Cope and Drag Sand Castings for Large Parts
Cope and Drag refers respectively to the top and bottom of the mold use in Sand Casting. They are metal flasks used to contain and support the Green Sand during the mold making and mold pouring processes.
How Cope & Drag Works in the Sand Casting Process
Cope and Drag tooling consists of two patterns, one pattern for the cope and one pattern for the drag. Patterns are used to create impressions in the sand and together form a replica of the desired part to be cast, along with the necessary gating system to fill the mold with aluminum.
The cope and drag flasks are placed over their respective patterns, filled with Green Sand and tightly packed. The cope and drag flasks are lifted off of the patterns creating impressions in the sand, then assembled creating a mold into which the aluminum is poured. Prior to closing the mold, sand cores can be inserted into the mold to form hollow passageways or to cast intricate geometry that cannot be formed by the patterns.
Cope and Drag casting is a very manual process and typically used to cast larger parts. Tooling is relatively inexpensive as compared to other casting processes.
LSI is Well-Equipped for your Advanced Sand Casting Projects
Le Sueur Incorporated has (2) International Pin Lift Sand Casting Work Cells. Our largest flask size is 30 x 50 inches which allows for a maximum casting size of 32”x 20”.
Our Sand Casting Division utilizes a fully integrated Green Sand handling and reclamation system along with a dedicated Sand Laboratory for monitoring the sand moisture content and compactability to ensure consistent quality castings. Core Making and Heat Treating of aluminum casting processes are performed in-house.
Learn More About Cope & Drag and our Advanced Sand Casting Capabilities
Le Sueur Incorporated specializes in producing dimensionally complex, pressure tight aluminum castings and thermoplastic injection molded components. We offer complete in-house precision machining, finishing and assembly. Please contact us to learn more about our capabilities and how we can best assist with your casting needs!
