Foundry and Forge Technology Syllabus

The syllabus varies by programme. The subject families below represent a balanced pathway from materials and tooling to casting, forging, inspection, simulation and production management.

Engineering Mathematics

Mathematics includes calculus, differential equations, matrices, probability, numerical methods and optimisation. These topics support heat flow, solidification, deformation, process models and quality analysis.

Basic foundry and forge technology

Students receive an introduction to casting and forging routes, common alloys, patterns, moulds, cores, dies, furnaces, hammers, presses, heat treatment, defects, inspection and industrial safety.

Engineering drawing and visualisation

Students learn orthographic and sectional views, dimensioning, tolerances, surface-finish symbols and interpretation of component and tooling drawings. Visualisation is important for parting lines, cores, die movement and machining allowances.

Mechanics and strength of materials

Mechanics covers forces, stress, strain, bending, torsion, failure and material behaviour. These ideas support press-capacity estimation, die loading, component integrity and safe handling equipment.

Physical metallurgy

Physical metallurgy explains crystal structure, phase diagrams, solidification, diffusion, transformation, grain size and the relationship between microstructure and properties. It is central to alloy selection and heat treatment.

Metrology and measurement

This subject covers measurement principles, uncertainty, sensors, transmitters, calibration and data acquisition. Temperature, pressure, flow, level, position, speed and force are common variables.

Measurement uncertainty and delay affect control quality. A precise controller cannot correct unreliable measurement.

Pattern and die design

Pattern and die design covers shrinkage, draft, machining and distortion allowances, parting lines, core prints, die blocks, inserts, flash gutters and tool life. CAD models and manufacturing drawings support production.

Foundry technology fundamentals

Foundry fundamentals cover pattern making, mould and core preparation, melting, treatment, pouring, solidification, shakeout, fettling, heat treatment and inspection. Students connect each stage with possible defects.

Forge technology fundamentals

Forge fundamentals cover billet preparation, heating, lubrication, open- and closed-die operations, hammers, presses, metal flow, flash removal, heat treatment and inspection. Hot, warm and cold forging are compared.

Foundry tooling and methods

Students study pattern materials, core boxes, flasks, moulding machines, jigs, fixtures, gauges and method cards. Tooling choices depend on quantity, alloy, accuracy, finish and production cost.

Moulding materials and processes

Moulding study covers green sand, dry sand, chemically bonded systems, additives, testing, reclamation and process control. Permeability, strength, compactability, moisture and gas generation affect casting quality.

Core making

Core making covers core materials, binders, baking or curing, vents, prints, chaplets, coatings, assembly and gas control. Cores create internal cavities but can also cause dimensional or gas-related defects.

Melting furnaces and practice

Students study cupola, induction, electric-arc, crucible and other melting routes according to alloy and plant scale. Charge calculation, temperature, chemistry adjustment, inoculation, degassing, slag control and safe pouring are important.

Gating and risering design

Gating systems guide molten metal into the mould, while risers feed shrinkage during solidification. Students calculate and compare sprues, runners, ingates, filters, chills, feeding distance and yield.

Solidification and casting defects

Students study nucleation, growth, cooling curves, feeding and microstructure. Common defects include shrinkage, porosity, inclusions, cold shuts, misruns, hot tears and dimensional error. Diagnosis must use evidence from the full process.

Fettling and casting finishing

Fettling includes removal of sand, gates, risers and fins, followed by blasting, grinding, straightening or other finishing. The process must protect dimensions, surface quality and worker safety.

Open-die forging

Open-die forging shapes a workpiece between simple dies through repeated operations. Students study drawing out, upsetting, fullering, edging, piercing, cogging and control of temperature and reduction.

Closed-die forging

Closed-die forging shapes metal inside impression dies. Students analyse billet volume, preforms, blocking and finishing stages, flash, die filling, grain flow and the risk of laps or underfill.

Press, hammer and upset forging

Students compare hammers and mechanical, hydraulic or screw presses, along with upset-forging machines. Equipment selection depends on energy, force, rate, accuracy, part size and alloy behaviour.

