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WHITE PAPER Selecting Metalcasting Processes and Alloys For Optimum Component Design and Production www.afsinc.org

Selecting Metalcasting Processes and Alloys for Optimum

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Page 1: Selecting Metalcasting Processes and Alloys for Optimum

W H I T E P A P E R

Selecting Metalcasting Processes and Alloys For Optimum

Component Design and Production

www.afsinc.org

Page 2: Selecting Metalcasting Processes and Alloys for Optimum

Selecting Metalcasting Processes and AlloysFor Optimum Component Design and ProductionThe versatility of metalcasting allows designers to choose from a large number of processes and materials toachieve the right combination for optimized success. However, it is essential for designers to understand the rela-tionship of processes and alloys in order to unleash the power of metalcasting to create effective components.

Molding processes can be broken into four general categories, each of which has several specific methods for met-alcasting:

• sand casting processes; • ceramic processes;• permanent mold processes; • rapid prototyping.

The principal metalcasting alloy families are iron, steel, aluminum, copper, magnesium and zinc. The Casting ProcessMatrix on page 12 provides a summary of the alloys that can be used with each process, along with a comparisonof the primary characteristics for each process.

Each process offers advantages when matched with the proper alloy and application. Considerations when review-ing these processes and alloys to determine the most applicable method include:

• required surface quality; • cost of making the mold(s);• required dimensional accuracy; • how the selected casting process will affect casting design.• type of pattern/corebox equipment;

Figure 1 provides a comparisonof the tolerances and castingsize possibilities using moldingand casting processes.

This White Paper provides anoverview of the most com-mon casting processes, aswell as examining key charac-teristics of the six most com-monly used alloy groups.Additional in-depth informa-tion about casting processesand alloy characteristics isavailable in the AFS CastingSource Directory, or online inthe “About Metalcasting” sec-tion of the AFS website:www.afsinc.org.

Armed with this basic infor-mation, engineers and design-ers can make initial processchoices or refine their selec-tion using online tools, suchas the Metalcasting Design.comCasting and Alloy ProcessSelector (CAPS) found at: www.metalcastingdesign.com.

SAND CASTING PROCESSES

Sand casting is one of the most prevalent methods of metalcasting, encompassing several different techniques.When granular refractory materials, such as silica, olivine, chromite or zircon sands, are used, the mold must be:

• strong enough to sustain the weight of the molten metal;

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Fig. 1. A comparison of the various molding and casting processes inregard to tolerances and casting size can provide designers with an initialassessment of the most appropriate casting process.The data is providedas a guideline; the actual tolerances achieved can vary depending on themetalcasting facility’s capabilities.

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• constructed to permit any gases formed within the mold or mold cavity to escape into the air;• resistant to the erosive action of molten metal during pouring and the high heat of the metal until

the casting is solid;• collapsible enough to permit the metal to contract without undue restraint during solidification;• able to cleanly strip away from the casting after it has sufficiently cooled;• economical, since large amounts of refractory material are used.

Green Sand Molding

The most common method used to make metal castings is green sand molding. In this process, granular refractorysand is coated with a mixture of bentonite clay, water and, in some cases, other additives. The additives help toharden and hold the mold shape to withstand the pressures of the molten metal.

The green sand mixture is compacted by hand or through mechanical force around a pattern to create a mold.Themechanical 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.

Chemically Bonded Molding Systems

This category of sand casting processes is widely used throughout the metalcasting industry because of its economics and improved productivity. Each chemically-bonded molding process uses a unique chemical binder and catalyst to cure and harden the mold and/or core. Some processes require heat to facilitate the curing mechanism;others do not.

Gas Catalyzed or Coldbox Systems — Coldbox systems utilize a family of binders where the catalyst is notadded to the sand mixture.The sand-resin mixture is blown into a corebox to compact the sand, and a catalyticgas or vapor is permeated through the sand mixture, where the catalyst reacts with the resin component, hard-ening the sand mixture almost instantly. Any sand mixture that has not come into contact with the catalyst is stillcapable of being cured, so many small cores can be produced from a large batch of mixed sand.

Several coldbox processes exist, including phenolic urethane/amine vapor, furan/SO2, acrylic/SO2 and sodium silicate/CO2. In general, coldbox processes offer:

• good dimensional accuracy because the cores are cured without the use of heat;• excellent casting surface finish;• excellent characteristics for high-production runs since production cycles are short;• excellent core and mold shelf life.

