National Institute of technology, Srinagar

Central Workshop Workshop Practice

Instructions for Laboratory

The objective of the laboratory is learning. The experiments are designed to illustrate phenomena
in different areas of Workshop and to expose you to uses of instruments. Conduct the job with
interest and an attitude of learning.

You need to come well prepared for the job.

Work quietly and carefully (the whole purpose of experimentation is to make reliable
measurements!) and equally share the work with your partners.

All presentations of job and diagram should be neatly and carefully done.

Diagrams should be neatly drawn with pencil. Always display units.

Come equipped with scales, pencils etc.

Do not fiddle idly with apparatus. Handle instruments with care. Report any breakage to the
Instructor. Return all the equipment you have signed out for the purpose of your experiment.

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Central Workshop Workshop Practice

Objective​:
To familiarise with the basic manufacturing processes and to study the various tools and equipment used,
hands-on training is given in different sections. Essentially student should know the labour involved,
machinery or equipment necessary, time required to fabricate and also should be able to estimate the cost
of the product or job work.

Outcomes
Basic practice sessions must be conducted in the trades mentioned and then two products of Industrial
application (with combination of different trades) may be produced with the available resources.

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FOUNDRY
Casting
Casting is a manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of
the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of
the mold to complete the process. Casting materials are usually metals or various time setting materials that cure after mixing
two or more components together; examples are epoxy, concrete, plaster and clay. Casting is most often used for making
complex shapes that would be otherwise difficult or uneconomical to make by other methods. Heavy equipment like machine
tool beds, ships' propellers, etc. can be cast easily in the required size, rather than fabricating by joining several small pieces.

PATTERN

A pattern is a model or the replica of the object (to be casted). It is embedded in molding sand and suitable
ramming of molding sand around the pattern is made. The pattern is then withdrawn for generating cavity
(known as mold) in molding sand.

COMMON PATTERN MATERIALS

The common materials used for making patterns are wood, metal, plastic, plaster, wax or Mercury.

TYPES OF PATTERN

The types of the pattern and the description of each are given as under.

1. One piece or solid pattern 2. Two piece or split pattern 3. Cope and drag pattern 4. Three-piece or
multi- piece pattern 5. Loose piece pattern 6. Match plate pattern 7. Follow board pattern 8. Gated pattern
9. Sweep pattern 10. Skeleton pattern 11. Segmental or part pattern

1. Single-piece or solid pattern: ​Solid pattern is made of single piece without joints, partings lines
or​ ​loose pieces. It is the simplest form of the pattern. Typical single piece pattern is shown in Fig. 10.1.

2. Two-piece or split pattern: ​When solid pattern is difficult for withdrawal from the mold cavity,
then ​solid pattern is split in two parts. Split pattern is made in two pieces which are joined at the parting
line by means of dowel pins. The splitting at the parting line is done to facilitate the withdrawal of the
pattern. A typical example is shown in Fig. 10.2

Fig. Single Piece Pattern Fig. Two Piece Pattern

MOLDING SAND

The general sources of receiving molding sands are the beds of sea, rivers, lakes, granular elements of
rocks, and deserts.

Molding sands may be of two types namely natural or synthetic. Natural molding sands contain sufficient
binder. Whereas synthetic molding sands are prepared artificially using basic sand molding constituents
(silica sand in 88-92%, binder 6-12%, water or moisture content 3-6%) and other additives in proper
proportion by weight with perfect mixing and mulling in suitable equipment’s.

Binder

In general, the binders can be either inorganic or organic substance. The inorganic group includes clay
sodium silicate and port land cement etc. In foundry shop, the clay acts as binder which may be Kaolonite,
Ball Clay, Fire Clay, Limonite, Fuller’s earth and Bentonite. Binders included in the organic group are
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Central Workshop Workshop Practice
dextrin, molasses, cereal binders, linseed oil and resins like phenol formaldehyde, urea formaldehyde etc.
Organic binders are mostly used for core making.

