Casting and its Applications

in the Aviation Industry

a thesis by JC Olavides
 Introduction
Air travel is getting immensely popular in recent times. Aircraft
manufacturers Boeing and Airbus have both projected a 5% increase in global
annual air traffic from 2016 to 2035 . Simply put, people want more airplanes in
the skies. The increasing demand for more aircraft over the past few decades
has led to the modernization of fabrication methods that speed up the
manufacturing process. One of these methods is casting.
 Objective
This thesis aims to (1) explain casting, (2) delve into the casting process
in great detail, (3) cite examples of casted aircraft parts and (4) show the
significance of casting in the construction and repair of modern aircraft.
 A Brief Outline on Casting
Metal Casting using a forge
• Casting is a manufacturing process in which a
liquid material is usually poured into a mold,
which contains a hollow cavity of the desired
shape, and then allowed to solidify.
• The solidified part is also known as a casting,
which is ejected or broken out of the mold to
complete the process.
• Casting materials are usually metals or
various cold setting materials that cure after
mixing two or more components together;
examples are epoxy, concrete, plaster and clay.
• Casting is most often used for making complex
shapes that would be otherwise difficult or
uneconomical to make by other methods.
• Casting is a 6000-year-old process. The oldest
surviving casting is a copper frog from 3200 BC.
 THE TWO TYPES OF CASTING
Metal Casting
 a process in which liquid metal is poured
into a mold, that contains a hollow
cavity of the desired shape, and then
allowed to cool and solidify.
 most often used for making complex
shapes that would be difficult or
uneconomical to make by other
methods.
 widely used for sculpture, especially
in bronze, jewellery in precious metals,
and weapons and tools
 Traditional techniques include lost-wax
casting, plaster mold casting and sand
casting.
Resin Casting
 a method of plastic casting where
a mold is filled with a liquid synthetic
resin, which then hardens
 primarily used for small-scale production
like industrial prototypes and dentistry.
 can be done by amateur hobbyists with
little initial investment, and is used in the
production of collectible toys, models
and figures, as well as small-scale jewelry
production.
 the liquid resin is used in conjunction
with a flexible mold material such as RTV
silicone rubber, latex rubber and other
similar materials.
 The Metal Casting Process
The modern casting process is subdivided into two main categories: expendable and non-
expendable casting. It is further broken down by the mold material, such as sand or metal, and
pouring method, such as gravity, vacuum, or low pressure.

Expendable mold casting involves the use of temporary, non-reusable molds. These methods
include: (1) sand casting, (2) plaster mold casting, (3) shell molding, (4) investment casting, (5) waste
molding of plaster and (6) evaporative-pattern casting.

Among these methods, sand casting and lost-wax casting (investment casting) are mostly
used.

Non-expendable mold casting differs from expendable processes in that the mold need not
be reformed after each production cycle. This technique includes at least four different methods:
(1) permanent casting, (2) die casting, (3) centrifugal casting, and (4) continuous casting.

Among these methods, permanent casting and die casting are mostly used.
Examples of Metal Casting (Lost-Wax Casting)

Click for video.

Examples of Metal Casting (Permanent Mold Casting)

1) The metal mold is 3) The molten metal

prepared for casting. hardens. The two
halves of the mold are
separated, revealing a
casting.

2) The two halves of 4) The excess

the mold are clamped metal is
together. The mold is removed and
then filled with sanded.
molten metal. Casting
complete.
 The Resin Casting Process
In contrast to metal casting, resin casting does not reach extreme temperatures. Commonly, a
thermosetting resin is used and polymerized using a curing agent or catalyst at room temperature and
normal pressure. Unlike the hot, molten metal that cools and hardens inside the mold, the resin requires
a catalyst in order for it to cure. During the curing process, the resin gets mildly hot as it cures and
polymerizes.

The resins are named by analogy with plant resins, but are synthetic monomers for making polymer
plastics. The so-called synthetic resins used include (1) polystyrene resin, (2) polyurethane resin, (3)
epoxy resin, (4) unsaturated polyester resin, (5) acrylic resin and (6) silicone resin.

A flexible mold can be made of latex rubber, room temperature vulcanized silicone rubber or other
similar materials at relatively low cost, but can only be used for a limited number of castings.

