Metal Casting Zone

Hi all,

Maybe you have encounter the problem I have now or you have the knowledge about this. The question is:
1. how many cavities in sand mould, ceramics shell mould, or permanent mould, or any other mould. One cavity is a T-fitting.
2. Usually, how long is the cycle time for each mould?

Thank you.

hi sorry but im having trouble trying to understand your question. do you want to cast a "t" shape or do you want to have a solid block of metal with a "t" cavity inside it. both are possible but require different molding practise.

I think those molding practices can create many components in the same mold, not just one pattern in one mold. It's for large number of parts production. The part is a water pipe connector (like a T-fitting) with diameter roughly 60mm and the length is around 100mm.
I just want to know the estimation of a 'normal' molding practices can handle how many parts. I am not really familiar with foundry, so I don't know how big is the mold. Thank you.

There are only two limits, really. First is the size of your crucible, and the next is just the physical size of your flask. I haven't done any lost wax, but for a part that is "tree'd" up, again the main limit is the size of the crucible. You can only handle so much metal by yourself.
For greensand molds, I'm sure there are some rules out there somewhere, but the easiest way to find out is lay it out on a piece of paper the same size as the inside measurements of your flask. Do it like you were laying out a room on graph paper. You want to make sure you leave room for a few things, like gates, runners, pouring basins, risers, etc., and you also want to leave a little room around the parts to help the sand in the mold support itself. You may be able to fit it, but if you can't pull the mold apart without it collapsing or put it back together without dropout it kind of defeats the purpose. Leave an inch or so all the way around the outside as well. Try not to crowd the mold, and you will have better results.
If you need to make a bunch, make what is known as a "match plate", in other words it is a board with all the gating and the patterns for the part itself permanently attached, so all you have to do is sandwich the matchplate with your flask and ram the sand in, cut your risers and sprues, separate and remove plate, shut the mold, and pour. It's relatively easy to do if the pattern splits evenly along a plane. It can be done if it isn't even, but is more complicated.

karenlau wrote:
I think those molding practices can create many components in the same mold, not just one pattern in one mold. It's for large number of parts production. The part is a water pipe connector (like a T-fitting) with diameter roughly 60mm and the length is around 100mm.
I just want to know the estimation of a 'normal' molding practices can handle how many parts. I am not really familiar with foundry, so I don't know how big is the mold. Thank you.its as odd duck says. i normally fit 3 or 4 items in a flask(box) and "link" them up thus one box molds (flask) can yeild 3 or 4 items. as odd duck says you are limited only by the size of your flask and the type of metal you are using. as stated before if not done correctly you wont get a thing!!!!!! it happens!

Something else you could do is use a snap flask. That would allow as many molds as you have sand to work with and only one flask. Then you could just keep filling your crucible and pouring and repeating.