Among all the above binders, the bentonite variety of clay is the most common. However, this clay alone
cannot develop bonds among sand grins without the presence of moisture in molding sand and core sand.

Additives
 Additives are the materials generally added to the molding and core sand mixture to develop some special
property in the sand. Some common used additives for enhancing the properties of molding and core
sands are discussed as under.

1. Coal dust: ​Coal dust is added mainly for producing a reducing atmosphere during casting.
2. Corn flour: ​It belongs to the starch family of carbohydrates and is used to increase the collapsibility
of the molding and core sand
3. Dextrin: ​Dextrin belongs to starch family of carbohydrates that behaves also in a manner similar to
that of the corn flour. It increases dry strength of the molds.
4. Sea coal: ​Sea coal is the fine powdered bituminous coal which positions its place among the pores of
the silica sand grains in molding sand and core sand
5. Wood flour: ​This is a fibrous material mixed with a granular material like sand; its relatively long
thin fibers prevent the sand grains from making contact with one another.
6. Silica flour: ​It is called as pulverized silica and it can be easily added up to 3% which increases the
hot strength and finish on the surfaces of the molds and cores

KINDS OF MOULDING SAND

Molding sands can also be classified according to their use into number of varieties which are described
below.

1. Green sand: ​Green sand is also known as tempered or natural sand which is a just prepared mixture
of silica sand with 18 to 30 percent clay, having moisture content from 6 to 8%. The clay and water
furnish the bond for green sand. It is fine, soft, light, and porous.
2. Dry sand: ​Green sand that has been dried or baked in suitable oven after the making mold and cores,
is called dry sand. It possesses more strength, rigidity and thermal stability.
3. Loam sand: ​Loam is mixture of sand and clay with water to a thin plastic paste. Loam sand possesses
high clay as much as 30-50% and 18% water.
4. Facing sand: ​Facing sand is just prepared and forms the face of the mould. It is directly next to the
surface of the pattern and it comes into contact molten metal when the mould is poured. Initial coating
around the pattern and hence for mold surface is given by this sand. This sand is subjected severest
conditions and must possess, therefore, high strength refractoriness.
5. Backing sand: ​Backing sand or floor sand is used to back up the facing sand and is used to fill the
whole volume of the molding flask.
6. Parting sand: ​Parting sand without binder and moisture is used to keep the green sand not to stick to
the pattern and also to allow the sand on the parting surface the cope and drag to separate without
clinging
7. Core sand: ​Core sand is used for making cores and it is sometimes also known as oil sand. This is
highly rich silica sand mixed with oil binders such as core oil which composed of linseed oil, resin,
light mineral oil and other bind materials.

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PROPERTIES OF MOULDING SAND

The basic properties required in molding sand and core sand are described as under.

1. Refractoriness: ​Refractoriness is defined as the ability of molding sand to withstand high

temperatures without breaking down or fusing thus facilitating to get sound casting. It is a highly
important characteristic of molding sands. Refractoriness can only be increased to a limited extent
2. Permeability: ​It is also termed as porosity of the molding sand in order to allow the escape of any air,
gases or moisture present or generated in the mould when the molten metal is poured into it. All these
gaseous generated during pouring and solidification process must escape otherwise the casting
becomes defective
3. Cohesiveness: ​It is property of molding sand by virtue which the sand grain particles interact and
attract each other within the molding sand
4. Green strength: ​The green sand after water has been mixed into it, must have sufficient strength and
toughness to permit the making and handling of the mould. For this, the sand grains must be adhesive,
i.e. thev must be capable of attaching themselves to another body
5. Dry strength: ​As soon as the molten metal is poured into the mould, the moisture in the sand layer
adjacent to the hot metal gets evaporated and this dry sand layer must have sufficient strength to its
shape in order to avoid erosion of mould wall during the flow of molten metal
6. Flowability or plasticity: ​It is the ability of the sand to get compacted and behave like a fluid. It will
flow uniformly to all portions of pattern when rammed and distribute the ramming pressure evenly all
around in all directions
7. Adhesiveness: ​It is property of molding sand to get stick or adhere with foreign material such sticking
of molding sand with inner wall of molding box
8. Collapsibility: ​After the molten metal in the mould gets solidified, the
sand mould must be collapsible so that free contraction of the metal
occurs and this would naturally avoid the tearing or cracking of the
contracting metal.

