Development of hybrid pattern material for investment casting process: an experimental investigation on improvement in pattern characteristics

ABSTRACT

In this work, a hybrid pattern material is introduced for investment casting process to enhance the properties/characteristics of the pattern. The hybrid pattern material is prepared by mixing coconut oil into conventional wax pattern material’s ingredients and named as coconut oil-based hybrid (COBH) pattern material. A comprehensive experimentation was performed to examine the influence of injection parameters viz. injection temperature (IT), injection flow rate (IFR), and die temperature (DT) on COBH pattern characteristics such as surface roughness (SR), average shrinkage (AS), and needle penetration (NP). Regression models were developed and statistically analyzed. Additionally, multi-response optimization (MRO) was carried out using the desirability technique for minimum SR, AS, and NP. The ANOVA results revealed that all input variables significantly influenced the characteristics of the COBH pattern. The optimal parametric settings of IT = 65°C, IFR = 3.5 lpm and DT = 35°C obtained by MRO provided the desired responses (i.e., minimum SR, AS, and NP). The developed COBH pattern ban be utilized for the development of good quality castings.

KEYWORDS:

• Investment casting
• COBH
• desirability
• surface roughness
• shrinkage
• needle penetration