The simplest method is gravity casting where the resin is poured into the mold and pulled down into
all the parts by gravity. When the two part resin is mixed air bubbles tend to be introduced into the liquid
which can be removed in a vacuum chamber. The casting can also be done in a vacuum chamber (when
using open molds) to either extract these bubbles, or in a pressure pot, to reduce their size to the point
where they aren't visible. Pressure and/or centrifugal force can be used to help push the liquid resin into
all details of the mold. The mold can also be vibrated to expel bubbles.
Examples of Resin Casting (The Moldmaking Process)

Click for video.

Examples of Resin Casting (Casting Using Urethane Resin)

Click for video.

Examples of Resin Casting Using RTV Silicone Molds
4) The figure is
1) The figure to be removed from the
molded is prepared. mold. The mold is
now ready for
casting.

5) The mold is filled

2) A box is built
with colored resin.
around the figure to
Multiple castings are
contain the RTV
now complete.
silicone.

3) Parts A&B of the

Silicone are mixed
and they are poured
into the box.
 Casting in Aviation
Aeronautical engineers face an imposing array of problems in designing
aircraft that are safe, perform well, and can be built and sold at a competitive price. After
the desired aerodynamic elements of the design have been established and the major
type of airframe construction - aluminum, tube and fabric, composite, or some
combination - has been chosen, the manufacturing and production engineers must make
many choices. They must choose from a variety of processes that may include among
others, welding, forming, riveting, forging, and casting. For certain parts with unusual or
complicated shapes it is often more economically and technically feasible to cast the item
and finish it by appropriate heat treating and machining rather than forging or fabricating
it.
Casting Applications has been traditionally favored by the Aviation industry.
From Civilian Aircraft to Jet Fighters or Helicopters Casting applications are to be found
everywhere. Magnesium, Aluminum and Titanium along with its alloys offers a range of
choices. This is due to the fact that they are lightweight and can operate under
increasingly demanding conditions.
Use of Magnesium in Aircraft Parts Casting
In recent years, new Magnesium alloy castings has
demonstrated superior corrosion performance.
Leading to keen interest in magnesium alloys for
Helicopter aerospace applications.
Transmission
Casing Magnesium Alloy offers:
1. Light weight.
2. Low density (Just two thirds of aluminum).
3. Excellent high temperature mechanical properties.
4. Good to medium corrosion resistance.

Application of Magnesium Alloy in Aircraft Parts:

RZ5 alloy - for helicopter transmission casings
Compressor
Casing WE43 alloy - for main rotor gearbox casings.
Other applications can have auxiliary gearboxes,
generator housings, canopies, intermediate
compressor casings for turbine engines.
Airframe mounted auxiliary drive systems (AMADS)
as in fighter jets etc.
Use of Titanium in Aircraft Parts Casting
These days, aircraft industries
are also increasingly opting for
casting with Titanium and its
Compression alloys. It is a preferred choice
Blades
over Aluminum and Stainless
steel because it offers the
distinct advantages of:
1. Light weight
2. High strength
3. Increased payloads

Application of Titanium Alloy:

Turbine Disk
From engines and airframes to
skins and fasteners. For Jet
engines: compressor blades,
turbine disks, and many other
forged parts.
Use of Aluminum in Aircraft Parts Casting

They have found extensive use in

Aircraft Door
Handle Boxes nonstructural airplane hardware.

Application of Aluminum alloy:

For example, parts like pulley,
brackets, door handle boxes,
clips, quadrants, doublers, ducts,
and wave guides. Other
application includes use in
complex valve bodies of
Brackets
hydraulic control systems.
Interview (Polymer Products Inc.)