Shell Process — In this process, sand is pre-coated with a phenolic novalac resin containing a hexamethylenetet-ramine catalyst.The resin-coated sand is dumped, blown or shot into a metal corebox or over a metal pattern thathas been heated to 450-650F (232-343C). Shell molds are made in halves that are glued or clamped togetherbefore pouring. Cores, on the other hand, can be made whole, or, in the case of complicated applications, can bemade of multiple pieces glued together.

Benefits of the shell process include:• an excellent core or mold surface, resulting in good casting finish;• good dimensional accuracy in the casting because of mold rigidity;• storage for indefinite periods of time, which improves just-in-time delivery;

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• high-volume production;• selection of refractory material other than silica for specialty applications;• savings in material usage through hollow cores and thin shell molds.

Nobake or Airset Systems — In order to improve productivity and eliminate the need for heat or gassing to curemold and core binders, a series of resin systems referred to as nobake or airset binders was developed.

In these systems, sand is mixed with one or two liquid resin components and a liquid catalyst component. As soonas the resin(s) and catalyst combine, a chemical reaction begins to harden (cure) the binder.The curing time canbe lengthened or shortened based on the amount of catalyst used and the temperature of the refractory sand.

The mixed sand is placed against the pattern or into the corebox. Although the sand mixtures have good flowa-bility, some form of compaction (usually vibration) is used to provide densification of the sand in the mold/core.After a period of time, the core/mold has cured sufficiently to allow stripping from the corebox or pattern without distortion.The cores/molds are then allowed to sit and thoroughly cure. After curing, they can accept arefractory wash or coating that provides a better surface finish on the casting and protects the sand in the moldfrom the heat and erosive action of the molten metal as it enters the mold cavity.

The nobake process provides positive features, such as:• the capability to use wood, and in some cases, plastic patterns and coreboxes.• good casting dimensional tolerances due to the rigidity of the mold;• good casting finishes;• typically easy shakeout (the separation of the casting from the mold after solidification is complete);• the abiliy to store cores and molds indefinitely.

Unbonded Sand Processes

Unlike the sand casting processes that use various binders to hold the sand grains together, two unique processesuse unbonded sand as the molding media. These include the lost foam process and the less common V-Process.

Lost Foam Casting — In this process, the pattern is made of expendable polystyrene (EPS) beads. For high-pro-duction runs, the patterns can be made by injecting EPS beads into a die and bonding them together using a heatsource, usually steam. For shorter runs, pattern shapes are cut from sheets of EPS using conventional woodwork-ing equipment and then assembled with glue. In either case, internal passageways in the casting, if needed, are notformed by conventional sand cores but are part of the mold itself.

The polystyrene pattern is coated with a refractory coating, which covers both the external and internal surfaces.With the gating and risering system attached to the pattern, the assembly is suspended in a one-piece flask,which is then placed onto a compaction or vibrating table. As the dry, unbonded sand is poured into the flask and pattern, the compaction and vibratory forces cause the sand to flow and densify. The sand flows around thepattern and into the internal passageways of the pattern.

As the molten metal is poured into the mold, it replaces the EPS pattern, which vaporizes. After the castingsolidifies, the unbonded sand is dumped out of the flask, leaving the casting with an attached gating system.

With larger castings, the coated pattern is covered with a facing of chemically bonded sand. The facing sand is thenbacked up with more chemically bonded sand.

The lost foam process offers the following advantages:• no casting size limitations;• improved casting surface finish due to the pattern’s refractory coating;• no fins around coreprints or parting lines;• in most cases, separate cores are not needed;• excellent dimensional tolerances.

V-Process — In the V-Process, the cope and drag halves of the mold are formed separately by heating a thin plasticfilm to its deformation point. It is then vacuum-formed over a pattern on a hollow carrier plate.

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The process uses dry, free-flowing, unbonded sand to fill the special flask set over the film-coated pattern. Slightvibration compacts the fine grain sand to its maximum bulk density. The flask is then covered with a second plasticsheet.The vacuum is drawn on the flask, and the sand between the two sheets becomes rigid.

