When it comes to different types of castings, sand casting is a popular and effective way to create the parts needed for a job. The process itself has been perfected over time and has a lot of benefits as well as practical applications too.
The Sand Casting Process
The first part of the sand casting process involves making the sand mold. The mold is made by packing sand into each half of the mold. The sand is packed around the patter, which is a copy of the external shape of the casting. After the pattern is removed, the cavity that will form the actual casting will be made. The mold is made and then clamped, and molten metal will be poured into the sand casting. After cooling and removal of the casting, there is some machining done and the part is ready.
Benefits of Sand Casting
The biggest benefits of sand casting are that it is geared towards producing large-scale workpieces. In the right conditions, high volumes of parts can be created. There is little tooling involved in sand casting, making it ideal for short-run work too. Sand casting usually results in a rougher surface finish than other types of casting, but there are resources available to improve the surface profile.
Materials Used and Industrial Application
There is a wide variety of materials that can be used in sand casting. Carbon, stainless steel, alloy steels, aluminum, superalloys, and carbon steels are just some of the many materials that can be used to create sand castings. You typically see sand castings in these industries:
- Aircraft and aerospace
- Oil and gas
- Road construction
- Coal mining
- Food equipment
- Building equipment
- Power generation
- And much more
The practical application of sand-casted products is wide as well. Chances are you have come across one of these parts in your day to day life.
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