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2/1/2016

GatingSystemDesignforCastingthinAluminiumAlloy(AlSi)Plates

GatingSystemDesignforCastingthinAluminiumAlloy(AlSi)Plates

VictorANJO1*andReyazKHAN1

1DepartmentofMechanicalEngineering,FederalUniversityofTechnologyMinnaNiger,State

Nigeria
Emails:victoranjo2008@live.com*reyazkhan1@yahoo.com
*Correspondingauthor:Phone:+2348057846076

Abstract
The main problems caused by improper gating are entrained aluminium oxide films,
cutsandwashes,lowcastingyieldandentrappedgas.Thisstudydescribesthedesign
ofagatingsystemtoproducethinAluminiumcastalloyplatesofdifferentsizesand
thicknessesof4mm,6mm,8mm,and10mmusingthenonpressurizedgatingwithratio
of1:4:4andgreensandmouldingtechnique.Thegatingdesignwasbasedonthelaws
of fluid mechanics and empirical rules of gating for non ferrous metals. The
equipmentsusedforthisexperimentincludesacoalfiredcruciblefurnaceandanX
Ray machine. Materials used include silica sand, clay, wood, glue and Aluminium
alloy scraps. The experimental procedure involved: the gating design calculations,
construction of wooden pattern and gating using the wooden pattern and gating to
producethemouldcavitiesandgatingmelting,melttreatmentandpouringofmeltin
the sand mould to produce the casting. The plate castings after removal from mould
were visually examined for surface defects and after fettling and cleaning XRay
radiography was used to find the internal soundness of the castings. From the results
obtainedintheexperiment,itwasfoundthattherewerenointernaldefectsandquality
castingswereproduced.
Keywords
GatingDesignCastingGreenSandAluminiumalloy(AlSi)Thinplates.

Introduction

One of the critical elements that have to be considered for producing a high quality in sand
casting product is the gating design. Many extensive research efforts have been made in attempts to
study the effect of gating system on the flow pattern of melt entering the mould [1,2]. It has been
shownthatanoptimumgatingsystemdesigncouldreducetheturbulenceinthemeltflowminimize
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airentrapment,sandinclusion,oxidefilmanddross[3].Theformationofvariouscastingdefectscould
be directly related to fluid flow phenomena involved in the stage of mould filling. For instance,
vigorousstreamscouldcausemoulderosionhighlyturbulentflowscouldresultinairandinclusions
entrapmentsandrelativelyslowerfillingmightgeneratecoldshuts[4].Furthermore,porositywhichis
a common defect in casting also could result from improper design of gating system [5]. In [6] also
found out that: recently, demand for the lightweight alloy in electric/electronic housings has been
greatly increased. However, among the lightweight alloys, aluminium alloy thinwalled casting is
problematic because it is quite difficult to achieve sufficient fluidity and feed ability to fill the thin
cavity as the wall thickness becomes less than 6mm. During the casting process, molten aluminium
alloy is poured into the pouring basin and flows through the sprue to the runners, then through the
ingate(thepassagetroughthatleadsthemoltenmetalfromthegatingsystemintothemouldcavity)to
themouldcavity.Moltenmetalsarefluidsandthereforeobeythenaturallawsoffluidmechanics.A
properandconvenientgatingsystemisrequiredintheproductionofqualitycastingswithsoundnessof
surfaceandwithoutdefects.
Inthemetalcastingprocess,theproperfeedingofthemoltenmetalintothemouldcavityhave
beenveryproblematicespeciallywhenitinvolvescastingswiththinsections.Inordertoproperlyfeed
themoltenmetalintothemouldcavitiesofthesethinsectioncastings,aproperlydesigngatingsystem
isrequired.Theprobleminthisstudyishowtodesignasingleoptimizegatingsystemthatwillbeuse
toproduceforaluminiumalloyplatesofdifferentsizesandalsominimizedefectsinthecastings.
Thegatingsystem,whichiscomposedof:sprue,runners,ingatesandoverflows,isaseriesof
passages trough that the molten metal flows into the mould cavity to produce the castings for
minimizingdegradationinmetalqualityandforminimizingtheoccurrenceofshrinkageporosityinthe
solidifying casting differ among the various casting process, primarily as a function of process
limitations[712]discoveredthatagoodgatingdesignandpatternallowancesensuresproperheatflow
andcoolingtherebyeliminatingcastingdefects.
The aim of this research was to improve the quality of Aluminium alloy thin plates castings
producedingreensandmouldingprocessthroughpropergatingdesignandConservematerialsbythe
recyclingofaluminiumalloyscrapsasthechargematerials.

MaterialandMethod

Thematerialsusedforthisstudyinclude:wood,glue(Alteco110),Aluminium(AlSiMnMg
Cu) alloy scraps, silica sand (River sand), betonies (Clay), water and additive (wood ash). The
equipmentsinclude:CoalfiredCrucibleMeltingfurnace,ColchesterLatheMachineanda300mAX
raymachine.