The cope and drag then are assembled to form a plastic-lined mold cavity. Sand hardness is maintained by holdingthe vacuum within the mold halves at 300-600 mm/Hg. As molten metal is poured into the mold, the plastic filmmelts and is replaced immediately by the metal. After the metal solidifies and cools, the vacuum is released andthe sand falls away.

PERMANENT MOLD CASTING

At least three families of molding and casting processes can be categorized as permanent mold processes.These include diecasting low-pressure permanent mold casting and permanent mold casting. Unlike sand casting processes, in which a mold is destroyed after pouring to remove the casting, permanent mold casting uses the moldrepeatedly.

Diecasting — Diecasting is used to produce small- to medium-sized castings at high-production rates.The metalmolds are coated with a mold surface coating and preheated before being filled with molten metal. Premeasuredamounts of molten metal are forced from a shot chamber into the permanent mold or die under extreme pres-sure (greater than 15,000 psi).

Castings of varying weights and sizes can be produced. Nearly all die castings are produced in nonferrous alloyswith limited amounts of cast iron and steel castings produced in special applications.

Die castings and the diecasting process are suitable for a wide variety of applications in which high part volumesare needed. Benefits include:

• excellent mechanical properties and surface finish;• dimensional tolerances of 0.005-0.01 in.;• recommended machining allowances of 0.01-0.03 in.;• thin-section castings.

Permanent Mold Casting (Gravity Diecasting) — Another form of permanent mold casting is when the moltenmetal is poured into the mold, either directly or by tilting the mold into a vertical position. In this process, themold is made in two halves from cast iron or steel. If cores are to be used, they can be metal inserts, which operatemechanically in the mold, or sand cores, which are placed in the molds before closing (semi-permanent molding).

The mold halves are preheated, and the internal surfaces are coated with a refractory. If static pouring is to beused, the molds are closed and set into the vertical position for pouring; thus, the parting line is in the vertical posi-tion. In tilt pouring, the mold is closed and placed in the horizontal position at which point molten metal is pouredinto a cup(s) attached to the mold. The mold then is tilted to the vertical position, allowing the molten metal toflow out of the cup(s) into the mold cavity.

The various permanent mold techniques—static pour and tilt pour— offer a variety of advantages for a range ofmetalforming applications. Benefits include:

• superior mechanical properties because the metal mold acts as a chill;• uniform casting shape and excellent dimensional tolerances because molds are made of metal;• excellent surface finishes;• high-production runs;• the ability to selectively insulate or cool sections of the mold, which helps control the solidification

and improves overall casting properties.

Low-Pressure and/or Vacuum Permanent Mold Casting (LPPM) — In this process, low pressure is used to pushthe molten metal (and/or a vacuum is used to draw the metal) into the mold through a riser tube, as the furnace is below the mold cavity. The amount of pressure, from 3-15 psi, depends on the casting configuration andthe quality of the casting desired.When internal passageways are required, they can be made by either mechani-cally actuated metal inserts or sand cores. The goal of this process is to control the molten metal flow as muchas possible to ensure a tranquil fill of the mold cavity.

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Nearly all of the LPPM castings produced are made of aluminum, other light alloys and, to a lesser extent, somecopper-base alloys. Because it is a highly controllable process, LPPM offers the following advantages:

• when molten metal is fed directly into the casting, excellent yields are realized, and the need for additional handwork is reduced;

• odd casting configurations and tooling points for machining can be placed in areas where gates and risers normally would be placed;

• the solidification rate in various sec-tions of the casting can be controlled through selective heating or cooling of the mold sections, thus offering excellent casting properties;

• surface finish is good to excellent.

CERAMIC & PLASTER PROCESSES

This family of casting processes is unique in its use of ceramic and plaster as molding media.The processes offera high degree of precision in regard to dimensions, as well as excellent surface finishes.

Investment Casting — The investment casting process was one of the first processes used to produce metal castings. The process has been described as the lost wax process, precision casting and investment casting. The latter name generally has been accepted to distinguish the present industrial process from artistic, medical and jewelry applications.

