Automation of Gating System Parameters for Green Sand Iron Castings

This paper developed a simple but accurate automation tool for quick design of gating and riser systems for green sand iron castings. Codes for calculation of gating elements’ parameters were generated in MATLAB from standard fluid mechanics and empirical formulae. Guided Users’ Interfaces (GUIs) were developed to guide the users in the use of the tool. The package was validated with shop floor trials using the tool developed to generate and design gating and riser systems for some grey iron components. These components were moulded in green sand, cast and evaluated using visual inspection, bulk density and apparent porosity measurement and ultrasonic flaw detection methods. The results of evaluation revealed castings free from any form of gating related defects.