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Fundição em molde de casca

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Fundição em molde de casca

Fundição em molde de casca, 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, médico, e indústrias automotivas.

It is especially popular in the automotive industry and is often employed to manufacture camshafts, caixas de velocidades, virabrequins, cabeças de cilindro, bearing housings, lever arms, and valve bodies.

O que é

DEZE Shell Mold Casting

Shell Mold Casting Process Flow

Pattern Fabrication

Pattern Fabrication

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).

Construção da concha

Construção da concha

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.

Conjunto da concha

Conjunto da concha

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 (jito, corredores, vents) is attached.

Metal Melting and Pouring

Derramamento de metal

Molten metal or alloy (por exemplo, ferro, aço, alumínio) 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.

Solidification & Cooling

Solidification & Cooling

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.

Demolding & Cleanup

Demolding & Cleanup

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, moagem, or surface finishing before inspection.

Casting Alloys of Shell Mold Casting

Shell molding accommodates most ferrous and non-ferrous alloys, por exemplo:

Alloy Family Typical Grades Key Properties & Applications
Gray Iron ASTM A48 Class 20–40 Excellent machinability & vibration damping; used for engine blocks, alojamentos.
Ferro Dúctil ASTM A536 60-40-18, 65-45-12 Higher strength & toughness than gray iron; ideal for gears, virabrequins, válvulas.
Aço carbono AISI 1018, 1020, 1045 Good strength and weldability; used for shafts, colchetes, peças estruturais.
Liga de aço 4140, 4340, H13 Enhanced hardness, resistência, e resistência ao desgaste; used in dies, ferramentas, maquinaria pesada.
Aço inoxidável 304, 316, 17-4PH, 2205 (Dúplex) Corrosion resistance and strength; used in chemical, comida, médico, and marine parts.
Ligas de alumínio A356, A357, ADC12 Leve, good fluidity; used for automotive brackets, alojamentos, aerospace fittings.
Ligas de cobre C905 (Bronze de lata), C836 (Bronze de alumínio), C230 (Cartridge Brass) Excellent wear and corrosion resistance; usado em rolamentos, buchas, ferragens marítimas.
Nickel-Based Alloys Inconel 625, Hastelloy C276 Outstanding high-temperature strength and corrosion resistance; used in aero-engines, processamento químico.
Ligas de magnésio 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, peças complexas (hardware, acessórios).
Notas:
  • Gray & Ductile Iron: Preferred for cost-sensitive, large castings requiring good damping.
  • Aça: Shell molds withstand higher pouring temperatures, enabling ferrous alloy use with minimal shell degradation.
  • Stainless & Nickel-Based: Require specialized shell sand (por exemplo, zircon) and controlled pouring to avoid contamination.
  • Non-Ferrous Alloys: Benefit from shell mold’s fine surface finish and dimensional accuracy, reducing post-machining.

Advantages of DEZE About Shell Mold Casting

Advantages of DEZE About Shell Mold Casting

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

Shell mold casting Benefits and Challenges

Benefits of Shell Mold Casting

  • Alta precisão dimensional Achieves tolerances as tight as ±0.3 mm per 100 milímetros, making it ideal for parts that demand precise fits and minimal post-machining.
  • Acabamento de superfície superior Shell-molded parts typically exhibit Ra 3–6 µm, greatly reducing the need for grinding or polishing.
  • Complex Geometries & Thin Walls Can reliably produce undercuts, intricate details, and wall sections as thin as 1.5–2 mm, which are difficult or impossible in traditional sand casting.
  • Fast Mold Turnaround Resin-coated sand cures in seconds on the hot pattern, so new molds can be made rapidly for quick prototyping or small batch runs.
  • Consistent, Repeatable Results Rigid shell halves resist distortion during pouring, giving uniform grain structure and mechanical properties from one casting to the next.
  • Boas propriedades mecânicas Rapid, even cooling through the thin shell walls promotes a finer microstructure, enhancing strength and toughness compared to green-sand castings.

Challenges of Shell Mold Casting

  • Higher Molding Costs Thermosetting resins, heated patterns, and single-use shells raise the per-mold expense compared to conventional sand casting.
  • Limited Mold Lifespan Each shell mold is destroyed to retrieve the part, so there’s no tool reuse—driving up material and handling costs for large production volumes.
  • Size and Weight Constraints Shell halves become difficult to handle and prone to cracking once they exceed roughly 50 kg, limiting this method to small- and medium-sized components.
  • Health & Environmental Considerations Curing resins can emit volatile organic compounds and acid fumes; adequate ventilation and proper resin disposal procedures are essential.
  • Pouring Pressure Restrictions Shell molds cannot withstand the very high injection pressures used in die casting; they are suited only to gravity or low-pressure pours.

