International Journal of Revolutionary Civil Engineering

Aluminium Sand Casting in the Ghanaian Foundry Sector: Process, Practice, and Common Casting Defects in Small-Scale and Informal Production

Kwame Baah Owusu Panin¹, Emmanuel Bonsu², Osabutey Freeman Tetteh³, Martey Ezekiel⁴, Kwabena Asomaning⁵

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Abstract

Aluminium sand casting is one particular sector that stands out in the Ghanaian manufacturing sector, not because of the large-scale integrated factories, but because of the large number of small and informal production units dedicated to recycling used aluminium into cookware, corn mill plates, and light engineering parts. This paper delves into the aluminium sand casting process as practised in Ghana, following it from the preparation of the mould using the cope and drag system to pattern making and the various sand materials used for mould making, to the melting and pouring of scrap aluminium, and the shakeout and fettling processes after solidification. Special focus is placed on the informal and small-scale nature of many foundry operations in Ghana, the use of unsegregated scrap, the use of artisanal melting equipment and a lack of process instrumentation and how this influences sand casting processes and the defects most frequently observed in castings. The article is based on foundry engineering, combining general casting theory with material, technical and occupational conditions of the aluminium casting industry in Ghana, and the article ends with the quality and public-health implications and possibilities of upgrading local practice.

Keywords: casting defectscope and dragfoundrymould systemscrap aluminium recycling

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Licensed under CC BY 4.0.