Foundries are using the sand casting process all over the world, and it is one of the most popular methods for casting metals into desired shapes.
There are many benefits of this process and a few limitations. Let us look at them in detail.
Benefits of Sand Casting
Nearly Any Alloy
You can produce sand castings of any ferrous or non-ferrous alloy, despite the other processes like melting and pouring super-alloys in a vacuum. But still, a sand-casting foundry will use this as the most common method.
Low Cost of Tooling
If you need sand castings in lower volume, then sand casting is the right choice because of the comparatively low tooling cost. The material selected for the pattern will wear, so you should choose between wood, plastic or metal according to the expected usage quantity of the part being produced.
Versatility of Size, Shape, and Weight
You can produce sand castings in weights from ounces to 200 plus tons. The shape and size of the castings also rely on the designer’s imagination. There are a few other methods of casting which provide such wide versatility.
Quantity and Timing
A sand-casting company can use this process for a single-piece run due to the low tooling cost. At the same time, the sand casting process takes less time than other casting methods.
Limitations
Lesser Dimensional Accuracy
Sand casting provides less dimensional accuracy than other methods; hence, the industries where perfect dimensional accuracy is required cannot use this method.
Pattern Maintenance
Pattern creation requires some artistic skills, and these patterns can be significant in size, so the storage has to be taken care of.
Finishing
You may get a slightly rougher surface finish in the sand-casting process compared to other techniques.
However, when you look at the whole picture, the sand casting process has more benefits than limitations; hence, it still continues to be popular worldwide.
