Investigating surface roughness of ZE41 magnesium alloy cast by low-pressure sand casting process

Abstract

The sand mold 3D printing technologies enable the manufacturing of molds with great dimensional accuracy. However, the roughness of as-cast components is higher when cast in a 3D printed mold rather than in a traditional sand mold. Coating the inner cavity is an efficient solution but can be costly and, in the narrowest cavities, not achievable. Finding a procedure to reduce the as-cast roughness without coating would ease the casting procedures. In the present work, surface analysis of ZE41 magnesium alloy is presented after being cast in 3D printed furan sand molds without coating using the low-pressure casting process. The molten metal temperature was measured during casting at different positions along the cast cavity. The as-cast surface roughness was correlated to the molten metal temperature and solid fraction at the time of contact against the sand mold surface.