The Glossary of Foundry and Casting
To help metal casting buyers and sellers
to understand more about metal casting and foundry operation terms.
All terms have been arranged in alphabetical order.
C or Croning Process
See Shell Molding.
Computer Aided Design (CAD)
The computer software/hardware used to produce part drawings
Abbreviation for Computer Aided Engineering.
An alloy of calcium and boron corresponding (when pure) to the
formula CaB6, containing about 61% boron and 39% calcium, and used
in deoxidation and degasification of nonferrous metals and alloys.
A grayish-black, hard crystalline substance made in the electric
furnace by fusing lime and coke. Addition of water to calcium
carbide forms acetylene and a residue of slaked lime. See Electric
A crushed product containing 40-50% molybdenum, 23-25% lime, 3% iron
maximum and 5-10% silica, used to add molybdenum to iron and steel
produced in the open hearth, air furnace, or electric furnace. See
Open Hearth, Air Furnace, Electric Furnace.
An alloy of calcium, silicon, and iron containing 28-35% Ca, 60-65%
Si, and 6% Fe, maximum used as a deoxidizer and degasser for steel
and cast-iron; sometimes called calcium silicide.
Calcium Wired Injection
Wire feeding of steel clad calcium wire into molten bath to provide
favorable kinetics for inclusion modification.
An alloy composed of 10-14% calcium, 8-12% aluminum, and 50-53%
silicon, sued for degasifying and deoxidizng steel. See Alloy.
An alloy containing 17-19% calcium, 8-10% manganese, 55-60% silicon,
and x0 to 14% iron, used as a cavenger for oxides, gases, and
nonmetallic impurities in steel. See Alloy.
Deviation from edge straightness usually referring to the greatest
deviation of side edge from a straight line.
A foundry that is an operating part of a manufacturing plant, and
whose production products, castings, are used within the plant as
parts of finished objects.
A compound of carbon with a more positive element, such as iron.
Carbon unites with iron to form iron carbide or cementite, Fe3C. See
Element occurring as diamond and as graphite. Carbon reduces many
metals from their oxides when heated with the latter, and small
amounts of it greatly affect the properties of iron. Though classed
as a nonmetallic, metallurgically, like boron, it is treated as a
Refers to the practice of adding oxidizing agents such as iron ore
or oxygen to molten steel in the furnace to react with carbon and
create a boiling action. In addition to reducing the carbon content,
it removes occluded gasses such as hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Carbon Dioxide Process (Silicate process, Schmidt Philip process)
A process for hardening molds or cores in which carbon dioxide gas
is blown through dry clay-free silica sand to precipitate silica in
the form of a gel from the sodium silicate binder. See Silica Sand.
Relationship of total carbon, silicon, and phosphorus in gray iron,
expressed by the formula CE=TC%+Si%/3+P%/3.
A molding aggregate consisting principally of carbon (graphite)
Steel which owes its properties chiefly to various percentages of
carbon without substantial amounts of other alloying elements; also
known as ordinary steel or straight carbon or plain carbon steel.
The carbon in iron or steel which is combined with other elements
and therefore is not in the free state as graphite or as temper
carbon. See Temper Carbon.
A process in which a ferrous alloy is case hardened by first being
heated in a gaseous atmosphere of such composition that the alloy
absorbs carbon and nitrogen simultaneously, and then being cooled at
a rate that will produce desired properties.
A form of case hardening that produces a carbon gradient inward from
the surface, enabling the surface layer to be hardened by either
quenching directly from the carbonizing temperature or by cooling to
room temperature, then reaustenitizing and quenching.
The surface layer of an iron-base alloy which has been suitably
altered in composition and can be made substantially harder than the
interior or core by heat treatment.
A process of hardening a ferrous alloy so that the surface layer or
case is made substantially harder than the interior or core.
Typically case hardening process are carburizing, carbonitriding,
and nitriding. See Carburizing, Carbonitriding, and Nitriding.
Iron shaped using any number of casting processes. Gray Iron is by
far the oldest and most common form of cast iron. As a result, it is
assumed by many to be the only form of cast iron and the terms "cast
iron" and "gray iron" are used interchangeably. Generic term for a
series of alloys of iron, carbon, and silicon, in which the carbon
is in excess of the amount which can be retained in solid solution
in austenite at the eutectic. When cast iron contains a specially
added element or elements in amounts sufficient to produce a
measurable modification of the physical properties under
consideration, it is called alloy cast iron. Silicon, manganese,
sulfur, and phosphorus, as normally obtained from raw materials, are
not considered as alloy additions. Term used to describe a series of
ferrous alloys containing over 1.74% of carbon. See Alloy, Gray
Metal plate, usually aluminum, cast with the cope pattern on one
side and the drag pattern on the other. See Matchplate.
A process where molten metal is poured into a mold and
solidification is allowed to take place. The act of pouring metal.
A metal object obtained by pouring molten metal into a mold. The
metal shape, exclusive of gates and risers, that is obtained as a
result of pouring metal into a mold. See Gate, Riser.
A defect in a casted object or casting.
An engineering drawing which depicts the shape and size of a part to
Is the sixth largest Industry in North America, behind Petroleum,
Agriculture, Lumber, Mining, Textile, Transportation according to
data supplied by the AFS. The Casting Industry is the making of
products from metals, earth, glass, etc. See AFS.
A check of dimensions against applicable drawings and
The porosity of a casting artifact.
A forming process in which a molten metal, polymer, or other heated
liquid or plastic material is poured into a mold or onto a substrate
with little or no pressure applied; the substance cools, solidifies,
and the formed object is removed.
Strains resulting from internal stresses created during cooling of a
Casting, Machine (verb)
Process of casting by machine.
Casting, Open Sand (noun)
Casting poured into an uncovered mold.
Welding one casting to another to form a complete unit. See
Welding one casting to another to form a complete assembly.
The formation and collapse of cavities or bubbles within a liquid.
Cavity, Mold Or Die
Impression or impressions in a mold or die that give the casting its
shape. See Casting (noun).
Mineral substances in finely divided form, which are hardened
through chemical reaction or crystallization. A common one is
Process in which the sand bonding agent is a type of portland cement
that develops high strength early in the hardening stage.
Approximately 13 pounds of cement, 6 pounds of water, and 100 pounds
of clayfree sand are mixed together. This mixture must be used
within 3 to 4 hours. Molds are air dried for 72 hours before use.
Highly refractory material in paste or dry form, ready to be mixed
with water which may be used as a mortar, a patching material, or to
form a complete lining in a furnace or other unit where high
temperatures are encountered.
Process of introducing elements into the outer layer of metal
objects by means of high-temperature diffusion.
A hard brittle, crystalline compound of iron and carbon commonly
known as iron carbide and having the approximate chemical structure,
Fe3C. Cementite is characterized by an orthorhombic crystal
Centrifugal Casting (verb)
Process of filling molds by pouring the metal into a sand or metal
mold revolving about either its horizontal or vertical axis, or
pouring the metal into a mold that subsequently is revolved before
solidification of the metal is complete. Molten metal is moved from
the center of the mold to the periphery by centrifugal action.
