Sand Casting

by Terry Short

Sand casting is a metal casting process in which the liquid molten metal is poured into the casting cavity whose shape is the same as that of the shape of the casting to be produced, allowed to solidify and after solidification, the cast part will be taken out by breaking the mold open. Over 60% of all metal castings are produced using the sand-casting process. In 1924, the Ford automobile company set a record by producing 1 million cars, in the process consuming one-third of the total casting production in the US. Engine blocks, machine tool beds, pistons, etc. can all be produced by the sand-casting process. Sand casting is a metal casting process in which the liquid molten metal is poured into the casting cavity whose shape is the same as that of the shape of the casting to be produced, allowed to solidify and after solidification, the cast part will be taken out by breaking the mold open. Over 60% of all metal castings are produced using the sand-casting process. In 1924, the Ford automobile company set a record by producing 1 million cars, in the process consuming one-third of the total casting production in the US. Engine blocks, machine tool beds, pistons, etc. can all be produced by the sand-casting process.

Advantages of Sand Casting

• Almost any ferrous and non-ferrous metal can be cast by sand casting.
• Parts can vary greatly in size, weight and shape. The weight can be from ounces to hundreds of tons.
• The cost of tooling is low compared to other processes.
• Small quantities or large quantities are acceptable.

Disadvantages of Sand Casting

• The surface finish out of the mold is poor and must be cleaned.
• The dimensional accuracy of the cast parts is low.
• Sand cast parts with close tolerances must undergo some secondary machining.

Explanation of the Sand-Casting Process

• Sand is rammed (compacted) in the cope (top half) and drag (bottom half) which are metal boxes and are to be placed one on the other
• In the cope box, the passages will be created using the sprue pin and the riser pin. In the drag box, the casting cavity will be created by placing the pattern.

Examples of Sand Cast Parts