A Study on the Effects of the Filter on Flow Pattern of the Traditional Gating System by the Water Modeling Experiment

Abstract

Casting defects, which are closely related to entrapped air bubbles and metallic oxides, occur very frequently in the casting process. Many researchers have shown that these defects can be reduced by adopting an appropriate gating system design. But, it is dif-ficult for field engineers to identify a specific gating system that is more appropriate for their products. In this study, we tried to draw a comparison of gating system designs with and without ceramic foam filters. A ceramic foam filter was added to the horizontal runner just after the sprue to prevent air bubble generation and to reduce turbulence without change of the gating system design. To verify the effects of initial pouring velocity, the experiment was conducted with four different amounts of water volume in the reservoir. Results of the water modeling experiment applying the filter showed remarkably changed flow characteristics. Although the study confirmed that use of the filter may change the flow characteristics, it needs to be noted that only filter use alone cannot solve all the problems caused by a poorly designed gating system.