Centrifugal Casting (noun)
Casting made in molds which are rotating so as to produce a
centrifugal force in the molten metal. See Casting.
Mold in which the refractory and binder are such that when fired at
high temperature, a rigid structure is formed. Mold can be made in a
flask or in the form of a shell. See Binder, Flask, Mold.
Abbreviation for Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation
and Liability Act. 1980.
Substance derived principally from corn flour, which is added to the
core and molding sands to improve their properties for casting
production. See Core, Molding Sands.
Metallic element, malleable and ductile, most abundant of rare-earth
group. Atomic weigh 140.13, sp. Gr. 7.04, hardness (Mohs) about 2,
melting point 640°C. Has exceptionally strong affinity for oxygen,
sulfur, hydrogen, nitrogen, etc.
Method of crack detection which consists of applying a penetrating
liquid to the part, removing the excess from the surface which is
then coated with whiting or chalk. After a short time the penetrant
seeps out of the cracks into the whiting, causing an appreciable
difference in whiteness.
Breaking or beveling the sharp edge or angle formed by two faces of
a piece of wood or other material.
Coarsely graded refractory material prepared from calcined clay and
ground firebrick mulled with raw clay, used in steel foundries.
Metal supports or spacers used in molds to maintain the cores, or
parts of a mold, which are not self-supporting. Chaplets maintain
these dimensions during the casting process, they then become part
of the casting itself as the molten metal solidifies around the
chaplet and fuses it into the finished casting.
Charcoal (Pig) Iron
Pig iron reduced in a blast furnace, using charcoal as the fuel. See
System for charging the melting furnace with a crane.
Opening through which the furnace is charged.
Floor from which the furnace is charged.
Machine for charging the furnace, particularly the open hearth.
Charpy Impact Test
A pendulum type of impact test which a specimen, supported at both
ends as a simple beam, is broken by the impact of the falling
pendulum. Energy absorbed in breaking the specimen, as determined by
the decreased rise of the pendulum, is a measure of the impact
strength of the metal. See Brinell Hardness Test.
Intermediate sections of a flask inserted between cope and drag.
Necessitated by difficulty in molding unusual shapes, or in cases
where more than one parting line is required.
Chicken Wire Cracks
See Craze Crack.
Metal, graphite or carbon blocks that are incorporated into the mold
or core to locally increase the rate of heat removal during
solidification and reduce shrinkage defects. See Directional
A metallic device / insert in molds or cores at the surface of a
casting or within the mold to increase the rate of heat removal,
include directional solidification and reduce shrinkage defects. The
internal chill may then become a part of the casting. See Casting,
A device used to cool an isolated area of a mold.
A material applied to metal chills to prevent oxidation or other
deterioration of the surface which might result in blows when molten
metal comes in contact with the chills.
Chills made of steel wire formed into helical coils or spirals.
Chills in the form of nails.
Method of determining the suitability of a gray iron for specific
castings through its chilling tendency, as measured from the tip of
a wedge-shaped test bar.
Area of a casting in which chilling occurs, as long sharp edges or
Cast iron poured against a chill to produce a hard, un-machinable
To remove extraneous metal from a casting with hand or pneumatically
A refining or degasification process, wherein dry chlorine gas is
passed through molten aluminum-base and magnesium-base alloys to
remove entrapped oxides and dissolved gases.
Restriction in the gating system that controls the flow rate of
metal into the mold cavity. See Cavity, Mold Cavity.
Choke or Primary Choke
The part of the gating system that most restricts or regulates the
flow of metal into the mold cavity. See Cavity, Mold Cavity.
A 90Ni - 10Cr alloy used in thermocouples.
FeCr2O4. Specialty sand used in molding, has a similar effect to
Alloying element used as a carbide stabilizer. See Ferrochromium.
A rule which states that solidification time is proportional to the
square of the volume of the metal and inversely proportional to the
square of the surface area, or t (solidification time)=KV2/SA2.
A device for holding parts of a mold, flask, corebox, etc.,
Indentation on a casting surface due to displacement of sand in the
A casting process in which metal fills the mold through the drag by
application of a vacuum. See Drag.
Clay and water mixed to a creamy consistency.
A clay which, in addition to its capability of resisting high
temperatures, also possesses strong bonding power.
Process of removing sand, surface blemishes, runners, risers, flash,
surplus metal, and sand etc., from the exterior and interior
surfaces of castings. Includes degating, tumbling or abrasive
blasting, grinding off gate stubs, etc. See Runners, Risers, Flash,
Surplus Metal, and Sand.
The operation of lowering a part of the mold over some projecting
portion such as a core.
Abbreviation for Coordinate Measuring Machine.
Computerized Numerical Control (CNC)
The use of computers and software to control metal cutting machines.
Cutting tool paths can be generated directly from CAD produced part
drawings. See Computer Aided Design (CAD).
Agglomeration of fine particles into a mass. Also growth of
particles of a dispersed phase by solution and reprecipitation. Also
grain growth by absorption of adjacent undistorted grains.
Blue-white metal, melting at 2,715°F (1,492°C), used in very hard
alloy such as stellite, and a binder in carbide cutting tools. See
A radioactive isotope of the element cobalt used in radiographic
examinations of castings, and for determining height of molten metal
in cupola well. It is aslo used in used in medical and industrial
radiography. See Cupola.
A method of protecting metal parts by spraying on a cover of plastic
The information holes in perforated tape, as opposed to feed or
Coefficient of Expansion
Unit increase in size resulting from a unit increase in temperature;
measured in inches per inch per degree Fahrenheit (in/in/1/2°F) or
in millimeter per millimeter per degree Celsius (mm/mm/1/2°C).
The magnetizing force that must be applied in the direction opposite
to that of the previous magnetizing force in order to remove
residual magnetism; thus, an indicator of the strength of
magnetically hard materials.
The force by which like particles are held together. It varies with
different metals and depends upon molecular arrangement due to heat
A process of straightening and sizing castings by die pressing. See
Coal derivative resulting from the distillation of bituminous coal
in the absence of air. The distillation process removes all of the
volatile material from the coal so it can be used as a very intense
source of fuel in cupola melting. Source of some carbon found in
First layer of coke placed in the cupola. Also the coke used as the
foundation in constructing a large mold in a flask or pit.
Fines from coke screening, used in blacking mixes after grinding;
also briquetted for cupola use.
Type of pot or crucible furnace using coke as the fuel. See Coke,
The percentage volume of cell space in coke.
Coke produced from a bituminous coal by the beehive process where
heat for the coking process comes from a partial combustion of the
coke. Generally characterized by an elongate stringy structure.
Coke produced from bituminous coal in airtight code ovens where heat
for coking process is externally applied. Generally more uniform in
size than beehive coke, and usually ball or cube shape.
Residue left from the distillation of petroleum crude, used as a
Cold Blast Pig Iron
Pig iron produced in a blast furnace without the used of the heated
air blast. See Pig Iron.
Cold Box Process
A rapid coremaking process which does not require application of
heat to cure the cores. Hardening of the cores is accomplished by
chemical reaction rather than by conventional baking. A phenolic
resin is added to the sand used to make the core. This resin reacts
chemically when exposed to an accelerator, typically an active
organic gas, and hardens very quickly, forming an organic bond in
the core sand. This reaction occurs at room temperature and does not
require special coreboxes or equipment. Additionally, since the bond
is organic, the sand collapses readily during shakeout and can be
recovered easily from the casting.
