Effect of strips size and coating thickness on fluidity of A356 aluminium alloy in lost foam casting process

Abstract

In this research, effects of six different strips size (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 mm thick respectively) and six different coating thicknesses on the fluidity of A356 aluminium alloy in lost foam casting (LFC) process were investigated. It was found that, in each mould, as the strip thickness increases, fluidity length increases. By varying the coating thickness, in a constant strip thickness, the maximum fluidity lengths were obtained in a specific coating thickness. The optimum coating thicknesses to reach maximum fluidity length for 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 mm strips was measured 170, 250, 250, 280, 350 and 350 μm respectively. This seems to be the result of the simultaneous effects of heat transfer and the controlling roll of permeability of refractory coating. Also the effect of coating thickness on the molten metal velocity in LFC process was studied by using accurate thermal analysis.