Casting Soundness
The performance of metal components can be notably affected by internal and surface defects that can not be detected through the regular course of visual inspection. Several nondestructive methods can be employed to inspect castings for these “invisible” flaws. Nondestructive tests determine the integrity of a casting without causing physical damage, so once it passes the tests, it can be used for its intended application. Below is a detailed list of nondestructive tests.
NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING METHODS
Non-destructive testing gives the metalcasting facility the capability of assuring the quality of a casting without destroying it. A metalcasting facility may have internal standards regarding nondestructive testing, but it is up to the customer to specify specific tests or frequency of testing. While various methods of nondestructive testing exist to measure mechanical properties, chemical composition, casting soundness or maximum service loads, a single test that encompasses all these factors does not exist. A combination of nondestructive methods may be required to document the soundness and quality of a casting. The most common methods available are described below.
Visual Inspection
Visual inspection is based on the use of the human eye to identify surface defects, improper filling and molding errors. Casting defects that can be detected via visual inspection include sand holes, excessively rough surface, surface shrinkage, blowholes, misruns, cold shuts, and surface dross or slag.
Dimensional Inspection
To ensure a part meets dimensional requirements, such as tolerances, a metalcasting facility can check the dimensional accuracy of a part manually or with a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). Checking the dimensional accuracy of a part helps guarantee the customer won’t have to perform further costly machining on a part to meet the specified dimensions.
CMM has improved the speed and accuracy of measuring casting dimensions, and computerization has made it repetitive and able to be used as a statistical tool.
CMM has improved the speed and accuracy of measuring casting dimensions, and computerization has made it repetitive and able to be used as a statistical tool.
Dye Penetrant and Fluorescent Powder Testing
For tiny cracks, pores or other surface glitches that are hard to detect by the human eye, dye penetrant testing is used for both ferrous and nonferrous materials. In this method, a colored dye solution is applied to the surface of the casting. The dye, which is suspended in penetrating oil, will find its way into the surface defects. When a special developer is applied, the defects are clearly indicated.
A similar method involves fluorescent powder suspended in penetrating oil. Again, the solution penetrates the defects, so when the casting is dusted or sprayed drying powder, the solution is drawn from the defect and glows under an ultraviolet light where defects have occurred. Fluorescent powder testing only detects surface cracks and flaws but is more effective and economical than radiographic testing.
In general, dye-penetrant techniques identify defects on the surface of the casting and do not detect internal porosity or shrinkage that is not open to the surface. But it can detect rounded indications for porosity or gas on the casting surface.
In general, dye-penetrant techniques identify defects on the surface of the casting and do not detect internal porosity or shrinkage that is not open to the surface. But it can detect rounded indications for porosity or gas on the casting surface.Magnetic Particle Inspection
Magnetic particle inspection is quick, inexpensive and sensitive to defects, particularly shallow (0.003 in.) surface cracks and other lineal indications.
It detects small cracks on or near the surface of ferrous alloys that can be magnetized (basically any ferrous alloy except austenitic material). A high-amperage, low-voltage current is passed through the casting, which establishes a magnetic field.
Cracks and defects have magnetic properties different than those of the surrounding material, so their presence will interrupt the magnetic field, causing distortion. Small magnetic particles show the path of the flux line that spreads out in order to detour around the distortion, thereby indicating the shape and position of the crack or void.
Ultrasonic Testing
Internal defects that are detected by radiography may also be detected by sound. Sound waves have been used by fisherman to locate hot fishing spots and depth of water and by the U.S. Navy to identify approaching objects. In casting inspection, ultrasonic testing uses high frequency acoustic energy that is transmitted into a casting. Because ultrasonic testing allows investigation of the cross-sectional area of a casting, it is considered to be a volumetric inspection method.
The high frequency acoustic energy travels through the casting until it hits the opposite surface or an interface or defect. The interface or defect reflects portions of the energy, which are collected in a receiving unit and displayed for the analyst to view. The pattern of the energy deflection can indicate the location and size of an internal defect, as well as wall thickness and the nodule count of ductile iron.
Ultrasonic testing requires a high does of knowledge and experience for an accurate interpretation of the results, which will affect the cost added to the part for the inspection.
Radiographic Inspection
Another method used to detect internal defects is radiographic inspection. When done correctly, radiographic inspection is the best nondestructive method for detecting interna
l defects, such as shrinkage and inclusions.
In this method, a casting is exposed to radiation from an x-ray tube. The casting absorbs part of the radiation, and the remaining portion of the radiation exposes the radiographic film. Dense material withstands the radiation penetration, so the film is exposed to a lesser degree in those areas, giving the film a lighter appearance. Less dense materials allow more penetration and correlates to darker areas on the film. Any hole, crack or inclusion that is less dense than the casting alloy is revealed as a dark area.
When done correctly, radiographic inspection is the best nondestructive method for detecting internal defects, such as shrinkage and inclusions, and the radiograph serves as a permanent record of the casting quality that can be reviewed by multiple personnel. Casting thickness and density will limit the rang of inspection possible, depending on the energy level of the radiation.
Radiographic inspection also can be performed without film. Instead, the x-ray image is viewed on a video screen. Computerized axial tomography (CAT scanning) also is being used to develop 3-D computer imagery to inspect a casting’s soundness.
When done correctly, radiographic inspection is the best nondestructive method for detecting internal defects, such as shrinkage and inclusions, and the radiograph serves as a permanent record of the casting quality that can be reviewed by multiple personnel. Casting thickness and density will limit the rang of inspection possible, depending on the energy level of the radiation.