Development of a Sand Mold Press Casting Process: “Post-Filled Formed Casting Process”

Abstract

This paper presents the development of a sand mold press casting process called the “Post-Filled Formed Casting Process.” In this process, molten metal is directly poured into the lower mold; the upper mold then falls down on the lower mold, and both molds are then matched. This method does not use a sprue cup and runner. Therefore, both the quantity of scrap and energy consumption are enormously reduced. This means that the sand mold press casting process is an eco-friendly casting process resulting in a large reduction of CO2 gas. During the last few years, the author's group has been devoted to developing this method as a national project. Mold design for casting, pouring control, and velocity control of the press have been identified as key factors in manufacturing sound products. In this paper, we provide an overview of this novel casting method and present the fundamental results obtained.