HAND TOOLS USED IN FOUNDRY SHOP

Hand riddle: ​It consists of a screen of standard circular wire

mesh
equipped with circular wooden frame. It is generally used for
cleaning the sand for removing foreign material such as nails, shot
metal, splinters of wood etc. from it. Even power operated riddles are
available for riddling large volume of sand.

Shovel: ​It consists of a steel pan fitted with a long wooden handle. It
is used in mixing, tempering and conditioning the foundry sand by Fig. Showel
hand. It is also used for moving and transforming the molding sand to
the container and molding​ ​box or flask.

Fig. Sprue Pin

Fig. Rammers

Rammers: ​Rammers are shown in Fig. These are required for striking the molding sand mass in the
molding box to pack or compact it uniformly all around the pattern.

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Sprue pin: ​It is a tapered rod of wood or iron which is placed or pushed in cope to join mold cavity while
the molding sand in the cope is being rammed.

Trowels: ​These are used for finishing flat surfaces and comers inside a mould. Common shapes of​ ​trowels
are shown as under. They are made of iron with a wooden handle.

Lifter: ​A lifter is a finishing tool used for repairing the mould and finishing the mould sand. Lifter is also
Strike off bar: ​It is a flat bar, made of wood or iron to strike​ ​off the excess sand from the top of a box
after ramming.
It’s one edge made beveled and the surface perfectly smooth
and plane.
Vent wire: ​It is a thin steel rod or wire carrying a pointed edge
at one end and a wooden handle or a bent loop at the other. After ramming and striking off the excess sand it is
used to make small holes, called vents, in the sand mould to allow the exit of gases and steam during casting​.

Fig. Lifter

Fig. Strike off bar

Fig. Vent Wire

Fig . Slick

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Slicks: ​They are also recognized as small double ended mold finishing tool which are
generally used for​ ​repairing and finishing the mold surfaces and their edges after withdrawal
of the pattern

Swab: ​Swab is shown in Fig. 11.1(u). It is a small hemp fiber brush

used for ​moistening the edges of sand mould, which are in contact
with the pattern surface before withdrawing the pattern. It is used for
sweeping away the molding sand from the mold surface and pattern.

Fig. Swab
Gate cutter: ​Gate cutter (Fig. 11.1(v)) is a small
shaped ​piece of sheet metal commonly used to cut
runners and feeding gates for connecting sprue
hole with the mold cavity.
Fig. Gate Cutter
Bellows: ​Bellows gun is shown in Fig. 11.1(w). It is hand operated leather made device
equipped with ​compressed air jet to blow or pump air when operated. It is used to blow away
the loose or unwanted sand from the surfaces of mold cavities.

Draw spike: ​Draw spike is shown Fig. 11.1(f). It is a

tapered steel ​rod having a loop or ring at its one end
and a sharp point at the other. It may have screw
threads on the end to engage metal pattern for it
withdrawal from the mold.

Sprue Pin​: It is a tapered wooden pin, used to make

a hole in the ​cope through which the molten metal is
poured into the mould.

MOULDING BOX:

Moulding box is also called moulding flask. It is frame or box of wood or metal. It is made
of two parts cope and drag as shown in figure.

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REFERENCE BOOKS:
1. Engineering Work shop practice for JNTU, V. Ramesh Babu, VRB Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
2. Work shop Manual / P.Kannaiah/ K.L.Narayana/ SciTech Publishers.
3. Engineering Practices Lab Manual, Jeyapoovan, SaravanaPandian, Vikas publishers
4. Dictionary of Mechanical Engineering, GHF Nayler, Jaico Publishing House.

