1) Sand casting would be the best manufacturing process for producing this component due to the cost effective feature and low cooling times required.
2) In this process the following steps are performed-
i. A pattern is placed in sand to create a mould.
ii. The pattern along with the sand is moved to a gating system.
iii. Now , the pattern is removed before pouring the molten metal.
iv. The molten metal is poured into the cavity and left to cool.
v. The required part is then obtained
vi. Finishing is done in order to eliminate minor irregularities from the part.
3) Advantages of sand casting -
I) versatility with any metal - can be used for a variety of metals
iI) Minimal tooling cost.
iii) Quicker than other processes like investment casting.
*Disadvantages of sand casting-
I) Less dimensional accuracy and need for addition finishing.
ii) Poor surface finish .
4) Two alternative methods to manufacture this part are - i) Metal injection moulding - in this process , the metal is mixed with binder polymer also known as feedstock and is injected into the dies.
ii) Evaporative pattern casting- in this process , a pattern made of polystyrene foam is placed on the sand and an opening is made to pour the molten metal. When the molten metal is poured , the foam evaporates and the molten metal takes up the space of the foam and thus the part is obtained.
Assume you, as an industrial engineer will open a small workshop to produce automotive transmission valve...