Cold Chamber Machine
A diecasting machine where the metal chamber and plunger are not
immersed in hot metal.
Cold Chamber, Club Sandwich, Two-Faced, Three-Piece Die
A diecasting die in which two different pieces are cast in two
widely separated cavities.
Cracks in cold or nearly cold metal due to excessive internal stress
caused by contraction. Often brought about when the mold is to hard
or casting is of unsuitable design.
Wrinkled markings on the surface of an ingot or casting from
incipient freezing of the surface. See Ingot, Casting.
Cold Setting Binders
Term used to describe any binder that will harden the core
sufficiently at room temperature so core can be removed from its box
without distortion; commonly used in reference to oil-oxygen type
binders. See Binder.
Cold Setting Process
An of several systems for bonding mold or core aggregates by means
of organic binders, relying upon the use of catalysts rather than
heat for polymerization (setting).
A characteristic of metals that are brittle at ordinary or low
Brittleness when metal is at a low temperature.
Small globule of metal embedded in but not entirely fused with the
A surface imperfection due to unsatisfactory fusion of metal. It is
caused by insufficient fluidity, low pouring temperature, improper
choice of alloy, or inadequate runner systems. The location where
two streams of metal do not unite thoroughly in a casting. It may
have the appearance of a crack or seam with smooth, rounded edges.
Also see Cold Lap.
Plastic deformation of a metal at room temperature. Substantial
increases in strength and hardness may occur.
Any core binder process that uses a gas or vaporized catalyst to
cure a coated sand while it is in contact with the core box at room
Tendency of a sand mixture to break down under conditions of
A sprue pattern of flexible material, or of spring-tube design, used
in squeeze-molding of plated patterns, and incorporating a pouring
cup. See Pattern, Sprue, Pouring.
A device for confining the elements of a beam of radiation within an
assigned solid angle.
Finely divided clay of montmorillonite, kaolinite, or illite class;
prepared for foundry purposes as in sand bonding.
Finely divided material, less than 0.5 micron, 0.00002 in., in size,
gelatinous, highly absorbent, and sticky when moistened.
Colloids, Colloidal Material
Finely divided material less than 0.5 micron, 0.00002 in., in size,
such as albumin, glue, starch, gelatin, and bentonite.
Determining the amount of an element in a solution by measuring the
A micro-etch resulting from the formation of a thin film of a
definite compound of the metal.
Coarse structure of parallel columns of grains caused by highly
directional solidification resulting from sharp thermal gradients.
A die-casting die having two or more cavities of dissimilar parts.
See Multiple-Cavity Die.
The carbon in iron or steel combined with other elements and
therefore not in the free state as graphite or temper carbon.
That water in mineral matter which is chemically combined and driven
off only at temperatures above 231°F (111°C).
Materials capable of combustion; inflammable.
Chemical change as a result of the combination of the combustible
constituents of the fuel with oxygen, producing heat.
Space in furnace where combustion of gaseous products from fuel
The amount of heat usefully available divided by the maximum amount
which can be liberated by combustion; usually expressed in
Comfort Zone (Average)
The range of effective temperature over which the majority (50% or
more) of adults feel comfortable.
A rust-proofing process for steel.
Compacted Graphite Iron
An iron with with elongated graphite particles with rounded edges
and roughened surfaces. It possesses characteristics of both gray
and ductile iron. See Gray Iron, Ductile Iron.
Welding a steel casting to a rolled or forged steel object or to
another casting. See Cast-Weld.
Imposing a dead load on a small cylindrical test piece to determine
compressive strength, expressed in pounds per square inch.
The maximum compressive strength which a material is capable of
Device for providing gas under pressure. Usually connotes high
pressures and not so high volume.
Compressive Strength (Yield)
The maximum stress in compression that can be withstood without
plastic deformation or failure.
Patternmaking bonding technique, in which liquid bonding agent is
painted on both surfaces to be joined and allowed to dry. These dry
surfaces placed in contact adhere firmly.
A special form of chill used for cast iron to produce a dense but
graphite structure. See Cast Iron.
The transmission of heat, sound, etc. by the transferring of energy
from one particle to another.
The quality or power of conducting or transmitting heat,
The quantity of heat that flows through a material measured in heat
units per unit time per unit of cross-sectioned area per unit of
length, (electrical) the quantity of electricity that is transferred
through a material of know cross-section and length.
Connor Gate (Runner) (Lip feeder)
A runner in which the feed block overlaps the casting by 1/16 in.
(1.6 mm). See Runner.
Constant Intensity Pyrometer
Use of a comparison lamp filament's glow to estimate metal
An alloy of nickel and copper use in thermocouples.
A micrographically distinguishable part of an alloy or mixture.
The risk the consumer runs of accepting lots of quality p2. See P2.
Contact Printing (Ink Print)
A method of recording details of a macroetched structure. See Sulfur
The presence of small percentages of deleterious elements in an
alloy adversely affecting the alloy's mechanical properties and/or
A furnace or holding ladle that is made of discharge molten metal
continuously during normal operation.
Continuous Annealing Furnace
Furnace in which castings are annealed or heat treated by being
passed through different zones kept at constant temperatures. See
A process of removing sulfur from molten ferrous alloys on a
Used to continuously mix chemically bonded sand.
The phase that forms the matrix or background in which the other
phases are present as isolated units.
A defined area in which the occupational exposure of personnel to
radiation or to radioactive material is under the supervision of an
individual in charge of radiation protection.
Decrease in size or volume due to cooling of the metal after it is
poured. Shrinkage is the term applied to the decrease in volume of a
metal from liquid to solid stage. Contraction immediately follows
Cracks formed by restriction of the metal while contracting in the
mold; may occur just after solidification, called a hot tear, or a
short time after the casting has been removed from the mold. See Hot
See Shrinkage, Patternmaker's.
Any gas or mixture of gases that prevents or retards oxidation and
Process by which a metal object is cooled from an elevated
temperature in a predetermined manner of cooling to avoid hardening,
cracking, or internal damage.
The motion resulting in a fluid from the differences in density. In
heat transmission, this meaning has been extended to include both
forced and natural motion or circulation.
Vessel for refining molten metal by blowing a gas, usually air,
through it. Used in making steel from molten cast iron and in
refining copper. See Cast Iron.
A materials-handling device used usually with shakeout operations,
to help clean sand from the castings as they are moved from one
place to another in the foundry and as a feeding device to regulate
materials flow. Operations with vibrational energy.
A mechanical apparatus for carrying or transporting materials from
place to place. Types include apron, belt, chain, gravity, roller,
monorail, overhead, pneumatic, vibrating, etc.
A continuously moving belt used in an automated or semiautomatic
foundry to move materials from one station to another. See Conveyor.
Rotary worm-type blade used to move materials in automated core and
mold making and other continuous sand-mixing operations.
A materials-handling device that holds one or more molds and
transports them from the molding station through pouring to
shakeout. See Conveyor.