(If unresponsive, please check the audio file within the USB)
 Glossary
aerodynamics – the study of the properties of moving air, and especially of the interaction between the
air and solid bodies moving through it
aircraft – any machine supported for flight in the air by buoyancy or by the dynamic action of air on its
surfaces
airframe – mechanical structure of an aircraft which includes the fuselage, wings and undercarriage and
excludes the propulsion system
aviation – the practical aspect or art of aeronautics, being the design, development, production,
operation and use of aircraft, especially heavier than air aircraft
casting – a manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured into a mold, which
contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify
catalyst – a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any
permanent chemical change
composite – material made from two or more constituent materials with significantly
different physical or chemical properties that, when combined, produce a material with characteristics
different from the individual components
 Glossary
expendable – designed to be used only once and then abandoned or destroyed
fabrication – the building of metal structures by cutting, bending, and assembling processes. It is a
value added process that involves the construction of machines and structures from various raw
materials
forge – make or shape a metal object by heating it in a fire or furnace and beating or hammering it
gravity –the force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth, or toward any other physical body
having mass. For most purposes Newton's laws of gravity apply, with minor modifications to take the
general theory of relativity into account
heat-treating – a group of industrial and metalworking processes used to alter the physical, and
sometimes chemical, properties of a material
machining – any of various processes in which a piece of raw material is cut into a desired final shape
and size by a controlled material-removal process
mold – a hollow container used to give shape to molten or hot liquid material (such as wax or metal)
when it cools and hardens
monomer – a molecule that can be bonded to other identical molecules to form a polymer
 Glossary
polymer – a substance that has a molecular structure consisting chiefly or entirely of a large number of
similar units bonded together
plaster mold casting – a method of producing aluminum or zinc castings by pouring liquid metal
into plaster (gypsum) molds
pressure – the continuous physical force exerted on or against an object by something in contact with
it.
resin – a sticky flammable organic substance, insoluble in water, exuded by some trees and other plants
riveting – join or fasten (plates of metal or other material) with a rivet or rivets
RTV silicone rubber – a type of silicone rubber made from a two-component system used for making
molds
sand casting – a metal casting process characterized by using sand as the mold material
vacuum – a space entirely devoid of matter.
welding – join together (metal pieces or parts) by heating the surfaces to the point of melting using a
blowtorch, electric arc, or other means, and uniting them by pressing, hammering, etc.
 Question & Answer
1) What is casting?
Casting is manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured
into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to
solidify.

2) What are the two types of casting?

The two types of casting are metal casting and resin casting.

3) Why is casting one of the most preferred way of fabrication?

For certain parts with unusual or complicated shapes it is often more
economically and technically feasible to cast the item and finish it by appropriate
heat treating and machining rather than forging or fabricating it.

4) How old is the casting process?

Casting is a 6000-year-old process. The oldest surviving casting is a copper
frog from 3200 BC.
 Question & Answer
5) What are the traditional metal casting techniques?
Traditional metal casting techniques include lost-wax casting, plaster mold
casting and sand casting.

6) What is a mold?
A mold is a hollow container used to give shape to molten or hot liquid
material (such as wax or metal) when it cools and hardens

6) What are cold-setting materials?

Cold-setting materials are materials that cure after mixing two or more
components together; examples are epoxy, concrete, plaster and clay.

8) What are the two main categories of the modern casting process?
The two main categories of the modern casting process is the expendable
mold and non-expendable mold casting.
 Question & Answer
9) What are the different methods of expendable mold casting?
The methods of expendable mold casting include: (1) sand casting, (2) plaster
mold casting, (3) shell molding, (4) investment casting, (5) waste molding of plaster
and (6) evaporative-pattern casting
10) What are the different methods of non-expendable mold casting?
The methods of non-expendable mold casting include: (1) permanent casting,
(2) die casting, (3) centrifugal casting, and (4) continuous casting.

11) What are the types of synthetic resin?

Synthetic resins include: (1) polystyrene resin, (2) polyurethane resin, (3)
epoxy resin, (4) unsaturated polyester resin, (5) acrylic resin and (6) silicone resin
12) What are flexible molds made of?
Flexible molds are made of latex rubber or room temperature
vulcanized (RTV) silicone rubber .
 Question & Answer
13) How is resin poured into the mold?
The simplest method is gravity casting where the resin is poured into the
mold and pulled down into all the parts by gravity. The casting can also be done in a
vacuum chamber (when using open molds) to either extract these bubbles, or in a
pressure pot, to reduce their size to the point where they aren't visible.
14) What metals are favored by the aviation industry for casting?
Magnesium, Aluminum and Titanium and their alloys are optimal for
aviation-grade castings.
15) What is metal casting generally used for?
Metal Casting is widely used for sculpture, especially
in bronze, jewelry in precious metals, and weapons and tools

16) What is resin casting generally used for?

