KEVOS® MAKEOS · Fabrication
Casting Pour Plan (Riser, Feed Volume, Gating and Ladle)
Will this riser feed the casting, how much metal must I pour including riser and gating, what choke area gives my pour time, and is the ladle big enough?
Plan of a gravity sand casting: casting and riser moduli, solidification times by Chvorinov’s rule and the modulus ratio (as the casting solidification tool), riser volume against the feed volume the casting shrinkage needs at your riser efficiency, metal poured including riser and gating, casting yield, choke area and sprue diameter for the pour time (as the gating choke area tool), pattern dimension with shrinkage, and the ladle capacity check.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Casting | ||
| Casting volume | cm³ | Volume of the casting. |
| Casting cooling surface area | cm² | Surface area through which the casting loses heat. |
| Metal density | g/cm³ | Density of the poured metal (about 7.0 cast iron, 7.8 steel, 2.4–2.7 aluminium alloys). |
| Mould constant | min/cm² | Mould constant in Chvorinov’s rule for the metal and mould (from trials; your value). |
| Volumetric shrinkage to feed | % | Liquid and solidification shrinkage the riser must make up (about 1–2% grey iron, 3–7% steel and aluminium; your value). |
| Riser | ||
| Riser diameter | mm | Diameter of a cylindrical riser. |
| Riser height | mm | Height of the riser. |
| Least riser ÷ casting modulus | Least ratio of riser to casting modulus (often 1.2). | |
| Riser feeding efficiency | % | Share of the riser volume that can actually feed (about 14% open cylindrical, more with insulating sleeves). |
| Gating and pouring | ||
| Sprue, runner and gates as share of casting mass | % | Mass of the gating system as a share of the casting. |
| Pour time | s | Time to pour the mould. |
| Effective sprue height | mm | Effective metal head above the choke. |
| Flow efficiency | Efficiency of flow through the gating. | |
| Runner ÷ choke area | Runner area as a multiple of the choke. | |
| Total gate ÷ choke area | Total gate area as a multiple of the choke. | |
| Ladle capacity | kg | Metal the ladle holds. |
| Pattern | ||
| Part dimension | mm | A part dimension to scale for the pattern. |
| Pattern shrinkage allowance | % | Linear shrinkage allowance for the pattern. |
Method and formulas
- Modulus M = V ÷ A; solidification time t = B M² (Chvorinov) for casting and riser (as the casting solidification tool).
- Feed volume needed = casting volume × shrinkage ÷ riser efficiency, against the riser volume.
- Metal poured = casting + riser + gating; yield = casting ÷ poured.
- Choke area A = W ÷ (ρ t C_d √(2gh)) with W the metal poured (as the gating choke area tool); pattern dimension = part × (1 + shrinkage).
- Example: the riser modulus ratio is 1.2156; 30.966 kg is poured (45.211% yield) through a 232.66 mm² choke.
Limitations
- Chvorinov approximation with a simple cylindrical riser; feeding distance is not checked.
- Gating ratios and mould constant must come from foundry practice.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Plan the riser and gating for a new casting
- Check a ladle for a heavier casting
- Estimate metal poured per mould
Who it is for
- Foundry engineers
- Pattern makers
- Casting buyers
What you get
- Moduli, solidification times and riser feed volume
- Metal poured, yield and ladle check
- Choke area, sprue and pattern dimension
Interpreting the result
- A sleeve on the riser raises its efficiency and modulus, often halving the metal poured into risers.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 1404–1420. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
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Open the Casting Pour Plan (Riser, Feed Volume, Gating and Ladle) calculator
