Moulage en coquille, also referred to commonly as shell molding, is comparatively a new casting technique, developed in Germany in the 1940s.
It’s a type of metal casting process that involves pouring molten metal(ferrous or non-ferrous) or alloy into sand and resin which is further heated and shaped to build a mold.
Shell mold casting offers improved surface finish and higher precision compared to other metal casting methods, and suitable for small parts that require complex shapes and high dimensional accuracy.
Shell mold casting is applied to various industries such as aerospace, médical, et l'industrie automobile.
It is especially popular in the automotive industry and is often employed to manufacture camshafts, boîtes de vitesses, vilebrequins, culasses, bearing housings, lever arms, and valve bodies.
Two matching metal pattern halves—typically machined from steel or iron—are produced to the exact geometry of the desired casting (plus allowances for shrinkage and shell thickness).
Each pattern half is heated (≈180–250 °C), lightly sprayed with a release agent, then dipped into a “dump box” containing fine sand coated in a thermosetting resin.
The hot pattern cures a uniform shell layer (6–12 mm thick) as excess sand is shaken off.
The two cured shell halves are carefully stripped from their patterns.
If internal cavities are required, resin‐bonded sand cores are placed inside one shell half.
The cope (top) and drag (bottom) shells are then clamped together in a flask, and the gating system (sprue, coureurs, vents) is attached.
Molten metal or alloy (par ex., fer, acier, aluminium) is heated to its liquidus temperature and poured by gravity into the sprue.
The metal fills the shell cavity, replicating fine details and thin sections.
The thin, ceramic‐like shell conducts heat away rapidly.
After an appropriate cooling interval—often just a few minutes at ambient temperature—the metal has solidified into a robust casting.
The flask is opened and the shell fragments are broken away to free the casting.
The part is then freed of any gating or core material and undergoes any required trimming, affûtage, or surface finishing before inspection.
Shell molding accommodates most ferrous and non-ferrous alloys, Par exemple:
| Alloy Family | Typical Grades | Key Properties & Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Gray Iron | ASTM A48 Class 20–40 | Excellent machinability & vibration damping; used for engine blocks, logements. |
| Fonte Ductile | ASTM A536 60-40-18, 65-45-12 | Higher strength & toughness than gray iron; ideal for gears, vilebrequins, vannes. |
| Acier au carbone | AISI 1018, 1020, 1045 | Good strength and weldability; used for shafts, parenthèses, pièces structurelles. |
| Acier allié | 4140, 4340, H13 | Enhanced hardness, dureté, et résistance à l'usure; used in dies, outillage, machinerie lourde. |
| Acier inoxydable | 304, 316, 17-4PH, 2205 (Duplex) | Corrosion resistance and strength; used in chemical, nourriture, médical, and marine parts. |
| Alliages d'aluminium | A356, A357, ADC12 | Léger, good fluidity; used for automotive brackets, logements, aerospace fittings. |
| Alliages de cuivre | C905 (Bronze en étain), C836 (Bronze en aluminium), C230 (Cartridge Brass) | Excellent wear and corrosion resistance; utilisé dans les roulements, bagues, matériel marin. |
| Nickel-Based Alloys | Inconel 625, Hastelloy C276 | Outstanding high-temperature strength and corrosion resistance; used in aero-engines, traitement chimique. |
| Alliages de magnésium | AZ91D, AM60 | Very lightweight; used in electronics housings and automotive components. |
| Zinc Alloys | Zamak 3, Zamak 5 | Low melting point and excellent detail reproduction; used for small, pièces complexes (hardware, raccords). |
1. Proprietary Resin‐Sand Formulations
2. High-Speed, Automated Shell Production
3. Expert Pattern & Tooling Design
4. Broad Alloy Capability
5. Tight Dimensional Control
6. Lean, Green Operations
7. Comprehensive Quality Assurance
8. Dedicated Technical Support
| Industrie | Typical Shell Mold Castings | Typical Products |
|---|---|---|
| Automobile | Camshaft and crankshaft housings, gearbox and transmission cases, culasses, bearing carriers, and linkage arms—benefit from tight tolerances and fine surface finish, reducing or eliminating post-machining. |  |
| Aerospace & Defense | Actuator brackets, fuel-system fittings, small turbine stator segments, control-surface hinges, and structural brackets—leveraging weight-sensitive, high-precision parts where repeatability and fatigue resistance are critical. |  |