Resin casting is used for the production of collectible toys, models and
figures, as well as small-scale jewelry production.
 Question & Answer
17) What is metal casting?
Metal casting is a process, in which liquid metal is poured into a mold, that contains a
hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to cool and solidify.

18) What is resin casting?

Resin casting is a method of plastic casting where a mold is filled with a
liquid synthetic resin, which then hardens

19) Why are magnesium alloys castings used for aerospace applications?
Magnesium alloy castings have a superior corrosion performance.
20) What are the properties of magnesium alloys?
Magnesium Alloy offers: (1) light weight, (2) low density, (3) excellent high temperature
mechanical properties and (4) good to medium corrosion resistance.
21) Why are magnesium, titanium and aluminum alloys used for aviation-grade casting?
This is due to the fact that they are lightweight and can operate under increasingly
demanding conditions.
 Question & Answer
22) Why are titanium alloys superior to aluminum and magnesium alloys?
Titanium alloys are a preferred choice over Aluminum and Stainless steel
because it offers the distinct advantages of: (1) light weight, (2) high strength and (3)
increased payloads.

23) What processes are generally used by manufacturing and production

engineers in fabricating aircraft?
Some of the processes most commonly used to construct aircraft are
welding, forming, riveting, forging, and casting.
24) What aircraft components are casted using titanium?
From engines and airframes to skins and fasteners. For Jet engines:
compressor blades, turbine disks, and many other forged parts.

25) How does casting help in the construction and repair of aircraft ?
Casting helps aircraft fabricators create high quality copies of multiple
components in a relatively short amount of time.
 COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT DEMAND
Airbus Boeing

39,620

33,000

Boeing

Airbus

Anticipated Commercial Aircraft Demand in the Next

20 Years
 VALUE OF AIRCRAFT DEMAND (IN USD)
Boeing Airbus

$5,900,000,000,000.00

Value of Aircraft
$5,200,000,000,000.00
PROJECTED AVERAGE ANNUAL GLOBAL
COMMERCIAL PASSENGER AIR TRAFFIC
GROWTH RATE (FROM 2016 TO 2035)
Airbus Boeing

4.8%

4.5%

Growth Rate
 Conclusion and Summary
Casting is simply one of the methods we use to create aircraft. As
aviators and airmen we can all agree that the myriad of methods of aircraft
fabrication are of great importance. Almost 100 years ago, the ancient casting
method helped mankind enter the era of powered, heavier-than-air flight
when it was used to make the complex cast-aluminum crankcase and cylinder
block of the engine that Charles Taylor built for the Wright Brothers. It goes to
show that the mastery of a particular fabrication process, no matter how
simple, can pave the way for greater innovations.
 Bibliography
• http://aviationweek.com/shownews/airbus-and-boeing-are-bullish-commercial-aircraft-
demand
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Manufacturing (9th ed.), Wiley, ISBN 0-471-65653-4.
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International, ISBN 978-0-87170-556-3.
• Degarmo, E. Paul; Black, J T.; Kohser, Ronald A. (2003), Materials and Processes in
Manufacturing (9th ed.), Wiley, ISBN 0-471-65653-4.
• Kalpakjian, Serope; Schmid, Steven (2006), Manufacturing Engineering and Technology (5th
ed.), Pearson, ISBN 0-13-148965-8.
• Kissell, J. Randolph; Ferry, Robert L. (2002), Aluminum structures: a guide to their
specifications and design (2nd ed.), John Wiley and Sons, ISBN 978-0-471-01965-7.
• Schleg, Frederick P.; Kohloff, Frederick H.; Sylvia, J. Gerin; American Foundry Society
(2003),Technology of Metalcasting, American Foundry Society, ISBN 978-0-87433-257-5.
• Stefanescu, Doru Michael (2008), Science and Engineering of Casting Solidification (2nd ed.),
Springer, ISBN 978-0-387-74609-8.
• Ravi, B (2010), Metal Casting: Computer-aided Design and Analysis (1st ed.), PHI, ISBN 81-
203-2726-8.
 Acknowledgement

for my family, who support me in all my endeavors