The basic steps of the investment casting process are:1. Production of heat-disposable wax or plastic patterns;2. Assembly of those patterns onto a gating system;3. “Investment,” or covering of the pattern assembly with ceramic to produce a monolithic mold;4. Melting of the wax pattern assembly to leave a precise mold cavity;5. Firing of the ceramic mold to remove the last traces of the pattern material while developing the

high-temperature bond and preheat-ing the mold for casting;6. Pouring;7. Knockout, cutoff and finishing.

The patterns are produced in dies via injection molding. For the most part, the patterns are made of wax;however, some patterns are made of plastic or polystyrene. Because the tooling cost for individual wax patterns ishigh, investment casting normally is used when high volumes are required.When cores are required, they are madeof soluble wax or ceramic materials.

The ceramic shell is built around a pattern/gating assembly by repeatedly dipping the “tree” into a thin refractoryslurry. After dipping, a refractory aggregate, such as silica, zircon or aluminum silicate sand, is rained over the wet slurry coating. After each dipping and stuccoing is completed, the assembly is allowed to thoroughly dry beforethe next coating is applied. Thus, a shell is built up around the assembly. The required thickness of this shell depends on the size of the castings and temperature of the metal to be poured. After the ceramic shell iscomplete, the entire assembly is placed into an autoclave oven to melt and remove most of the wax.

The majority of investment castings weigh less than 5 lbs., but larger castings in the 10-30 lb. range are becomingmore common. Castings weighing up to 800 lbs. have been poured in this process. Some of the advantages ofinvestment casting include:

• excellent surface finishes;• tight dimensional tolerances;• machining elimination or reduction;• ability to produce titanium castings, as well as the other superalloys.

Ceramic Molding — Generally, these processes employ a mixture of graded refractory fillers that are blended toa slurry consistency. Various refractory materials can be used as filler material. The slurry then is poured over apattern that has been placed in a container.

First, a gel is formed in a pattern and stripped from the mold.The mold then is heated to a high temperature untilrigid. After the mold cools, molten metal is poured into it, with or without preheating.

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The ceramic molding processes have proven effective with smaller castings in short- and medium-volume runs. Atthe same time, these processes offer castings with excellent surface finish and good dimensional tolerances.

Plaster Molding — Plaster molding is used to produce castings of the lower melting temperature metals, such asaluminum alloys. In the process, a slurry containing calcium sulfate, sometimes called gypsum, is poured into a flaskthat contains the pattern. After the slurry has set, the pattern and flask are removed, and the drying cycle toremove the moisture from the mold begins.

After the mold has cooled, the cores and mold are assembled. After assembly, most molds are preheated beforepouring. Because these molds have very poor permeability in many cases, vacuum-assistance or pressure isrequired during pouring.

Plaster molding is well-suited to short run and prototype work.

RAPID PROTOTYPING

Rapid prototyping (RP) is a general name that encompasses numerous methods used to fabricate objects fromCAD data.A number of different RP processes are available, and new developments are constantly being made.

RP most commonly is used with investment casting, sand casting and plaster molding to produce actual cast partsto test for form, fit and function, as well as determine the approximate final properties of the cast parts.

Investment Casting—RP models for investment casting are created by converting a 3-D CAD model into a .STLfile. The file then is “printed” three-dimensionally using either photopolymer, thermopolymer, polystyrene or othermaterials, depending on the RP method. The prototype models then can be attached to a gating system andprocessed through typical investment casting to produce cast prototype parts.

Sand Casting—In sand casting, RP-generated parts can be used as patterns for fabricating a sand mold. RPprocesses that use a material similar to wood are common.The molds are created in a fraction of the time andthen affixed to the pattern board before sand is packed around to create half of a mold cavity.

To save even more time, RP processes can be used to directly fabricate molds and cores.These processes buildthe cores and molds layer-by-layer by fusing either polymer-bonded sand together or using a wide-area inkjet tobond the sand.The molds and cores also may be created by forming a block of sand and machining out the cavity.

Plaster Molding—RP often is used with plaster molding processes to circumvent or transition to the productionof hard tooling.This is accomplished by creating a rubber mold from an RP-generated pattern (similar to sand cast-ing). The rubber mold then is used to create plaster molds for casting production. Plaster casting often serves asa precursor to diecasting production while the hard tool is being made.

A final form of RP worth mentioning is the use of CNC machining to create individual parts, tooling or dies, or totake blocks of sand and machine them to create prototype sand molds.