Conveyor, Pneumatic Tube
An air-tube means of moving materials from on place to another,
primarily orders, light metal samples, and sand and other finely
divided materials, as bentonite.
A line of conveyance in an automated or semiautomated foundry which
employs a series of steel roller for moving objects.
A materials-handling device built on a continuous belt of metal
slats that moves granular materials and castings throughout a
foundry. See Conveyor.
The largest of three water coolers surrounding the cinder notch of a
A curve delineating the relationship between temperature and time
during the cooling of a metal or alloy test specimen. Since most
phase changes involve evolution or absorption of heat, there may be
abrupt changes in the slope of the curve. See Cracking Strip.
Stresses developed by uneven contraction or external constraint of
metal during cooling.
A process of cooling from an elevated temperature in a predetermined
manner used to produce a desired microstructure to avoid hardening,
cracking or internal damage.
The top half of a horizontally parted mold. The upper or topmost
section of a flask, mold, or pattern. See Flask, Mold, Pattern.
Temporary cope used only in forming the parting and therefore not a
part of the finished mold. See Cope.
The extension of sand of the cope downward into the drag, where it
takes an impression of a pattern. See Drag.
For foundry applications, copper is meant to include all alloys
containing 98% or more copper. Used for conductivity castings.
Melting point 1,083°C (1,981.4°F).
Copper produced by the electrolysis method.
One or more projecting courses of brick each projecting beyond the
A bonded sand insert placed in the mold to form an undercut or
hollow section in the casting which cannot be shaped by the pattern.
A core is frequently used to create openings and various shaped
cavities in the casting. The shaped body of sand which forms
interior of casting and also selected external features.
An iron framework embedded in a large core to stiffen it and for
convenience in handling.
A complex core made from a number of cores or sections.
Pipe-shaped device upon which a cylindrical core is formed.
Any material used to hold the grains of core sand together.
A gas pocket in a casting adjacent to a core cavity caused by
entrapping gases from the core.
Core Blowing Machine
Machine which reams the core by blowing sand into the core box. See
Core, Core Box.
A mold in which a core is formed. A wood, metal or plastic box,
whose cavity has the shape of the desired core which is to be made
therein. See Core, Mold.
Core Box, Combination
Core box and core dryers from the same pattern. One half is used as
a half core box and a core drier. See Core Box, Pattern.
Part of a core assembly. See Core Assembly.
A machine for crushing cores or for removing cores from castings.
The interior form of a core box that gives shape to the core. Also,
the cavity produced in a casting by use of a core. See Core Box.
The rate of disintegration of the core at elevated temperature.
A commercial mixture used as a binder in core sand. See Binder, Core
An iron framework embedded in a large core to stiffen it and for
convenience in handling.
Appears in a casting after solidification and cooling due to
excessive strain generally resulting from nonuniform cooling.
Either the permeability of core or the weight per unit volume.
Core Driers or Dryers
Supports used to hold cares in shape while being baked; constructed
from metals or sand for conventional baking, or from plastic
material for use with dielectric core-baking equipment. See
A special shell-core-making machine that produces a continuous
length of cores, usually of cylindrical cross-section.
Material used in place of sand in the interiors of large cores
-coke, cinder, sawdust, etc., usually added to aid collapsibility.
A casting defect, a depression in the casting caused by a fin on the
core that was not removed before the core was set, or by paste that
has oozed out from between the joints.
A casting defect caused by core movement towards the cope surface of
the mold, as a result of core buoyancy in liquid steel, resulting in
a deviation from the intended wall thickness.
Frame of skeleton construction used instead of a complete core box
in forming intermediate and large cores. See Core Box.
Machine for grinding a taper on the end of a cylindrical core or to
grind a core to a specified dimension, usually flat face.
A pitch material used as a core binder. See Core Binder.
The ability of a core to resist scratching or abrasion.
Core Jig (Fixture)
Device in which a number of cores are assembled outside the mold,
then used to locate the assembly in the proper position in the mold.
Core Knockout Machine
A mechanical device for removing cores from castings. See Core,
A core material of any size and shape used to lighten pattern
castings and match plates.
Machine for making cores. See Core.
A core seat shaped or arranged that the core will register correctly
in the mold; also termed locator, indicator, register, telltale. A
core maker is also a person who makes cores.
A daubing mixture used to correct defect in cores. See Core.
Linseed-base or other oil used as a core binder. See Core Binder.
An oven for baking cores.
Material in paste form used as an adhesive to join sectional cores.
A plate or board made of metal or heat-resisting material on which
certain types of cores are baked.
Projections on a pattern that form and locate cores in a mold. A
core print is also a projection on the core or an area in the mold
for same purpose.
The ability of a core to resist breakdown when exposed to heat.
Steel rods imbedded in a core used to reinforce the core and
strengthen it. See Core.
Sand for making cores to which a binding material has been added to
obtain good cohesion and permeability after drying. Core sand is
usually low in clays.
Core Sand Mixer
Equipment in which cores are made. See Core.
An operator or machine for placing cores in molds.
Core Setting Jig
A device used to help set and position a core into the mold.
A dfect resulting from the movement of the core from its proper
position in the mold cavity. A variation from specified dimensions
of a cored section due to a change in position of the core or
misalignment of cores in assembling.
A device using low air pressure to fluidize the sand mix which is
released quickly in such a way as to force it into a core box. See
A shaft on which a core barrel is rotated in making cylindrical
A device for spraying a coating on cores. See Core.
Core Stickle Template (Sweep)
Device of wood or metal to give shape to certain types of cores or
Core Strainer (Strainer Tub)
Baked sand or refractory disc with uniform size holes through its
thickness used to control the discharge of metal from pouring basins
into sprues or to regulate the flow of metal in gates systems of
molds; also to prevent entrance of dross or slag into the mold
Truck or carriage used for transporting cores.
A wax product, round or oval in form, used to form the vent passage
in a core. Also refers to a metal screen or slotted piece used to
form the vent passage in the corebox employed in a core blowing
A suspension of a refractory material applied to cores and dried.
Intended to improve the surface finish of the casting. A refractory
coating for a core.
Core Wires Or Rolls
See Core Rod.
Core attached to the pattern and rammed up in the mold, where it
remains when the pattern is withdrawn.
Heating cores to baking temperatures by means of high-frequency
dielectric equipment; particularly adapted to thermo-setting resin
core binders. See Core, Dielectric Baking.
See Core Box.
Coreless Induction Furnace
See Induction Furnace.
A device to make cores. See Core.
A craftsman skilled in the production of cores for foundry use.
A projection on a pattern which leaves an impression in the mold for
supporting the core. See Core, Pattern.
A decrease in the height of a core, usually accompanied by an
increase in width, as a result of insufficient green strength of the
sand to support its own weight.
Department of the foundry in which cores are made.
Variable composition due to the solidification characteristics of an
alloy. Typically these compositional differences occur on a micro
scale, the distances between compositional extremes being controlled
by the solidification structure of the alloy.
Placement of cores chills, and chaplets in mold halves before
closing the mold. See Chaplets.
Cornerslick (inside and outside corners)
A molder's tool used for repairing and slicking the sand in molds.
Used primarily on dry sand and loam.
