Types of patterns
Types of patterns depend upon the following factors:
The shape and size of casting
No. of castings required
Method of moulding employed
Anticipated difficulty of moulding operation
Types
1. Single piece pattern.
2. Split piece pattern.
3. Loose piece pattern.
4. Match plate pattern.
5. Sweep pattern.
6. Gated pattern.
7. Skeleton pattern
8. Follow board pattern.
9. Cope and Drag pattern.
1. Single piece (solid) pattern
Made from one piece and does not contain loose pieces or
joints.
Inexpensive.
Used for large size simple castings.
Pattern is accommodated either in the cope or in the drag.
Examples:
1. Bodies of regular shapes.
2. stuffling box of steam engine.
Single piece pattern
2. Split piece pattern:
Patterns of intricate shaped castings cannot be made in one
piece because of the inherent difficulties associated with the
molding operations (e.g. withdrawing pattern from mould).
The upper and the lower parts of the split piece patterns are
accommodated in the cope and drag portions of the mold
respectively.
Parting line of the pattern forms the parting line of the mould.
3.Loose piece pattern
Certain patterns cannot be withdrawn once they are embedded
in the molding sand. Such patterns are usually made with one
or more loose pieces for facilitating from the molding box and
are known as loose piece patterns.
Loose parts or pieces remain attached with the main body of
the pattern, with the help of dowel pins.
The main body of the pattern is drawn first from the molding
box and thereafter as soon as the loose parts are removed, the
result is the mold cavity.
4. Match plate pattern
It consists of a match plate, on either side of which each
half of split patterns is fastened.
A no. of different sized and shaped patterns may be
mounted on one match plate.
The match plate with the help of locator holes can be
clamped with the drag.
After the cope and drag have been rammed with the
molding sand, the match plate pattern is removed from in
between the cope and drag.
Match plate patterns are normally used in machine
molding.
By using this we can eliminate mismatch of cope and
drag cavities.
5. Sweep pattern
A sweep pattern is just a form made on a wooden
board which sweeps the shape of the casting into the
sand all around the circumference. The sweep
pattern rotates about the post.
Once the mold is ready, Sweep pattern and the post
can be removed.
Sweep pattern avoids the necessity of making a full,
large circular and costly three-dimensional pattern.
Making a sweep pattern saves a lot of time and labor as
compared to making a full pattern.
A sweep pattern is preferred for producing large casting of
circular sections and symmetrical shapes.
6. Gated pattern
The sections connecting different patterns serve as runner
and gates.
This facilitates filling of the mould with molten metal in a
better manner and at the same time eliminates the time and
labour otherwise consumed in cutting runners and gates.
A gated pattern can manufacture many casting at one time
and thus it is used in mass production systems.
Gated patterns are employed for producing small castings.
7. Skeleton pattern
A skeleton pattern is the skeleton of a desired shape
which may be S-bend pipe or a chute or something
else. The skeleton frame is mounted on a metal base
The skeleton is made from wooden strips, and is
thus a wooden work.
The skeleton pattern is filled with sand and is
rammed.
A strickle (board) assists in giving the desired shape to the
sand and removes extra sand.
Skeleton patterns are employed for producing a few large
castings.
A skeleton pattern is very economical, because it involves
less material costs.
8. Follow board pattern
A follow board is a wooden board and is used for
supporting a pattern which is very thin and fragile and
which may give way and collapse under pressure when
the sand above the pattern is being rammed.
With the follow board support under the weak pattern, the
drag is rammed, and then the fallow board is with drawn,
The rammed drag is inverted, cope is mounted on it and
rammed.
During this operation pattern remains over the inverted
drag and get support from the rammed sand of the drag
under it.
Follow boards are also used for casting master patterns
for many applications.
9. Cope and Drag patterns
A cope and drag pattern is another form of split
pattern.
Each half of the pattern is fixed to a separate
metal/wood plate.
Each half of the pattern(along the plate) is molded
separately in a separate molding box by an
independent molder or moulders.
The two moulds of each half of the pattern are finally
assembled and the mould is ready for pouring.
Cope and drag patterns are used for producing big
castings which as a whole cannot be conveniently
handled by one moulder alone.
Cope and drag pattern
(a)Split pattern
(b) Follow-board
(c) Match Plate
(d) Loose-piece
(e) Sweep
(f) Skeleton
pattern
