If you’re new to aluminum sand casting, you’ve probably heard some industry terms that sound like another language. Words like cope, drag, or flask might leave you scratching your head and wondering what these foundry people are talking about.

To help make the process clearer, we’ve put together a basic wordlist of common foundry terms you might hear in the aluminum casting industry.

Whether you’re a customer looking to start a project or simply curious about how castings are made, this terminology guide will give you a head start on learning foundry language.

It is also important to know, that we at Cast Metals Technology enjoy the opportunity to show our customers and potential customers our operations.  Just give us a call and we would be happy to schedule a tour of our facilities.

Basic Foundry Terms Explained

1. Pattern / Tool

A pattern is the replica/tool of the part you want to produce. The pattern is pressed into sand to create a mold cavity. Patterns can be made from wood, plastic, metal, or even 3D-printed material such as sand and plastic.

2. Mold

The mold is the sand which is packed and formed around the pattern, making a mold cavity. It’s what allows the molten aluminum to form into the desired casting shape.

  • Mold Cavity – The area in which the aluminum is poured and formed
  • Cope – The top half of the mold.
  • Drag – The bottom half of the mold.
  • Flask – The metal frame that holds the sand mold together and allows for the mold to be packed around the pattern.

3. Core

A core is a formed sand insert that is placed inside the mold cavity to create hollow or open sections in the casting (like channels, passages or internal cavities inside of a part).

  • Core Box – The Pattern/Box in which the core is formed

4. Pouring Basin / Down Sprue

The pouring basin is a small reservoir at the top of the mold where molten aluminum is first poured. It helps control flow of molten aluminum into the mold cavity.

5. Down Sprue, Runners, and Gates

These are the channels that guide molten metal into the mold cavity:

  • Down Sprue – The vertical channel where aluminum first enters the mold.
  • Runners – Passages that carry the molten metal to the mold cavity.
  • Gates – Openings that allow the molten metal enter the mold cavity.

6. Riser

A riser is an additional open area in the mold that holds additional metal and is usually the last area to fill with molten metal. As the aluminum casting cools and shrinks, the riser continues to feed additional aluminum into the part to prevent voids or shrinkage defects in the final casting.

7. Shakeout

Once the casting solidifies, the mold is broken apart in a process called shakeout, removing the aluminum casting from the sand mold.

8. Grinding / Sanding

After shakeout, the casting goes through the process of cleaning, grinding, sanding or cutting off excess material like gates, risers, and flash.

9. Shot Blasting

Shot blasting is a process in which pieces of abrasive media (such as mild steel, stainless steel, sand, etc.) are utilized to spray the casting at a high speed to help remove or lessen surface grind marks. This process allows for a more uniform exterior surface finish on the casting.

10. Heat Treatment

Some castings require heat treatment – a controlled heating and cooling process that improves the mechanical properties of the aluminum, such as strength and durability.

Types of Heat Treat

  • F – As cast, cooled to room temperature naturally, no further heat treat processing
  • T5 – Cooled to room temperature naturally, then artificially aged
  • T6 – Solution heat treated and artificially aged
  • T7 – Solution heat treated and over-aged

Summary: Aluminum sand casting has a language of its own, but once you learn the basics, the process becomes much easier to follow.

We always enjoy discussing new projects and talking castings, so please feel free to call or email us anytime!

👉 Click Here RFQ or email info@cm-tec.com or call 765-584-6501 to get started.