Corrective Effective Temperature Chart
A chart on which information can be plotted resulting in an
adjustment temperature reading more indicative of human comfort.
Gradual chemical or electrochemical attack on a metal by atmosphere,
moisture or other agents. A chemical attack of furnace linings by
gases, slags, ashes or other fluxes occurring in various melting
A number expressing the maximum depth in mils to which corrosion
would penetrate in one year on the basis of a linear extrapolation
of the penetration occurring during the lifetime of a given test or
Wear in which chemical or electrochemical reaction with the
environment is significant.
Native alumna, or aluminum oxide, Al2O3, occurring as rhombohedral
crystals and also in masses and variously colored grains. Applied
specifically to nontransparent kinds used as abrasives. It is
hardest mineral except the diamond. Corundum and its artificial
counterparts are abrasives especially suited to the grinding of
Producing a black, rust-resisting surface on iron and steel by
boiling for some hours in water containing phosphoric acid and iron
An electrostatic method of removing solid particles from gases.
Count rate meter
A device which gives a continuous indication of the average rate of
Two dissimilar conductors in electrical contact. An electromotive
force in created under proper electrolytic influences or during
Alternate layers of material in a pattern, or brickwork.
A protective blanket laid on a melt to exclude oxidizing atmosphere
and in the case of magnesium to prevent its igniting. Neutral covers
simply protect metal from atmosphere; reacting covers contain an
agent such as a deoxidizer.
A core set in place during the ramming of a mold to cover and
complete a cavity partly formed by the withdrawal of a loose part of
the pattern. Also used to form part or all of the cope surface of
the mold cavity. A core placed over another core to create a flat
parting line. See Core, Mold Cavity, Pattern.
In Die casting, the stationary half of the die.
Developed in a casting before it has cooled completely, and usually
due to some part of the mold restraining solid contraction of the
metal. See Tear, Hot Tear.
Crack, Hot Tear
A rupture occurring in a casting at or just below the solidifying
temperature by a pulling apart of the soft metal, caused by thermal
contraction stresses. See Quench Crack.
A fin of metal molded on the surface of a casting to prevent
cracking. See Fin, Cooling Curve.
A machine for lifting heavy weights; may be hand or power operated.
Type include electric, gantry, jib, monorail, etc.
A bridge carrying a traveling crane and supported by a pair of
trestles running on parallel tracks.
A crane suspended from a jib.
A crane supported on structure that rolls on wheels; may be moved
manually or by its own power.
Crane, Wall Jib
A jib crane mounted on a wall rather than on an overhead beam.
Craze Crack (Crazing)
Minute crack on ceramic or refractory surface caused by thermal or
A defect found in pack-hardened tools, manifested in surface
Time rate of deformation continuing under stress intensities well
within the yield point, proportional limit, or the apparent elastic
limit for the temperature.
The maximum stress that will result in creep at a rate lower than an
assigned rate. See Creep.
Network of cast iron used to support the cope when no cope flask is
Simplest crystallographic form of SiO2.
Critical Cooling Rate
The minimum rate of continuous cooling just enough to prevent
Critical Points (Temperatures)
Temperatures at which changes in the phase of a metal talk place,
and are determined by the liberation of heat when the metal is
cooled and by the absorption of heat when the metal is heated,
resulting in halts or arrests on cooling and heating curves.
Critical Shear Stress
The shear stress required to cause slip in a single crystal, in a
designated slip direction on a given slip plane. Referred to as the
critical resolved shear stress if the shear stress reaches a
A term used in stress corrosion cracking tests to indicate the
maximum strain rate necessary to promote stress corrosion cracks.
Croning Process (C Process, Cronizing)
A casting process name after its German developer Johannes Croning.
It is a precision production process using a phenol formaldehyde
resin binder. See Shell Molding.
A view of the interior of an object that is represented as being cut
in two, the cut surface presenting the cross section of the object.
Wood or metal bar placed in a flask to give greater anchorage to the
sand than is afforded by its four walls.
Furnace roof, especially when dome-shaped; highest point of an arch.
A ceramic pot or receptacle made of materials such as graphite or
silicon carbide, with relatively high thermal conductivity, bonded
with clay or carbon, and used in melting metals; sometimes applied
to pots made of cast iron, steel, or wrought steel. The name derives
from the cross, the Crux, with which ancient alchemists adorned it.
See Cast Iron.
A furnace fired with coke, oil, gas, or electricity in which metals
are melted in a refractory crucible. See Coke, Crucible.
The zone in the cupola between the bottom and the tuyere. See
A casting defect, such as buckling or breaking, of a section of mold
due to incorrect register when closing. Also, an indentation in the
casting surface due to displacement of sand in the mold when the
mold is closed.
Crush Strip Or Bead
An indentation in the parting line of a pattern plate which ensures
that cope and drag have good contact by producing a ridge of sand
which crushes against the other surface of the mold or core.
The pushing out of shape of core or mold when two parts of the mold
do not fit properly.
A physically homogeneous solid in which the atoms, ions, or
molecules are arranged in a three-dimensional repetitive pattern.
Determination of crystal structure.
The way atoms are arranged in a crystal. Spacewise, there are only
14 different lattices.
Fracture of a brittle metal, showing definite crystal faces in the
Act or process of forming crystals or bodies formed by element or
compounds solidifying so they are bounded by plane surfaces,
symmetrically arranged, and are the external expressions of definite
Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD)
Illnesses that develop gradually over time and involve disorders of
the soft tissues of the body. Caused or aggravated by repeatedly or
constantly applied excessive forces, awkward postures, or highly
repetitive movements of the body.
A cylindrical straight shaft furnace usually lined with
refractories, for melting metal in direct contact with coke by
forcing air under pressure through openings near its base. Vertical
shaft furnace lined with refractories used to produce cast iron by
high temperature melting of metallic and mineral charge materials.
A machine which compresses a large volume of air at low pressure for
operation of the cupola.
Cupola Dust Arrester
A device attached to the stack of a cupola which removes dust and
sparks for the outgoing gases. See Cupola.
Cupola with refractory lining which has a basic reaction, usually
magnesite, and is operated with slags high in lime. Lining may be
neutral material like carbon, used with high lime slags. See Cupola,
Cupola, Hot Blast
Cupola in which the air blast is heated to temperatures from 400° to
Cupola in which the melting zone and tuyeres are cooled with water.
Cooling of melting zone may be internal through jackets or steel
tubing under the refractory lining. Cooling is also accomplished
externally by water flowing down the outer shell. See Cupola.
Curing Time (No Bake)
That period of time needed before a sand mass reaches maximum
Defect in a casting resulting from erosion of the sand by metal
flowing over the mold or cored surface. See Casting.
Cutoff Machines, Abrasive
A machine using a thin abrasive wheel and employed in cutting off
gates and risers from casting or in similar operations. See
Defects in castings resulting from erosion of the sand by the molten
metal pouring over the mold or core surface. See Casting.
A piece of sheet metal or other tool for removing a portion of the
sand in a mold to form the gate or metal entrance into the casting
cavity. A scoop or other form of cutting gates in the mold. See
A piece of metal tubing or other tool used to remove a portion of
the sand from a mold to form the sprue or passage from the exterior
of the mold to the gate. Also a machine used for shearing sprues and
gates from castings. See Gate, Sprue.
