To: Dean Shaffer
From: Rebecca Balok
Subject: Instruction Set
How to Make an Aluminum Casting
Schematics of the MF-9888-EA and PHP-9888-EB (Ford Nano) Water Pump
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Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 3
Flow Diagram of Process: .......................................................................................................... 4
Important *Terms: .................................................................................................................... 4
Common Casting Defects: ......................................................................................................... 5
Procedure................................................................................................................................. 6
1. Melting Your Metal ........................................................................................................... 6
2. Preparing Your Shell Core .................................................................................................. 7
3. Linear Lines Casting (SPM) Your Molten Metal .................................................................... 7
4. Decore/Trimming Your Cast ............................................................................................... 8
5. Heat Treating Your Metal ................................................................................................... 9
6. Your Process for Machining ...............................................................................................10
7. Air Decay/Leak Testing Your Product .................................................................................11
Conclusion ..............................................................................................................................11
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Introduction
Without an engine a vehicle is nothing but a shell. An engine is the heart of the vehicle,
and like any human heart, has many components that keep it functioning. One very vital
component would be the engine’s water pump. In order for car engines to remain cool, they rely
on fluid cooling. This is the main function of a water
pump. The pump operates through centrifugal force.
Fan like blades are located within the pump housing.
A pulley on the pump propels the fins to keep the
coolant on a continuous cycle. Without a water
pump, the coolant would remain stagnant and the
engine would overheat.
We all know that many finished products,
such as an engine, can be broken down into smaller,
individual components but have you ever wondered
what goes on behind the assembly? Aluminum
casting plays a significant role in production of any
Water pump location in Ford Nano Engine
engine. A water pump is one component that his completely created through the aluminum
foundry process. Turning molten Aluminum into a solid product requires a strategic process
than many consumers of those products are unaware of. Today, I will show you this process.
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Flow Diagram of Process:
*Important Terms:
Ingot- A metal cast into a shape suitable for further processing
Scrap- Discarded metal for reprocessing.
Furnace- The majority of foundries specialize in a particular metal and have furnaces dedicated to these
metals.
Insulator- A clay paint used to assure that the aluminum cast doesn’t have shrinkage in this
particular area. It dries simultaneously to the rest of the sand casting.
Resin- A sticky flammable organic substance, insoluble in water, exuded by some trees and other plants
Cast Iron hot box- casting involves pouring liquid metal into a mold, which contains a hollow
cavity of the desired shape, and then allowing it to cool and solidify.
Cope mold- Upper part of two part mold.
Drag mold- Lower part of two part mold.
Trim Press- Machine used to rid a part of any excess metal.
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Quenching- The rapid cooling of a part in order to achieve certain material properties. This
particular treatment is done with water.
Air Cooling- A standard method of system cooling used to dissipate heat. This treatment takes
place to increase the yield strength of the Aluminum.
Alloy- A metal made by combining two or more metallic elements, especially to give greater strength or
resistance to corrosion.
Ball Bearing- A bearing between a wheel and a fixed axle, in which the rotating part and the stationary
part are separated by a ring of small solid metal balls that reduce friction.
Common Casting Defects:
Caution: A casting defect is an irregularity in the metal casting process that is very undesired.
Some defects can be tolerated while others can be repaired, otherwise they must be eliminated.
Porosity- Formation of bubbles within the casting after it has cooled. This
occurs because most liquid materials can hold a large amount of dissolved gas,
but the solid form of the same material cannot, so the gas forms bubbles
within the material as it cools.
Leakage- Air or water is pressed under certain pressure into the casting cavity. If there’s any
defects like dispersed shrinkage, cracks etc., the air or water will leak out from the casting wall,
then the defect is detected.
Shrinkage- When there is not enough metal available to compensate for shrinkage as the thick
metal solidifies.
Flash- This is where the mold somehow separated enough to allow metal between the halves,
along the parting line.
Nicks, Mark, Scratch- Occasional lacerations from various causes.
Misrun- Occurs when the liquid metal does not completely
fill the mold cavity, leaving an unfilled portion.
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Procedure
Warning: All temperature specs were translated from Celsius to Fahrenheit
1. Melting Your Metal
Materials:
➔ Aluminum A330.0 Ingot*
Chemical Composition (Percentage):
Si: 7.5-9.5
Fe: 1.3 max
Cu: 3.0-4.0
Mn: 0.50 max
Mg: 0.10 max
Ni: 0.50 max
Zn: 3.0 max
Sn: 0.35 max
➔ Scrap* metal, trimmings
➔ Argon Gas
➔ Foundry Furnace*
Furnace in the process of melting Aluminum
Warning: Shards and excess chips from the machining process cannot be reused
because of the oil solution tainting the aluminum.
1. Heat the furnace to a melting atmosphere temp of 1472-1652°F
2. Throw ingot or scrap metal into preheated furnace.
2.1. Degas molten Aluminum with Argon gas for at least 5 minutes time.
3. The molten Aluminum temperature should reach 1274°F-1310°F before it is
ready to be transported for molding.
4. Transport Aluminum, keeping the temperature at 1292°F-1328°F
Degasser
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2. Preparing Your Shell Core
In the Shell Core process a mold cavity is formed with sand. This
method has high dimensional accuracy and cools at a slightly faster
rate than other casting types. It’s a fairly simplified process that can be
handled by semi-skilled operators.
Materials:
➔ Resin* coated sand
➔ Cast Iron hot box*
Specs: Each cycle through the machine can produce a total of two
castings. 2 ± 0.5 mins per cycle.