GatingDesignCalculations
Themethodsthatwillbeuseforthisstudyistheprincipleofgatingsystemdesigncalculations
accordingto:[1316].Forthisstudyonaluminiumalloys,weshallbeusingthenonpressurizedgating
systemwithagatingratioof:
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As:Ar:Ag=1:4:4(Nonpressurizedgatingratio)

(1)

whereAs=thecrosssectionalareaofthesprueexit,Ar=thecrosssectionalareaoftheRunner(s)and
Ag = the cross sectional area of the ingate(s). The choke (the smallest cross sectional area) is at the
spruebaseexittherefore.
As=Ac

(2)

whereAc=thecrosssectionalareaofthechoke.

PatternAllowances
ShrinkageallowanceforAluminiumalloysis16mm/m[13].Theseallowancesshallbeaddedto
thepatternpartsinthemouldcavity.
PatternDimension=ActualDimension+Shrinkageallowance

(3)

For4mmthicknessplate,actuallength=80mmandbreath=40mm.
Patternthickness=4+(0.00416)=4.064mm
Patternlength=80+(0.0816)=81.28mm
Patternbreath=40+(0.0416)=40.64mm
For6mmthicknessplate,actuallength=120mmandbreath=60mm
Patternthickness=6+(0.00616)=6.096mm
Patternlength=120+(0.1216)=121.92mm
Patternbreath=60+(0.0616)=60.96mm
For8mmthicknessplate,actuallength=160mmandbreath=80mm
Patternthickness=8+(0.00816)=8.128mm
Patternlength=160+(0.1616)=162.56mm
Patternbreath=80+(0.0816)=81.28mm
For10mmthicknessplate,actuallength=200mmandbreath=100mm
Patternthickness=10+(0.0116)=10.16mm
Patternlength=200+(0.216)=203.2mm
Patternbreath=100+(0.116)=101.6mm
Table1showsthedimensionsofthepatternplatesusedinthedesignofagatingforfourthin
Aluminiumalloyplates.

Table1.Dimensionsofthepatternplates
PlateDesignation Thickness Length Width Volume
(mm)
(mm) (mm)
(mm3)
A
4.06
81.28 40.64 13411.07
B
6.10
121.92 60.96 45335.68
C
8.13
162.56 81.28 107420.69
D
10.16
203.20 101.6 209754.42

Step1:Calculatethetotalweightofcastings
W=V
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(4)
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where:W=totalweightofcasting,=density,V=totalvolumeofcasting.
V=13411.07+45335.68+107420.69+209754.42=375921.86mm3
W=2500375921.86(103)3=0.9399Kg

Step2:Calculatethepouringrateandpouringtime
Pouringrateformulafornonferrousgating:
(5)
where: R = pouring rate, b = constant, depends on wall thickness typical values of b are shown on
Table2.

Table2.Valuesofconstant(b)fordifferentCastingthickness[14]
Wallthickness Below6mm 612mm Above12mm
(mm)
bconstant
0.99
0.87
0.47

(6)
where:Ra=adjustedpouringrate,K=metalfluidity,C=theeffectoffrictionwithvaluesof0.85
0.90fortaperedspruesinthegatingsystem.
(7)
where:t=pouringtime[14].

Step3:Calculatetheeffectivesprueheight
SprueheightHsprue=100mm[15]
HeightofcastinginthecopeH1=5mm
TotalheightofcastingH2=10mm,thenusingequation(8)from[14]:
(8)

where:Hp=effectivesprueheight.

Step4:Calculatethechokecrosssectionalarea
Theflowrateequation:
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(9)

where:Ac=chokearea(mm2),W=castingweight(Kg),=densityofmoltenmetal(kg/m3),Hp=
effectivesprueheight(mm),C=dischargecoefficient(0.8),g=accelerationduetogravity(9.81m/s2),
Ra=adjustedpouringrate(Kg/s)andt=pouringtime(s)[16].

Step5:calculationofthesprueinletarea,sincesprueexitareaAsprue_exit=chokeareaAc
Continuityequation:
(10)

where Asprue_inlet = sprue inlet crosssectional area, Asprue_exit = sprue exit crosssectional area,
Hsprue_inlet = distance between the ladle and sprue top and Hsprue_exit = distance between ladle and
sprueexit.
Asprueexit=356.641mm2
Hsprueinlet=50mm
Hsprueexit=50+100=150mm

Radiusofthesprueinlet:

Radiusofthesprueexit:

Step6:CalculationoftheIngatesandRunnercrosssectionalareasusingagatingratioof1:4:
4
Runnercrosssectionalarea=4356.641mm2=1426.564mm2
AreaofaSquare=LB