The plastic discs impregnated with an abrasive for cutting ceramics
and metals. Used on abrasive cutoff machines.
Cyclone (Centrifugal Collector)
In air pollution control, a controlled descending vortex created to
spiral objectionable gases and dust to the bottom of a collector
In air pollution control, radial liquid (usually water) sprays
introduced into cyclones to facilitate collection of particles.
A device for accelerating charged particles to high energies by
means of an alternating electric field between electrodes placed in
a constant magnetic field.
D (Fordath) Process
Shell molding in which the shell is made by blowing sand into a box
like heated structure so that a shell of controlled thickness is
created. See Shell Molding.
The ability to absorb vibration. More accurately defined as the
amount of work dissipated into heat by a unit volume of material
during a completely reverse cycle of unit stress.
In layout and machining operations the reference plane from which
dimensions are measured in the perpendicular direction.
In layout and machining operations the reference points on a datum
plane from which dimensions are measured.
To coat or plaster the inside of a cupola at the melting zone or the
inside of a ladle with a refractory mixture.
Filling of cracks in molds or cores by specially prepared pastes or
coatings to prevent a mechanical penetration of metal into these
cracks during pouring. Also, the final plastering or coating of the
cupola or ladle after shrinkage has taken place during the drying
period. Clay slurry or clay wash with various coating compounds are
applied. See Clay Wash.
DC (Direct Chill) Casting
A continuous method of making ingots or billets or extrusion by
pouring the metal into a short mold. Some times called
Fully killed steel, also applied to steel which fails to respond to
heat treatment. See Heat Treatment, Killed Steel.
Term applied to refractory materials obtained by calcimining at a
temperature high enough to form a product inert to atmospheric
moisture and carbon dioxide, and less apt to contract. See
Dolonite burned at high temperature with additions of an agent, such
as oxide of iron.
The useless metal projecting on a casting which corresponds to the
position of a riser in the mold. See Casting, Riser.
Pour from one vessel to another. Pour off molten metal without
disturbing the sludge.
Loss of carbon from the surface of a ferrous alloy as a result of
heating in a medium, usually oxygen, that react with carbon.
Unit for measuring the ration amounts of acoustical power; one-tenth
of a bel.
Macroetching; etching for examination at a low (less that 10X)
magnification, in a reagent that attacks the metal to a much greater
extent than normal for microscopic examination. Gross features may
be developed; i.e., abnormal grain size, segregation, cracks, or
Deep Red Filter
A gas filter in air pollution control, consisting of a loosely
packed mat of fibrous materials; not practical where high grain
loading are encountered.
A discontinuity in the product whose severity is judged unacceptable
in accordance with the applicable product specification.
An AGS test using an instrument such as the Dietert Universal
Sand-Strength Testing machine (with deformation accessory) to
determine the amount in inches that the sand specimen is compressed
before it ruptures.
A material employed for removing gases from molten metals and
Usually a chemical reaction resulting from a compound added to
molten metal to remove gases from the metal. Often inert gases are
used in this operation.
A flux for removing gas from the melt.
Degree of Ramming
The extent of hardness to which a sand mold is rammed. See Ramming,
Delay Screen (Skim gate (Erroneously), Skim Strainer)
A small piece of perforated light gage tinned sheet steel, or of
copper, aluminum, and/or magnesium alloys, frequently placed in the
pouring basin at the top of the downsprue. It delays the flow of
metal long enough to allow the basin to fill before it melts to
permit only clean metal from the bottom of the basin to enter the
downsprue. Delay screens are also use elsewhere in the gating
An allotropic (polymorphic) form of iron, stable above 2550°F,
crystallizing in the body-centered-cubic lattice.
A crystal of branched appearance, formed during solidification of
alloys, the branching habit being controlled by specific
crystallographic directions with the branching structure resembling
a a fir tree.
Instrument utilizing the photoelectric principle to determine the
degree of darkening of developed photographic film.
The mass per unit volume of a substance, usually expressed in grams
per cubic centimeter or in pounds per cubic foot.
Density is used to denote the degree of darkening of photographic
film. Logarithm of opacity of exposed and processed film. Opacity is
the reciprocal of transmission; transmission is the ratio of
transmitted to incident intensity.
Elimination of phosphorus from molten steel.
An inflammation of the skin, which may be caused by allergy to
certain casting adjuncts, as resins; particularly in the shell
Remove the fire scale from the surface of casting. See Casting.
Design Base Line
The noise spectrum which is the goal of any particular noise
Type of metal named, as steel, malleable, nonferrous, etc.
Hardening by the formation of hard microconstituents dispersed in a
softer matrix. See Precipitation Hardening.
Removal of sulfur from the molten metal by addition of suitable
A material used to remove sulfur from molten metals and alloys.
Also, a form of holding ladle or basin in which the molten metal and
desulfurizing material are brought into contact. See Ladle.
Detroit Cup Test
A cupping test for sand, using a steel ball as plunger, the depth of
cup being shown on a dial.
A test to give the relative hardness of deep hardening steels. See
BHN, Brinell Hardness.
The temperature at which moist air will become saturated and
condensation of water vapor will take place.
The process of melting out the expendable was pattern from an
investment mold by the application of heat, usually at temperatures
less than 250°F (121°C).
Removal of excess oxygen from molten metal, usually accomplished by
adding materials with a high affinity for oxygen, the oxides of
which are either gaseous or readily form slags.
Soluble gummy carbohydrate formed by the decomposition of starch by
heat, acids, or enzymes; it is use din core compounds, mold
compounds, mold washes, core pastes, and other compounds requiring
high dry compressive strengths.
Corrosion of some copper-zinc alloys, involving loss of zinc and the
formation of a spongy porous copper. See Alloy.
In microscopy, an indication of the amount of magnification. 1000
diameters = 1000 times original size.
Used to fireproof clothing of foundry workers.
Diaphragm Shell Molding Machine
An arrangement for applying a squeeze pressure with a
high-temperature silicone rubber diaphragm.
A rocklike mineral consisting chiefly of diaspore (HAlO2) bonded by
fire clay substance with an alumina content higher than 63%.
Dia-Tester (Wolpert Hardness Tester)
A hardness testing machine using the Vickers or Brinell ball
indenter. See BHN, Brinell Hardness, Vickers Diamond.
An instrument for examining the thermal resistance or the heat
conducting power of objects.
Diatomaceous Earth (Infusorial Earth)
A hydrous of silica which is soft, light in weight and consists
mainly of microscopic shells of diatoms or other marine organisms.
A metal block used in forming materials by casting, molding,
stamping, threading, or extruding. A metal form used as a permanent
mold for die casting or lost wax process. See Lost Wax Process.
The parts of a die stamp or press that hold the die and locate it
for the punches.
(a) Forcing molten metal into permanent molds, dies. Die Casting is
also called Pressure Casting. See Pressure Die Casting. (b) noun
Casting resulting from die-casting process. (c) verb Pouring molten
metal under pressure into metal molds.
Die Casting, Cold Chamber
Type of casting made in a die-casting machine in which the metal
injection mechanism is not submerged in the molten metal.