| Dispositifs médicaux | Surgical instrument handles and housings, implant-fixture bushings, orthopedic bracketry, and fluid-control valves—requiring complex internal passages, biocompatible alloys, and sterilizable finishes. |  |
| Industrial Valves & Pumps | Precision valve bodies, roues à aubes, volutes, and pump housings cast in stainless or duplex stainless steels—resisting corrosive media while maintaining exacting dimensional requirements for reliable sealing and flow control. |  |
| Oil & Gas / Pétrochimique | Chemical-service fittings, filter housings, manifold blocks, and instrumentation flanges—taking advantage of exotic alloys (par ex., Inconel, Hastelloy) with minimal surface porosity and high dimensional fidelity. |  |
| Consumer & Decorative | Ornamental door handles, lighting fixtures, sculpture components, and architectural accents—shell-cast in brass, bronze, or aluminum to capture fine textures and crisp edges. |  |
| Renewable Energy & Power Generation | Small hydraulic turbine nozzles, control-valve bodies, and generator accessory brackets—benefiting from rapid turnaround and the ability to cast heat-resistant alloys with tight wall-thickness control. |  |
| Same side of parting line: | ± .020 for 1st 3″ | Add ± .003 / inch over 3″ |
| Across parting line: | ± .030 for 1st 3″ | ± .003 / inch over 3″ |
| Draft: | Typically 1° | Certain applications at 0° draft. |
| Typical Finish Stock: | .060″ maximum | |
| Hole size cast into part: | DIAMETER | DEPTH |
| Less than 0.5″ | Equal to diameter | |
| 0.5″ – 1.0″ | Equal to 1.5 times diameter | |
| Greater than 1.0″ | Equal to 2 times diameter |
Shell mold casting is a precision sand-based process in which a heated metal pattern is coated with fine, resin-bonded sand to form thin “shell” halves. Once cured and assembled, these shells serve as the mold into which molten metal is poured.
Almost any alloy is suitable—including gray and ductile irons, carbon and alloy steels, aciers inoxydables, alliages d'aluminium, copper-based alloys, and even nickel-based superalloys—thanks to the shell’s heat resistance.
Typical dimensional tolerances reach ±0.3 mm per 100 mm, and surface finishes are in the Ra 3–6 µm range. This precision often eliminates or minimizes secondary machining.
Shell molding excels at small to medium components (from a few grams up to about 50 kg). Shell halves larger than this become difficult to handle and may crack under their own weight.
Each shell half cures in roughly 10–30 seconds on automated dip-and-shake equipment. This quick turnaround supports fast prototyping and moderate production volumes.
Intricate details—thin walls (down to 1.5 mm), sous-dépouille, fine ribs, and internal passages—are readily achieved. Cores can be inserted for complex internal cavities.
Select shell molding when your parts require small- to medium-size, précision dimensionnelle élevée, fine surface quality, and complex detail.
| Critères | Moulage au sable | Moule de moule à coquille | Moulage à la cire perdue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matériau du moule | Green sand (silice + clay) | Resin-bonded fine sand shell | Coque en céramique (wax patterns dipped in slurry) |
| Coût de l'outillage | Very low | Modéré (heated patterns + resin sand) | Haut (wax tooling + multiple shell dips) |
| Mold Reuse | Non (sand broken each pour, but sand is reclaimable) | Non (each shell single-use, sand reclaimable) | Non (each ceramic shell single-use) |
| Part Size Range | Very small to very large (> several tons) | Small to medium (up to ~50 kg) | Very small to small (typiquement < 10 kg) |
| Tolérance dimensionnelle | ± 0.5 mm par 100 mm | ± 0.25–0.35 mm per 100 mm | ± 0.15–0.25 mm per 100 mm |
| Finition de surface (Râ) | 6–12 µm | 3–6 µm | 1–2 µm |
| Épaisseur de paroi | ≥ 6 mm | ≥ 1.5–2 mm | ≥ 1 mm |
| Complexité & Detail | Modéré (cores required for internal features) | Haut (murs fins, fine features easily achieved) | Très élevé (sous-dépouille, intricate geometries) |
| Temps de cycle | Lent (mold prep, secouer) | Rapide (shell cures in seconds) | Slowest (multiple coating and dewax steps) |
| Volume de production | Faible à moyen | Faible à moyen | Faible à moyen (100–1,000s parts) |
| Typical Alloys | Fer, acier, aluminium, bronze, etc.. | Fer, acier, stainless, aluminium, alliages de cuivre | Stainless, Superalliages, bronze, aluminium |
| Post-processing Needs | Often heavy machining and surface cleanup | Minimal machining; light finishing | Minimal machining; often ready to final shape |
| Best For | Grand, heavy, cost-sensitive parts | Precision small/medium parts with moderate volume | Extremely intricate, thin-walled, high-accuracy parts |
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