ALLOY SELECTION

The choice of a casting process must be balanced with the selection of the correct alloy from one of the six majormetal groups used for metalcasting.The Casting Process Matrix on page 12 provides a summary of the alloys thatcan be used with each process. Alloy properties such as weight, strength, flexibility, heat tolerance and finish characteristics affect the component design and casting process. Detailed information about alloy characteristicsmay be found on the AFS website (www.afsinc.org) or at Metalcasting Design.com(www.metalcastingdesign.com).

Iron

Iron castings are produced by a variety of molding methods and are available with a wide range of properties. Castiron is a generic term that designates a family of metals.To achieve the best casting for a particular application atthe lowest cost consistent with the component’s requirements, it is necessary to have an understanding of the sixtypes of cast iron:

• gray iron; • malleable iron;• ductile iron; • white iron;• compacted graphite iron (CGI); • alloyed iron.

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Table 1 lists the typical composition ranges for common elements in five of the six generic types of cast iron. Theclassification for alloyed irons has a wide range of base compositions with major additions of other elements, suchas nickel, chromium, molybdenum or copper.

Table 1. Iron Specifications, Characteristics & Applications

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Steel

Steel castings have a variety of end-use applications that require a heavy-duty component. The castings are used inparts for railroad cars, pumps and valves, heavy trucks, construction and mining equipment and power generationequipment. A good steel casting application requires strength while utilizing the flexible geometry inherent in themetalcasting process. Steel castings offer high mechanical properties over a wide range of operating temperatures.Further, cast steel offers the mechanical properties of wrought steel and can be welded to produce multi-pieceparts, as well as large structures.

Cast steel alloys provide awide range of options.Withcast steel, engineers candesign components toincrease different perform-ance characteristics, such ascorrosion resistance andwear resistance throughalloying and heat treatment.Mechanical properties, suchas strength and elongation,also can be adjusted.

A material selection guidefor five major design appli-cations is shown in Fig. 2.This chart is meant to pro-vide some initial guidance,but it also is important toconsult with a metalcastingfacility to select the rightmaterial for each applica-tion. This is especially trueof higher-alloyed materials(outer rings in the figure).Other alloys maybe better,and the alloy and heat treat-ment can be tailored forspecific conditions.

Aluminum

Cast aluminum components are used for a wide range of functions, from decorative components, such as lightingfixtures, to highly engineered, safety-critical components for aerospace and automotive applications. There aremany different methods and alloys that can be used to produce cast aluminum components. The choice of alloy andcasting process will play a major role in the procurement process, affecting both component properties and cost.

Design engineers should begin the procurement process for cast parts by defining the three major factors that drivethe quality and cost:

• functionality (service requirements);• design (shape and size);• production quantity.

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Fig. 2. Design engineers may be aided by this chart depicting availablematerials for five major design applications.

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Copper

Cast copper alloys are known for their versatility. They are used in plumbing fixtures, ship propellers, power plantwater impellers and bushing and bearing sleeves because they are easily cast, have a long history of successful use,are readily available from a multitude of sources, can achieve a range of physical and mechanical properties and areeasily machined, brazed, soldered, polished or plated.

The choice of copper-base alloys and casting method (sand, permanent mold, die or investment casting) determinesthe mechanical and physical properties, section size, wall thickness and surface finish that can be achieved. Eachalloy and casting process combination results in a different set of properties. Table 3 provides a comparison of theproperties and typical applications for various copper-base alloys.

Table 2. The typical mechanical properties of common cast aluminum alloys and tempersbased on heat treatment cycles and casting processes

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Magnesium

Cast magnesium alloys have gained popularity in recent years due to their ability to maintain high strengths at lightweights. Magnesium possesses properties that can open the door to structural applications and has gained wide-spread use in automotive components. Non-automotive applications, spurred on by the computer, electronics andpower tool industries, continue to expand.

Magnesium has a density two-thirds that of aluminum and slightly higher than that of fiber-reinforced plastics andwhile maintaining a wide range of mechanical and physical properties. (Table 4) When coupled with the inherentadvantages of the metalcasting process, magnesium alloys can yield cost-effective solutions to product needs byallowing for part consolidation and weight savings over other materials and manufacturing methods. Because oftheir properties, magnesium alloys can provide a casting designer with several advantages over other light-weightalloys:

• weight;• damping capacity;• dimensional stability;• impact & dent resistance;• anti-galling.