Die Casting, Hot Chamber
Type of casting made in a die-casting machine in which the metal
injection mechanism is submerged in the molten metal.
See Release Agent.
A removable liner or part of a die body or punch.
In stamping, the parts of the press that hold the die and locate it
in proper relation to the punches.
Forming or machining a depressed pattern in a die.
Baking of cores and molds in a field of high-frequency electric
current generated by dielectric equipment; employed with
resin-bonded cores. See Bake, Baked Core.
Dielectric Oven (Dryer)
A rapid-drying high frequency electric oven used to bake cores. See
Bake, Baked Core.
A patented process for the production of precision molds involving
blowing a contoured core around a pattern to form half a mold. See
Core, Mold, Pattern.
A patented apparatus for the direct reading of a Brinell hardness
after impression without using magnification or conversion tables.
See BHN, Brinell Hardness.
Differential Heat Treatment
A heating process by which the temperature is varied within the
object so that, after cooling, various parts may have different
properties as desired. See Heat Treatment.
X-ray equipment, a portion of the condensing and focusing system
that permits even distribution of energy. See X-Ray.
Movements of atoms within a solution. Net movement is usually from
regions of high concentration to regions of low concentration to
achieve homogeneity of the solution which may be a solid, gas, or
A patented flexible seal to prevent blow-by in core boxes. See Core
Instrument for measuring expansion or contraction, the length of a
metal sample, caused by changes in temperature or structure.
Ability of a casting to remain unchanged in size and shape under
ordinary atmospheric conditions.
Dimensional Tolerance Grades
A system of classifying the tightness of tolerances for the purpose
of defining accurately the tolerances involved, and for simplifying
the communication process between customer and producer regarding
what is wanted, and what is possible, respectively.
In solid and shell mold investment casting, a fine ceramic coating
applied as a slurry to the pattern to produce maximum surface
smoothness, followed by a cheaper conventional investment. See
A tank, preferably lined with rubber, epoxy, or other nonmetallic,
into which die castings are dipped for cooling after leaving the
A thin joint made by dipping of the brick in a thin mortar.
Teeming from the ladle into the casting mold without the use of a
Electric furnace in which the material is heated directly by an arc
established between the electrodes and the work. See Dielectric
Refers to the arrangement of a solidification pattern in a casting
by establishment of high temperature gradients, whereby
solidification of the metal begins at the point farthest from the
metal entrance or sprue and the metal progressively freezes or
solidifies to and including the sprue. See Solidification.
Indefinite term referring to any extraneous material entering a mold
cavity and usually forming a blemish on the casting surface. See
A well employed in a gating system to entrap the first metal poured,
which may contain dirt or unwanted particles (ineffective). See Slag
A casting containing an excessive amount of nonmetallic inclusions
in the body of the metal. See Inclusion.
Disamatic molding is a type of sand molding process in which molten
metal is poured into a mold made of sand to make Gray Iron Castings.
Disamatic machines are designed to provide molds built for vertical
casting and the molds are created in a vertical orientation.
Disamatic machines create flaskless molds. Disamatic molding gets
its name from the company that manufactures the molding machine,
DISA. A Disamatic molding machine is a vertically parted sand
molding machine. The vertical molding machine is often the choice
for production of very close tolerance Gray Iron Castings. See Gray
Iron, Hunter Molding.
Disappearing Filament Pyrometer (Optical Pyrometer)
A telescope in which a hot body is viewed through an eyepiece and
temperature is measured by the matching color of a calibrated lamp
filament with color of hot metal.
Small shrinkage cavities dispersed through the casting, which are
not necessarily cause for rejection. See Casting, Cavity, Shrinkage.
Carbon in solution in steel in either the liquid or solid state.
A pattern untrue to the specified dimensions. See Pattern.
A siliceous clay containing Bentonite used as bond in molding sands.
See Molding Sands.
Distribution, Sand Grain
Variation or uniformity in particle size of a sand aggregate when
properly screened by U.S. Standards screens.
Maximum strength of a metal when subjected to three principal
tensile stresses at right angles to one another and of equal
The cold worked metal formed on a polished surface during the
processes of grinding and polishing.
Divorced Pearlite (Granular perlite, Spheroidite, Spheroidized
Pearlite in which the cementite has been spheroidized by prolonged
annealing just below the Ac1 point, or by annealing at the same
temperature after cold working. See Ac1, Pearlite.
A mineral calcium-magnesium carbonate (Ca, MG (CO3)2) used as a flux
in iron melting and smelting; also as a base in refractors.
Instrument used to detect and measure an accumulated dosage of
radiation; in common usage it is a pencil-size ionization chamber
with a built-in self-reading electrometer; used for personal
monitoring. See Dosimeter, Pocket.
A pocket ionization chamber containing it own electrometer. An
auxiliary charging device is usually necessary. See Dosimeter.
As applied to hypoeutectoid steel, a process of heating to above the
upper critical point, Ac3, and holding at that temperature until
complete solution of the carbide has been achieved then cooling
rapidly and reheating immediately to above A3 and slowly cooling.
See Ac3, Annealing.
Double Impression Method
A way of determining approximate Brinell hardness by placing a
hardened steel ball between a specimen of known hardness and the
metal to be tested and pressurizing in an arbor press. See BHN,
Double Skin (Bottom Splash, Ingot Shell, Plaster)
A defect consisting of a secondary layer of metal sometimes found on
top-poured ingots. See Ingot.
A retempering operation sometimes necessary for steel containing
retained austenite which breaks down during cooling from the first
tempering to form a new and hence untempered martensite.
Deadburn; not be mistaken for two firing.
A pin used between the sections of parted patterns or core boxes to
locate and hold them in position, registering them correctly. See
In air pollution control, a pipe for conducting bases down into a
conditioner and subsequent cleaning.
Downsprue (Sprue, Downgate)
The first channel, usually vertical, which the molten metal enters;
so called because it conducts metal down into the mold.
Time lost from normal casting activity, due to unscheduled
The taper on vertical surfaces of a pattern which allows easy
withdrawal of the pattern from a compacted sand mixture without
distorting or tearing of the sand and without excessive rapping and
tearing of the mold walls.
See Pattern Draft.
Lower or bottom section of a mold, pattern or flask. See Mold,
A term used to temper, to remove pattern from mold, as an external
contraction defect on surface of mold.
To remove a pattern from a mold.
Draw Bar (noun)
A bar used for lifting the pattern from the mold. See Mold, Pattern.
A wooden peg used for drawing patterns.
A plate attached to a pattern to facilitate drawing of a pattern
from the mold.
A threaded rod with an eye screwed into a pattern to enable it to be
drawn from the mold. See Mold, Pattern.
A steel spike used to rap and draw a pattern from the sand; it is
driven into the wood of the pattern, as opposed to a Draw Screw,
Appearance of shrink on the upper surface of a casting. See Casting,
A part of the mold, made of green sand, which may be drawn back to
clear overhanging portions of the pattern. It is rammed up on a
plate or arbor so that it can be lifted away. See Arbor, Mold,
Removing pattern from the mold or mold from pattern in production
work. See Temper.
