.Mollier, who is also famous for the Mollier charts expressing properties of stem. Initially he was Enthalpy was called Heat content. 

Entropy 

Definition of entropy : 

Entropy (S.s) represents the disorder of uncertainty of microscopic level, even yet it is used as a property at macroscopic level. Entropy is specified for every equilibrium state of a pure substance. Entropy is also mainly a function of temperature. In 1865 Rudolph Clausius first introduced the term entropy.

I hope understand the difference between enthalpy and entropy. Don't get confused. Try to understand Enthalpy vs. Entropy.
Entropy


These three properties mentioned are more like mathematical entities having important physical significance. We are more interested in changes of these properties  i.e. ds. du etc. rather than individual values which may depend on reference of calculation.
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Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) or MIG Welding

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Gas Metal Arc Welding is generally known  as MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding.  Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding is a commonly used high deposition rate welding process.  Wire is continuously supplied from a spool.  MIG welding is known to as a semiautomatic welding process.

Principle of Operation

Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) or MIG Welding
Gas and water flow are checked again and again before catching the fire (igniting). Proper current and wire feed speed is set and the electrical connections are ensured. There are two methods to struck the arc. 
In the first method current is passing and shielding gas is switched on to flow. Now the electrode is scratched against the job like normal practice for striking the arc. 
In the second method, electrode touches the job, retracted and then   moved forward to carry out the welding;  before striking the arc, shielding gas, water and current is switched on. About 15 mm length of the electrode is out of the torch before striking the arc. During welding, torch remains about 10-12 mm the job and length should be between 1.5 to 4 mm. Arc length is maintained constant by using t self-adjusted arc, and self-controlled arc in semi-automatic (manually operated) and automatic welding sets respectively.
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