Finishing
Sand casting
Sand casting is a casting process in which sand is used to make a mold. Liquid metal is poured into the mold to make a product. It is a common casting process, with approximately 70% of all metal castings manufactured using this process.
This method is particularly well-suited for small to medium-sized series (500-1,000 pieces).
This process can be used to create more complex designs because there are more possibilities for release angles. The sand can be shaken out of the casting. Like gravity casting, this production technique also works with gravity, which reduces production costs. Mold costs are also lower because often only sand and reusable materials are used.
Finishing
Advantages
The main advantages of sand casting are:
- Great design freedom due to extensive shaping possibilities. Complex parts can be created if the right cores/gating systems are used.
- Sand casting can be used to make virtually any size component. From a doorknob to an engine block - it is not limited by the desired part size if the right mold is made.
- Almost all types of alloys can be cast as long as they melt and are castable.
- Castings are suitable for heat treatments.
- Mold startup costs are low because they often only involve sand and reusable patterns.
- The lead time to make the molds is short, making sand casting ideal for short production runs.
- Revisions can often be easily and affordably made to the mold.
Consequences
- Minimum wall thickness is 6 mm. Thinner wall thicknesses are not recommended.
- The process takes more time than injection molding and shell molding. However, smaller volumes are cheaper.
- Relatively rough surface structure. However, this can be fixed with the right surface finishing.
- The porosity of the products is relatively high, resulting in lower product strength.
- The dimensional accuracy is less precise than with other casting processes. But it can still be achieved through post-processing.
Samples
