Effect of casting speed and delay time on the residual stresses in centrifugal casting of aluminium rods

Abstract

Longitudinal slitting technique has been employed to determine the residual stresses in centrifugal cast aluminium rods. Residual stresses were found to decrease with increase in casting speed in the centrifugal casting. The residual stresses of the aluminium rods cast at speeds of 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500rpm and at zero (0) second delay time have lower residual stresses as compared to those cast at the same varying casting speeds at ten (10) seconds delay time. At the different casting speeds, residual stress ratio (γ) was found to decrease with increase in the casting speeds with values of 40.91%, 31.82%, 22.73%, 13.64% and 9.09% at zero second delay time, while at ten seconds delay time the residual stress ratios were 68.18%, 59.09%, 54.55%, 50.00% and 36.36% respectively. Reduction in residual stress with increase in speed and delay time is attributed to the greater centrifugal forces created by the increasing casting speeds on the solidification of the molten aluminium.