Practical Failure Analysis of Castings: Part I – Ferrous Alloys & Part II – Nonferrous Alloys

Metal casting is a complex manufacturing process, consisting of numerous integrated operations to produce quality parts that meet specifications. However, the cause of casting defects as a result of improper design (such as gating and rising, chilling and insulation, and dimensional considerations) and process control (such as temperature and pressure, velocity, impurities, etc.) is often less understood by the general engineering community. This talk is a discussion of common factors to consider when conducting a failure analysis of cast components. “Part I” focuses on casting issues generally associated with ferrous alloys, while “Part II” focuses those associated with nonferrous alloys.