Design of Gating System and Casting Process Simulation of Cast Iron Plate

Applying appropriate gating system for producing cast part without any serious problem and casting defects has been real challenge. Defects such as; bifilms and gas entrapment, porosity, sand erosion and wash are the main problems to tackle with in the process of casting. In this paper, the susceptibility of common and new gating systems for gravity casting of gray cast iron thin plate in green sand are investigated, using the simulation approach. Four classes of gating systems including; top, side, bottom and slope pour were designed based on the generally accepted equations in the literature. ProCast (version 2016) has been used to simulate the casting process for the aforementioned designs. Also, an innovative gating system, benefited from applying chillers, introduced and examined. The simulation variables were selected based on the closest conditions to the real process. According to the results, the system with chiller and the slope gating system are the most effective gating systems, leading to the minimum defects and maximum quality of cast parts comparing to the other ones. However, the chill-used system is not easily applicable in casting industry, but the slope gating system can be performed as the most effective gating system to cast thin plate of gray cast iron and possibly other alloys.