(11)

where:L=length,B=breath.Sinceforasquare,Length=Breath,therefore,Area=(Length)2.
LengthofRunnercrosssection=BreathofRunnercrosssection.
LengthofRunner=37.77mmandBreathofRunner=37.77mm.
TotalIngatescrosssectionalarea=4356.641mm2=1426.564mm2
Sincewehavefourplates,weshallbeusingfouringates.Therefore,thecrosssectionalareaof
eachingatewillbecalculatedasfollows:
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Totalplatesthickness=4+6+8+10=28mmforthe4mmthicknessplate.
Ingatecrosssectionalarea=(4/28)1422.4448=203.21mm2
Forthe6mmthicknessplate:
Ingatecrosssectionalarea=(6/28)1422.4448=304.81mm2
Forthe8mmthicknessplate:
Ingatecrosssectionalarea=(8/28)1422.4448=406.41mm2
Forthe10mmthicknessplate:
Ingatecrosssectionalarea=(10/28)1422.4448=508.02mm2

Step7:DesignofSpruewell
Spruewellcrosssectionalarea=5sprueexitarea=5356.641mm2=1783.21mm2
Spruewelldepth=2runnerdepth=237.77=75.54mm

ResultsandDiscussion

After the calculations of the gating system dimensions and the pattern allowances values
obtainedwastransfertothewoodpatternandgatinginordertomakethemould.Themouldcavitywas
produced by placing the pattern in a wood frame, filling it with the green sand mix and properly
rammingthesandmixwiththepatterninittogivethemouldstrength.Afterthepatternwasremoved,
the mould was assembled back together. Figure 1, shows the schematics of the mould cavities and
gating produced by the wood pattern and gating. 5.6Kg Aluminium alloy scraps was charge into a
cruciblefurnacefiredwithcharcoal.0.5%Hexachloroethane(C2Cl6)tabletswereaddedtothemolten
metaltoremovedissolvegasesfromthemeltandsoonafterdegassing,atatemperatureof740C,the
metalwaspouredintothemould.Aftersolidificationandcooling,thecastingwasknockedoutofthe
mould(figure2)andcleanedfromsandparticles(figure3).TheXRayradiographofthecastingswas
taken for inspection to check for internal defects in the castings (figure 4). Table 3 present the
compositionofmelt.

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GatingSystemDesignforCastingthinAluminiumAlloy(AlSi)Plates

Figure1.SchematicsoftheMouldCavitiesofPlatesA,B,C&DandtheGating

Figure2.RemovalofCastingfromMould

Figure3.CastingAfterCleaning

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Figure4.XRayRadiographofCastings

Afterknockingoutandcleaning,XRayradiograph(figure4)andvisualinspectioncarriedout
showthatthecastingswerefreefrominternaldefectandwithfewsurfacedefects.Thegatingdesign
canalsobeemployedinmetallicmouldtoproducequalitycastingwithbettersurfacefinishthanthat
ofgreensandmould.

Table3.CompositionofMelt
Element
Al
Si
Mn
Mg
Cu
Composition%Weight 96.290 1.523 0.930 0.822 0.33

AsummaryofthegatingsystemcharacteristicsisshownintheTable4,showingthevarious
dimensionsofthegatingsystemobtainedinthedesigncalculations.

Table4.DimensionsoftheGatingelementsforthefourplates
Part
Thickness/Height
Length
Width
(mm)
(mm)
(mm)
PouringBasin
50.0
50.0
50.0
Sprue
100.0
InletRadius=14.0 ExitRadius=10.7
Spruewell
75.6
39.6
45.0
Runner
300.0
37.8
37.8
Ingates
A
4.0
50.8
10.0
B
6.0
50.8
10.0
C
8.0
50.8
10.0
D
10.0
50.8
10.0

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Fromtheresultsobtainedinthisexperiment,itwasseenthatpropergatingdesignandproper
melttreatmenti.e.degassingandslugremovalproducedcastingswithfewdefects.

Conclusions

AhorizontalgatingsystemwasdesignedtoproducethinAluminiumalloyplatesusinggreen
sandmouldandanonpressurizedgatingsystemwithagatingratioof1:4:4.Thehorizontalgating
designmadeuseofhorizontalfeedersalongthesidesofthethinwallplates.Throughthisdesign,alow
turbulence uniform filling of mould cavities was obtained. Side ingates gating systems, provides a
lamina flow through the ingates to the mould cavities and minimizes air entrapment in the mould
cavities.TheXrayradiographofthefourplatestaken,showsthattherewerenointernaldefectsinthe
castings.TheresultobtainedfromthisexperimentshowsthatGatingsystemdesignincastingprocess
isoneofthecrucialfactorstoproducegoodqualityofcastingproduct[19].

Acknowledgements

We wish to acknowledge the entire Academic and Technical staffs of the Mechanical
Engineering Department, Federal University of Technology Minna Niger State, Nigeria for their
supportandencouragement.

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