Table 3. Properties and Applications of Cast Copper-Base Alloys

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Zinc

While traditionally focused inautomotive, hardware andplumbing markets, diecast zincalloys are used in place ofthermo-plastic parts by someconsumer product industries,such as communications, elec-tronics and home appliances.This growth is due primarilyto zinc’s ability to produce:

• complex shapes;• fine surface finish;• high mechanical

properties/low cost.

Zinc components range in sizefrom less than an ounce(termed miniature zinc casting)up to 6 lbs. Table 5 comparessome of the mechanical prop-erties of zinc alloys with othermaterials.

CONCLUSION

The large number of casting processes and alloys provides design engineers with a variety of choices for using metalcasting for parts ranging from diesel engine blocks weighing hundreds of pounds to miniature electronic components weighing a few ounces. However, choosing the right combination of casting processes and materialsis essential for design success.The Casting Process Matrix (Table 6) on the next page, provides a quick comparison ofthe considerations in choosing a casting process and alloy. Sources for additional information and details on each of the processes and alloy families described in this document are listed in the Resources section at the end of this paper.

Table 5. Comparison of Zinc Alloy Properties with Other Materials

Table 4. Typical Mechanical Properties of Magnesium at Room Temperature

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© American Foundry Society March 2009

Sand Plaster Permanent Lost Foam Investment Die

Tooling Low Low to moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate to high HighCost

Tooling Low to moderate Low Moderate Moderate Moderate to high HighLead-time

Casting Low to moderate Low to moderate Low to moderate Low to moderate Moderate to high LowCost

Casting Low to moderate Low Low to moderate Low to moderate Moderate Low to moderateLead-time

Finishing Moderate to high Moderate Moderate Moderate Low to moderate LowCost

Size Small to large Small to medium Small to medium Small to medium Very small to Very small to medium medium

Complexity Simple to moderate Simple to moderate Simple Simple to moderate Moderate to complex Simple to moderate

Thickness Down to .125" Down to .030" Down to .125" Down to .125" Down to .025" Down to .025" to .060" to .040"

Tolerances +/- .030" and <2 +/- .010" and +/- .015 first in, +/- .030 first in, +/- .010 first in, +/- .002 to >20 +/- .060" >18 +/- .040" +/- .003 in/in +/- .003 in/in +/- .003 in/in .014 in/in

Surface 300 typical, 90 typical, 100 to 250 125 or higher 10 to 80 64 typicalFinish 200 possible 63 possible(RMS)

Draft 2 degrees typical 1/2 to 2 degrees 2 degrees typical 1 degree typical 0 to 1 degree 1/2 to 2 degrees typical

Economical Small to large Small to medium Medium to large Small to medium Small to medium Medium to very Quantities large

Material Iron Aluminum Aluminum Iron Iron AluminumSteel Copper alloys Copper alloys Aluminum Aluminum Magnesium

Aluminum Magnesium Magnesium Copper alloys ZincCopper alloys Zinc Zinc High steel alloys

High steel alloys MagnesiumMagnesium Titanium

ZincTitanium

Table 6. Casting Process Matrix

Resources2008 Casting Source Directory, ECS, p. 7-42

www.metalcastingdesign.com

“Aluminum Casting Technology,” American Foundry Society, Schaumburg, IL.

American Foundry Society web site at: www.afsinc.org

Copper Development Assn., Inc. web site at: www.copper.org

“Designations and Chemical Composition Limits for Aluminum Alloys in the Form of Castings and Ingot,” (Pink Sheets),Aluminum Assn.,Washington, D.C., www.aluminum.org;

“Design and Procurement of High-Strength Structural Aluminum Castings,” American Foundry Society, Schaumburg, IL.

International Magnesium Assn. web site at: www.intelmag.org

North American Die Casting Association (NADCA) web site at: www.diecasting.org

Steel Casting Handbook, Malcolm Blair and Tom Stevens, 6th edition, 1995

“Specifying Steel Castings—Keeping Alloy Composition in Mind,” J. Carpenter and B. Hanquist, ECS Fall 2001, p. 41-44

Steel Founders’ Society of America web site at: www.sfsa.org.