In this work, an attempt has been made to improve the sand casting process by reducing the percentage of casting defects. The enhancement of the sand casting process is based on producing green sand castings with good pattern profiles and no failures at any complex points during the separation process, handling and transportation. This work introduces modified, non-destructive, direct tests for measuring sand mould properties using sensor readings. A new flowability sensor has been used to measure the time-dependent density, distance-dependent mould hardness, and distance-dependent mould strength. The sensor is able to detect sand motion at the desired points during the mould-making process. The live characterisation of the green sand mould is used to determine the optimum parameters for the compaction process, reduction of the moulding time, and spent energy, so that the cost of the moulding and casting process will be reduced. It has been found that there is a linear relationship between the properties of the green sand samples and the sensor signals. The new method facilitates the measurement of sand properties and determines the most effective moulding parameters based on the flowability sensor readings. The resultant increases in both compactibility and compaction pressure improve mould hardness and mould strength.
Minimising Defect Formation in Sand Casting of Sheet Lead: A DoE Approach