Sand which bas been dried by mechanical dryer prior to use in core
A material, as alcohol ammonium nitrate, sodium perborate and
manganese oleate, added to a core or mold mixture to remove or
reduce the water content.
Plates for supporting odd shaped cores during baking.
Chips, or small particles of metal removed from a test specimen for
A casting defect caused by sand dropping from the cope or other
A heavy weight, usually ball or pear shaped, dropped from a height
to break large pieces of metal scrap. Also used to strengthen warp
A term for a pouring gate or runner leading directly into the top of
Drop Off or Drop Out
Sand falling from the Cope of a mold. See Drop.
Drop or Drop Out
The falling away of a body of sand when the mold is jarred or
Dropping the Bottom
Removal of the supporting props under the cupola bottom doors to
permit emptying of the remaining contents. See Cupola.
Metal oxides and other scum on the surface of molten metal or in a
metal or alloy (mostly a non-ferrous term).
A cylindrical refractory-lined ladle that is completely enclosed. A
removable cover at the pouring spout permits addition of molten
An electrically energized pulley or drum used for removing magnetic
materials from sand, nonferrous borings and turnings, etc.
A term applied to spectrographic analysis.
Dry And Baked Compression Test
An AFS test to determine the maximum compressive stress that a baked
sand mixture is capable of developing.
A grinding machine of heavy rollers or millers testing on a bed.
Screens or slits allow fine material to pass through.
Property of a molded mass of sand dried at 221°F to 230°F and cooled
to room temperature, to permit passage of gases through it.
Sand mixture that is baked to produce strong molds that are moisture
Dry Sand Casting
The process in which the sand molds are dried at above 212°F (100°C)
Dry Sand Core
Dry Sand Mold
A mold from which the moisture has been removed by heating.
Dry Strength, or Dry Bond Strength
The maximum compressive, shear, tensile, or transverse strength of a
sand mixture which has been dried at 220°F to 230°F (105°C to 110°C)
and cooled to room temperature.
See Core Driers.
See Dielectric Oven.
A mold made of prepared molding sand dried thoroughly before being
filled with metal. See Mold, Molding Sand.
Dual Metal Centrifugal Casting
Centrifugal castings produced by pouring a different metal into the
rotating mold after the first metal poured.
A type of iron in which the graphite content takes spherical rather
than flake form. Ductile iron is produced by adding magnesium. The
spherical form of the graphite provides greater tensile strengths
and flexibility than other types of iron. An iron/graphite composite
in which the graphite exists in spheres or nodules, allowing the
material to deform rather than fracture when placed under mechanical
stress. Also called Nodular Iron. Iron in which carbon is in the
form of spherical nodules. See Nodular Iron.
The property permitting permanent deformation by stress in tension
with out rupture.
Term usually used in reference to melting metals or alloys in one
type of furnace and transferring to another for holding, refining,
etc. Common in the malleable field, where charges are melted in a
cupola and transferred to air or electric furnaces for slight
reduction of carbon and an increase in temperature.
Small solid particles created by the breaking up of larger particles
by a process.
Penetrant is used to crack detection, which has a dye added to make
it more readily visible under normal or black-lighting conditions.
In the case of normal lighting, the dye is usually red and
nonfluorescent. With black lighting, the dye is fluorescent and
yellow-green in color.
Eddy Current Testing
The detection of discontinuities by observation of the interaction
between electromagnetic fields and metals.
Marks left on die castings by the ejector pins, which may be raised
or depressed from the surface of the casting. See Die Casting,
Movable pins in pattern dies which help remove patterns from the
Movable plate beneath a shell molding pattern containing the pins
for lifting or ejecting the hardened, resin-bonded shell mold from
the pattern. See Shell Molding.
Maximum stress that a material will withstand without permanent
deformation. See Yield Strength.
The property of recovering original shape and dimensions upon
removal of a deforming force.
Electric Arc Furnace
A crucible furnace that uses an electric arc, similar to an electric
arc welding operation, to melt metal. See Crucible Furnace.
In air pollution control, the use of electrodes in stack emissions
emitting high voltage; particles 0.1 micron and smaller can be
attached and collected at discharge electrode.
Electrochemical Corrosion (Contact Corrosion, Electrolytic
Corrosion, Galvanic Corrosion)
Localized corrosion from exposure of an assembly of dissimilar
metals in contact or coupled with one another, i.e., electrochemical
Compressed graphite or carbon cylinder or rod used to conduct
electric current in electric arc furnaces, arc lamps, carbon arc
Electron Microprobe Analyzer
An instrument for selective analysis of a microscopic area, in which
an electron beam bombards the point of interest in Vacuo at a given
energy level. Intensity of backscatter is measured to interpret
which chemical elements are present, and by scanning a large area
the microprobe can analyze chemical composition and indicate the
distribution of an element.
A measure of a material's ductility. Given in a percent, it
indicates the amount a material will deform before permanent
deformation. The higher the number, the more ductile. See Ductility.
Loss of ductility of a metal due to chemical or physical change. See
Acid Embrittlement, Ductility, Hydrogen Embrittlement.
The reaction which occurs with absorption of heat. See Exothermic
End-Quench Hardenability Test
A standardized method for comparing the hardenability of different
The average linear strain, obtained by dividing the elongation of
the length of the specimen by the original gage length.
The load divided by the original area.
EPC (Expendable Pattern Casting)
See Lost Foam Process.
Dynamic condition of balance between atomic movements where the
resultant is zero, a stable condition and the condition appears to
be one of rest rather than change.
The science which deals with the interaction between people, their
work place and environment. It also considers the physiology of
workers in the design of tools, equipment, and the work methods
Abrasion of metal or other material by liquid or gas, usually
accelerated by pressure of solid particles of matter in suspension,
and sometimes by corrosion.
Casting defect occurring where the metal has been agitated, boiled,
or has partially eroded away the sand, leaving a solid mass of sand
and metal at that particular spot.
A solution for chemical etching the polished surface of a metal
specimen to reveal macro- or micro-structures.
Light brown liquid consisting predominantly of tetraethyl silicate
with some polysilicates which can be hydrolized with water to form
alcohol and silicic acid. Used as a bonding agent in investment
molding. See Investment Casting.
The alloy which has the lowest melting point possible for a given
composition. See Alloy.
Reaction in which a liquid solution solidifies or transforms at
constant temperature to form a solid mass made up of tow kinds of
A solid solution of any series which cools without change to its
temperature of final composition.
Evaporation Pattern Casting / Expendable Pattern Casting / EPC
See Lost Foam Process.
Formed by or characterized by heat reaction as in oxidation.
Chemical reactions involving the liberation, or production, of heat.
See Endothermic Reaction.
Rough thin layers of metal partially separated from the body of the
casting by a thin layer of sand, and held in place by a thin vein of
Dimensional increase that sand undergoes when subjected to elevated
In investment molding, the wax or plastic pattern that is left in
the mold and later melted and burned out. This also called a
An instrument used in the testing of metals to measure small
increments of deformation.
Various materials of high heat capacity such as metals, graphite,
etc., forming parts of the walls of the mold cavity to promote rapid
heat extraction from molten metal. See Mold Cavity.