Sand Cast Iron hot box
1. Start the machine.
1.1. Operating temperature is about 536ºF ± 68ºF
1.2. The machine’s shooting pressure is between 0.3-0.4Mpa
1.3. Resin coated sand is blown into the box and the heat cures the resin and binds the sand
grains creating a shell.
2. The shell will drop to the conveyer, when this happens, spray down the
machine to remove left over sand within the mold.
3. Shave off excess sand with sandpaper and allow solidification.
3.1. One core takes about 90 ± 20 sec to solidify and can be used 2 hours
after formation.
4. Paint an insulator* on the cooled cores and store for later use in SPM
Sand core with painted on Insulator
process.
3. Linear Lines Casting (SPM) Your Molten Metal
A SPM casting technique is a method in which molten
aluminum is machined into steel molds under gravity or low
pressure. These castings more subject to shrinkage and
porosity than in that of other casting techniques.
Materials:
➔ Cope mold*
➔ Drag mold*
➔ Linear Line Casting Machine*
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Linear Line Casting Machine
➔ Two operators
Specs: Two casts are created with one cycle.
1. Operator 1: Pour molten aluminum into open chamber.
1.1. hand pouring takes about 8 ± 1 seconds.
1.2. Pour Aluminum at its lowest temperature of 13281364ºF
Operator 2: install sand cores into open drag mold.
Demonstration of casting by gravity
2. Start the machine
2.1. Mold will preheat to a temperature around 626ºF-716ºF in order to ease the flow and
reduce thermal damage of the cast
3. The molds will close, allowing the machine to tip horizontally, using gravity to pull molten
Aluminum into the two part mold.
3.1. The cast has a solidification (cooling time) of around 100 seconds.
4. When solidification is done, the machine will tip back vertically and open the mold.
5. Operator 2: remove cast with tongs.
6. Place on cooling tray for later use in decore/trim process.
Caution: Check your casts for defects and discard as scrap.
4. Decore/Trimming Your Cast
This particular water pump includes a sand core so it must have said
core removed before moving on to future processes.
Materials:
➔ Solidified mold
➔ Power hammer and/or Trim Press*
Trim Press
1. Use power hammer to initiate pressure upon cast and break the sand
core within it.
2. Shake out broken sand cast so that the metal casting is left hollow.
3. Use power hammer and break off excess aluminum on the outside
of the cast.
3.1. All excess trimmings become scrap and can be melted down
and reused.
Freshly casted water pumps waiting to be trimmed
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5. Heat Treating Your Metal
Heat Treatment alters the mechanical and physical properties of the metal. It often helps increase
the strength of the material unless the metal is non-ferrous, like alloys such as Aluminum,
Copper, or Nickel; then the material becomes softened.
Heat Treatment phase and hardening diagram
Materials:
➔ Heat treatment machine
➔ Water
1. Start machine and place cast on conveyor belt.
2. The machine will heat the part to a temperature of 1013 ± 41ºF
2.1. Leave in for 2-3 hours.
3. It then becomes cooled very fast using the quenching* method with the water temperature
being 140-176ºF
3.1. Leave in for 15 seconds.
4. Use the air cooling method for artificial aging to increase the yield strength of the Aluminum.
4.1. Alloys* must be kept at elevated temperature of 311± 41ºF
4.2. Leave stagnant for 2-3 hours to allow precipitation to take place.
Caution: Check your casts for defects and discard as scrap.
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6. Your Process for Machining
Horizontal Machining Center- Has a horizontal spindle in which tools stick out the side of the
tool holder. A cut will be made across the side of a part.
Vertical Machining Center- Has a vertical spindle in which the tools stick straight down from the
tool holder. This cuts across the top of a part.
Computer numerical Control Lathe Program- This is the Process by which a computer controlled
lathe is programmed to automate its operation. A lathe is a machine that turns a piece of material
(the stock) at high speeds while applying cutting tools to produce a desired shape.
Materials:
➔ Horizontal Machining Center
➔ Heat treated part
1. Install casted part into position 1:
2. Start machine.
2.1. Wait 100 seconds for machine to cut first position.
Position 1
3. Install casted part into position 2:
4. Start Machine.
4.1. Wait 100 seconds for machine to cut second position
Position 2
5. Install casted part into position 3:
6. Start Machine.
6.1. Wait 100 seconds for machine to cut third position.
7. Store for later use in leak test process.
Position 3
Caution: Check your casts for defects and discard as scrap.
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7. Air Decay/Leak Testing Your Product
Leak testing is one of the most essential elements in product quality testing. The leak testing
confirms the process is conforming to specification.
Materials:
➔ Air decay testing machine
➔ Ball Bearings*
➔ Plug
1. Install water pump into the machine
1.1. Cavities in the part are isolated, sealed and pressurized.
2. Monitor the pressure
2.1. pressure should be around 20 PSI and
2.2. Warning: any drop in pressure indicates a leak within
the part.
3. Monitor the leak rate
4. An acceptable part has a leak rate below 3.00 sccm
5. Warning: if the machine shows anything above 3.00 sccm or
6cc/min, the part is then scrap.
6. Mark acceptable parts with a black dot to indicate part had
been tested.
7. Mark scrap parts with a red dot to indicate a failed test
Location of plug and ball bearing insertion
8. Places a plug in indicated section Z
9. Place a ball bearing in section B.
10. Place in recyclable plastic packaging and send to the assembly plant.
Conclusion
What should be taken away from learning about this process is the amount of time and
effort that is put in to create one single component of an engine. There is extreme attention to
detail whether referring to melting the aluminum or testing for defects. The world is made up of
large, amazing, innovation but when you take a step back and look at the building blocks, you
begin to gain higher appreciation for the amount of effort put into creating these products.
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