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Job Manual(Foundry)

EXP: 01 MOULD FOR A SOLID PATTERN

Aim:​ ​To prepare a sand mold, using the given single piece pattern.
Raw material required​: ​Moulding sand, Parting sand, facing sand, baking sand,
single piece solid​ ​pattern, bottom board, moulding boxes etc.
Tools Required:
1. Molding board
2. Drag and cope boxes
3. Molding sand
4. Parting sand
5. Rammer
6. Strike-off bar
7. Bellows
8. Riser and sprue pins
9. Gate cutter
10. Vent rod
11. Draw spike
12. Wire Brush
Sequence of operations:

1. Sand preparation
2. Placing the mould flask(drag) on the moulding board/ moulding platform
3. Placing the pattern at the centre of the moulding flask
4. Ramming the drag
5. Placing runner and riser
6. Ramming the cope
7. Removal of the pattern, runner, riser
8. Gate cutting

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Procedure​: Mould Making

1. First a bottom board is placed either on the molding platform or on the floor,
making the surface even.
2. The drag molding flask is kept upside down on the bottom board along with the
drag part of the pattern at the centre of the flask on the board.
3. Dry facing sand is sprinkled over the board and pattern to provide a non-sticky layer.
4. Freshly prepared molding sand of requisite quality is now poured into the drag and
on the pattern to a thickness of 30 to 50 mm.
5. Rest of the drag flask is completely filled with the backup sand and uniformly
rammed to compact the sand.

6. After the ramming is over, the excess sand in the flask is completely scraped using a
flat bar to the level of the flask edges.
7. Now with a vent wire which is a wire of 1 to 2 mm diameter with a pointed end,
vent holes are in the drag to the full depth of the flask as well as to the pattern to
facilitate the removal of gases during casting solidification. This completes the
preparation of the drag.
8. Now finished drag flask is rolled over to the bottom board exposing the pattern.
9. Using a slick, the edges of sand around the pattern is repaired
10. The cope flask on the top of the drag is located aligning again with the help of the
pins of the drag box.
11. Dry parting sand is sprinkled all over the drag surface and on the pattern
12. Sprue of the gating system for making the sprue passage is located at a small
distance of about 50 mm from the pattern. The sprue base, runners and in-gates are
also located as shown risers are also placed. Freshly prepared facing sand is poured
around the pattern.
13. The moulding sand is then poured in the cope box. The sand is adequately rammed,
excess sand is scraped and vent holes are made all over in the cope as in the drag.
14. The sprue and the riser are carefully withdrawn from the flask
15. Later the pouring basin is cut near the top of the sprue.
16. The cope is separated from the drag any loose sand on the cope and drag
interface is blown off with the help of the bellows.

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17. Now the cope and the drag pattern halves are withdrawn by using the draw spikes
and rapping the pattern all around to slightly enlarge the mould cavity so that the
walls are not spoiled by the withdrawing pattern.
18. The runners and gates are to be removed or to be cut in the mould carefully
without spoiling the mould.
19. Any excess or loose sand is applied in the runners and mould cavity is blown
away using the bellows.
20. Now the facing paste is applied all over the mould cavity and the runners which
would give the finished casting a good surface finish.
21. A dry sand core is prepared using a core box. After suitable baking, it is placed
in the mould cavity.
22. The cope is placed back on the drag taking care of the alignment of the two by means of the
pins.
23. The mould is ready for pouring molten metal. The liquid metal is allowed to cool and become
solid which is the casting desired.
Result​: The required mould cavity is prepared using the given Single /solid Patte

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Central Workshop Workshop Practice

