The potential in mechanical properties for aluminium casting alloys are in many casting processes not fully utilised. One reason is the defect formation in the casting process. The defects could be oxide films, introduced during mould filling, and pore formation. This investigation has been focused on how the gravity mould filling could be controlled by using filter in the ingate system and the how the pressure drop over the filter can be evaluated.

In gravity casting the metal flow velocity usually reaches several metres per second. Direct observations have shown that filters improve mould filling during casting. Additionally, filters cause a pressure loss, which decreases the speed of the metal and gives a smoother filling.

In this paper, mould-filling experiments were recorded directly by a video camera through a transparent ceramic glass. Two different types of ceramic filters, reticulated foam filters and extruded filters with 10, 20 and 30 pores per inch and 100 and 300 cells per square inch respectively, were investigated. The influence of active filter area and filter size on the flow reduction has also been investigated. As the casting temperature influences the viscosity of the liquid metal, the pressure loss over the filter was evaluated at various temperatures.

Using parameters for calculating flow loss caused by filter can help when designing ingate systems containing filters. The filter parameters can be used in two ways, either to control the speed of the metal or to design the active filter area in a way that the melt flux is not affected. Proper parameters are also important for computer simulations of mould filling. The parameters evaluated from these experiments have been used in computer simulation of mould filling and the results have been compared with experiments.