Shell Mold Casting Wide Applications

SERVIÇO

Indústria Typical Shell Mold Castings Typical Products
Automotivo Camshaft and crankshaft housings, gearbox and transmission cases, cabeças de cilindro, bearing carriers, and linkage arms—benefit from tight tolerances and fine surface finish, reducing or eliminating post-machining. Shell Mold Casting for Automotive
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. Aerospace & Defense
Dispositivos Médicos Surgical instrument handles and housings, implant-fixture bushings, orthopedic bracketry, and fluid-control valves—requiring complex internal passages, biocompatible alloys, and sterilizable finishes. Shell Molding Medical Devices
Industrial Valves & Pumps Precision valve bodies, impulsores, 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. Industrial Valves & Pumps
Oil & Gas / Petroquímica Chemical-service fittings, filter housings, manifold blocks, and instrumentation flanges—taking advantage of exotic alloys (por exemplo, Inconel, Hastelloy) with minimal surface porosity and high dimensional fidelity. Oil & Gas Application
Consumer & Decorative Ornamental door handles, luminárias, sculpture components, and architectural accents—shell-cast in brass, bronze, or aluminum to capture fine textures and crisp edges. Consumer & Decorative
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. Renewable Energy & Power Generation

General Tolerance Information of Shell Mold Casting

SERVIÇO

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

FAQs about Shell Mold Casting

SERVIÇO

What is shell mold casting?

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.

What metals can be cast by shell molding?

Almost any alloy is suitable—including gray and ductile irons, carbon and alloy steels, aços inoxidáveis, ligas de alumínio, copper-based alloys, and even nickel-based superalloys—thanks to the shell’s heat resistance.

How accurate and smooth are shell-molded parts?

Typical dimensional tolerances reach ±0.3 mm per 100 milímetros, and surface finishes are in the Ra 3–6 µm range. This precision often eliminates or minimizes secondary machining.

What part sizes are practical for shell molding?

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.

How fast can shell molds be produced?

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.

What kinds of geometries work best?

Intricate details—thin walls (down to 1.5 milímetros), Undercuts, fine ribs, and internal passages—are readily achieved. Cores can be inserted for complex internal cavities.

When should I choose shell mold casting?

Select shell molding when your parts require small- to medium-size, alta precisão dimensional, fine surface quality, and complex detail.

Shell Mold Casting VS Sand Casting VS Investment Casting

SERVIÇO

Critérios Fundição em Areia Fundição em molde de casca Fundição de investimento
Material do molde Green sand (sílica + clay) Resin-bonded fine sand shell Concha de cerâmica (wax patterns dipped in slurry)
Custo de ferramentas Very low Moderado (heated patterns + resin sand) Alto (wax tooling + multiple shell dips)
Mold Reuse Não (sand broken each pour, but sand is reclaimable) Não (each shell single-use, sand reclaimable) Não (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 (tipicamente < 10 kg)
Tolerância dimensional ± 0.5 mm por 100 milímetros ± 0.25–0.35 mm per 100 milímetros ± 0.15–0.25 mm per 100 milímetros
Acabamento de superfície (Rá) 6–12 µm 3–6 µm 1–2 µm
Espessura da parede ≥ 6 milímetros ≥ 1.5–2 mm ≥ 1 milímetros
Complexidade & Detail Moderado (cores required for internal features) Alto (paredes finas, fine features easily achieved) Muito alto (Undercuts, intricate geometries)
Tempo de ciclo Lento (mold prep, Shakeout) Rápido (shell cures in seconds) Slowest (multiple coating and dewax steps)
Volume de produção Baixo a médio Baixo a médio Baixo a médio (100–1,000s parts)
Typical Alloys Ferro, aço, alumínio, bronze, etc.. Ferro, aço, stainless, alumínio, ligas de cobre Stainless, Superlloys, bronze, alumínio
Post-processing Needs Often heavy machining and surface cleanup Minimal machining; light finishing Minimal machining; often ready to final shape
Best For Grande, heavy, cost-sensitive parts Precision small/medium parts with moderate volume Extremely intricate, thin-walled, high-accuracy parts

When to Choose Which Process

  • Fundição em Areia Choose when parts are large, simple in geometry, and tooling cost must be minimal. Ideal for heavy machinery housings, blocos de motor, and prototype runs.
  • Fundição em molde de casca Opt for shell molding when you need tighter tolerances and better surface finish than sand casting, but with faster mold turnaround and lower cost than investment casting. Common in automotive brackets, Altas da bomba, and medium-complexity components.
  • Fundição de investimento Use investment casting for the highest level of detail, the finest surface finish, and the thinnest walls. It’s the go-to for aerospace turbine blades, medical implant components, and intricate decorative hardware.

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