Glossary of Casting Terminology "F"
This glossary lists in alphabetical order casting industry terms and their explanations.
| Word/Expression | Explanation |
|---|---|
| failed release | When a casting with poor ejection characteristics for the mold becomes deformed or gets stuck in the mold. |
| failure | When something causes a machine or mold, etc., that performs repetitive operations to stop operating. |
| fettling | The process of finishing a casting such as removing the burrs due to the casting process from a completed product or finishing the surfaces to a desired quality with sanding or buffing. |
| file | A mostly rod- or plate-shaped tool for manually grinding away metals. The work piece can be grinded away by rubbing the steel file's fine-grooved surfaces against it. |
| filling | To fill the empty portion of a mold (the product cavity or casting design area) with molten metal. |
| finishing allowance | Portions of the casting made larger than its dimensions upon completion in anticipation of the machining and finishing processes that will follow to complete it. |
| first pass yield (straight pass ratio) | The ratio of products that successfully pass the inspections conducted during the manufacturing process, when completed, etc., without needing rework. Abbreviated to FPY and also called “straight pass ratio.” |
| fit | To fit together two or more parts using their opposing convex and concave shapes. |
| flame off | When a once-ignited flame for melting furnaces, holding furnaces or heat treatment furnaces using a gas-combustion burner goes out due to an improper gas-air ratio, outside wind or the like. |
| flange | A portion protruding from a cylindrical or angled shape. |
| flash shield | A plate attached to a mold on a die casting machine to prevent molten metal from blowing out from the gap between mold parting surfaces during injection due to inappropriate mold clamping or other causes. |
| flat head screw | A screw with a cone-shaped head and a flat upper surface. |
| flat point | The end portion of a screw that has been machined flat and chamfered at an approx. 45° angle. Such screws are effective for repeated use and as adjusting screws. |
| flatness | Amount or degree of deviation of a part's surface from its correct, geometrically flat plane. |
| flexible metal hose | A hose covered with mesh cladding for protection from molten metal and the like. |
| flexible tube | Usually made of rubber or resin, these are used for connecting items and machines with variable positions like moving parts and molds. |
| flow line | A casting defect characterized by wrinkles appearing on the surface of the casting as the molten metal poured into the mold solidifies inside. Possible causes include low temperature of the molten metal poured, extensive generation of oxidized film on the material surface, the mold core generating excessive gas and turbulence due to irregular metal flow into the mold. |
| flower mark | A phenomenon in which a thin layer of a casting is separated and remains on the cast piece surface in post-processing. |
| fluidity | The characteristics or appearance of the molten metal filling the cavities in the mold. |
| fluorescent flaw detector | A type of nondestructive inspection device that can detect damage (cracks) on the surface of a casting. A fluorescent liquid is used as a penetrating agent and the damage (crack) is shown by irradiating ultraviolet light from a black light in a darkroom and viewing the resulting fluorescence. |
| flux | A substance added to a molten metal in order to clean it. For molten aluminum in particular, it is used to remove oxides and inclusions, and to reduce the amount of hydrogen gas. |
| flux feeder | A device for feeding flux into a molten metal in a safe manner during flux treatment. |
| foreign matter | A contamination that exists inside a casting. These impurities result from poor purity of the molten metal, entrapment from the casting design, etc. In some cases, they can create hard spots and the like in die casting, which adversely affects machining. |
| foreign matter inclusion | Occurrence of defects caused by casting with an impurity mixed into a furnace and the impurity enters into a casting product. Impurities such as sand may also contaminate products during casting design. |
| Formax™ | A wax-based material that is melted and poured into a newly created mold to test its performance before actual use. Formax™ is a testing material product manufactured by Japan Tool & Die Co., Ltd. |
| frequency | The number of times that an electric vibration (an electromagnetic wave or an oscillating current) is repeated per unit of time. |
| furnace | A general term referring to casting equipment for melting metals (melting furnace), for holding molten metals (holding furnace), for heat treatment (heat treatment furnace), etc. |