EXP:02 MOULD FOR A Split Pattern

Aim:​ ​To prepare a sand mold, using the given Split-piece pattern.
Raw Material required​: ​Moulding sand, Parting sand, facing sand, baking sand, pattern,
bottom board,
moulding boxes.
Tools Required:
1. Molding board
2. Drag and cope boxes
3. Molding sand
4. Parting sand
5. Rammer
6. Strike-off bar
7. Bellows
8. Riser and sprue pins
9. Gate cutter
10. Vent rod
11. Draw spike
12. Wire Brush
Sequence of operations:

1. Sand preparation
2. Placing the mould flask(drag) on the moulding board/ moulding platform
3. Placing the split pattern at the centre of the moulding flask
4. Ramming the drag
5. Placing the pattern at the centre of the moulding flask (Cope box)
6. Placing runner and riser
7. Ramming the cope
8. Removal of the pattern, runner, riser
9. Gate cutting

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Procedure​: Mould Making

1. First a bottom board is placed either on the molding platform or on the floor, making the
surface even.
2. The drag molding flask is kept upside down on the bottom board along with the
drag part of the pattern at the centre of the flask on the board.
3. Dry facing sand is sprinkled over the board and pattern to provide a non-sticky layer.
4. Freshly prepared molding sand of requisite quality is now poured into the drag
and on the split-pattern to a thickness of 30 to 50 mm.
5. Rest of the drag flask is completely filled with the backup sand and uniformly
rammed to compact the sand.

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Central Workshop Workshop Practice

6. After the ramming is over, the excess sand in the flask is completely scraped
using a flat bar to the level of the flask edges.
7. Now with a vent wire which is a wire of 1 to 2 mm diameter with a pointed end,
vent holes are in the drag to the full depth of the flask as well as to the pattern to
facilitate the removal of gases during casting solidification. This completes the
preparation of the drag.
8. Now finished drag flask is rolled over to the bottom board exposing the pattern.
9. Using a slick, the edges of sand around the pattern is repaired and cope half of
the pattern is placed over the drag pattern, aligning it with the help of dowel
pins
10. The cope flask on the top of the drag is located aligning again with the help
of the pins of the drag box.
11. Dry parting sand is sprinkled all over the drag surface and on the pattern
12. Sprue of the gating system for making the sprue passage is located at a small
distance of about 50 mm from the pattern. The sprue base, runners and ingates
are also located as shown risers are also placed. Freshly prepared facing sand is
poured around the pattern.
13. The moulding sand is then poured in the cope box. The sand is adequately
rammed, excess sand is scraped and vent holes are made all over in the cope
as in the drag.
14. The sprue and the riser are carefully withdrawn from the flask
15. Later the pouring basin is cut near the top of the sprue.
16. The cope is separated from the drag any loose sand on the cope and drag
interface is blown off with the help of the bellows.
17. Now the cope and the drag pattern halves are withdrawn by using the draw
spikes and rapping the pattern all around to slightly enlarge the mould cavity
so that the walls are not spoiled by the withdrawing pattern.
18. The runners and gates are to be removed or to be cut in the mould carefully
without spoiling the mould.
19. Any excess or loose sand is applied in the runners and mould cavity is blown away using
the bellows.

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20. Now the facing paste is applied all over the mould cavity and the runners
which would give the finished casting a good surface finish.
21. A dry sand core is prepared using a core box. After suitable baking, it is placed in the
mould cavity.
22. The cope is placed back on the drag taking care of the alignment of the two by means of
the pins.

23. The mould is ready for pouring molten metal. The liquid metal is allowed to cool and
1. become solid which is the casting desired.
Result: ​The required mould cavity is prepared using the given
Split Pattern

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Central Workshop Workshop Practice

Step :1 Place Drag part of the pattern on mould board and

filled with mould sand

Step -2: Turn drag box upside down and Place cope box over
drag box

Step -3: place cope part of the pattern, riser,

Sprue, runner in position and filled with mould
sand.

Step-4: Finally the Mould cavity is produced by removing the

pattern.

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