Forge dies and preform design

Die and preform design uses part geometry, draft, fillets, flash, stock distribution, material flow and press capacity. Designers aim for complete fill, favourable grain flow, acceptable die stress and economical material use.

Precision and investment casting

Investment casting uses expendable patterns and ceramic shells for intricate parts, while other precision processes may improve tolerance and finish. Students compare cost, quantity, alloy limits and defect control.

Inspection and non-destructive testing

Inspection covers dimensional checks, visual examination, hardness and mechanical testing. Non-destructive methods may include dye penetrant, magnetic particle, ultrasonic and radiographic testing, selected according to material and defect type.

Heat treatment technology

Heat treatment controls microstructure and properties through heating, holding and cooling. Students study annealing, normalising, hardening, tempering, solution treatment and age hardening according to alloy and component requirements.

Sensors and transducers

Students examine resistive, capacitive, inductive, optical and semiconductor sensors. Selection considers range, accuracy, response, environment, calibration and maintainability.

Actuators

Actuators include motors, valves, hydraulic cylinders, pneumatic devices and power converters. Control commands must respect speed, force, travel and thermal limits.

Process simulation and production data

Students collect melt, mould, temperature, pressure, force, cycle-time, defect and inspection data. Statistical tools and process simulation help compare conditions, identify variation and support decisions, but results must be checked against shop evidence.

Foundry and forge shop layout

Shop layout considers material flow, charge storage, sand preparation, moulding, melting, pouring, shakeout, cleaning, heat treatment, inspection, tool storage and dispatch. Safe separation, ventilation, cranes and emergency access are essential.

Yield, cost and productivity

Yield compares useful component mass with input metal or billet mass. Students study gating loss, flash, scrap, rework, energy, tooling life, cycle time, labour and overall equipment use to improve cost without weakening quality.

Standards, safety and design ethics

Students learn drawing standards, material specifications, inspection requirements, documentation, traceability and professional responsibility. Designs must consider predictable misuse, worker safety, environmental impact and the limits of available data.

Iron and steel casting production

Students compare grey, ductile, compacted-graphite, malleable and steel castings. Charge control, inoculation, treatment, pouring temperature, mould behaviour and heat treatment vary with the required grade.

Non-ferrous casting production

Aluminium, copper, magnesium, zinc and other non-ferrous alloys require suitable melting, fluxing, degassing, grain refinement, moulding and safety practices. Oxidation and hydrogen control are especially important for some alloys.

Automation and robotic handling

Robotics subjects include kinematics, dynamics, trajectory generation, servo control and coordination. Accurate motion requires suitable sensors, actuators, models and real-time computation.

Furnace and press control systems

Furnace and press controls manage temperature, timing, force, speed, interlocks and emergency states. Students learn how sensors, controllers and actuators support repeatability while operators retain responsibility for safe conditions.

Casting and forging simulation

Casting simulation predicts filling, temperature and solidification, while forging simulation estimates metal flow, strain, temperature, load and die contact. Students should understand mesh, material data and boundary assumptions instead of trusting every colour plot automatically.

Foundry and forge safety systems

Safety systems address molten-metal contact with moisture, furnace failure, hot work, press guarding, cranes, dust, fumes, noise and emergency response. Risk assessment, preventive maintenance, training and controlled procedures are essential.

Industrial cybersecurity

Modern plants may connect furnaces, robots, inspection systems and production databases. Students need basic awareness of controlled access, backups and data integrity, but this topic supports the manufacturing process rather than replacing metallurgy or safety.

Typical laboratories

Project ideas

• gating and riser redesign to improve casting yield;
• moulding-sand property and defect correlation study;
• casting solidification simulation with experimental comparison;
• low-cost pattern or core-box design for a selected component;
• investigation of porosity, inclusions or hot-tear causes;
• forging preform and die-fill simulation;
• heat-treatment and hardness study for a selected alloy;
• die-wear or tool-life improvement study;
• non-destructive inspection plan for a safety-related component;
• energy, sand or scrap reduction study for a model shop.