What is metal casting?

The metal casting is metal forming objects obtained in different ways. After pouring the smelted liquid metal into the prepared molds in injection or inhalation way, then cooling, cleaning and post-treatment, we can obtain some certain shape, size and performance objects.

Metal Casting History

The metal casting application has a long history. Ancient people used castings for coins, ceremonial vessels, weapons, tools and some life appliances. In modern times, the mechanical casting products account for a large proportion, such as tractors account for about 50~70%, agricultural machinery accounts for about 40~70% and internal combustion engines account for 70~90%. In all castings, the kinds, shapes and amounts of machinery castings are the most.

Metal Casting Category

There are several classifications:

1. According to different metal materials, castings are divided into steel, iron, copper, aluminum, magnesium and zinc castings, while iron castings can be divided into gray iron, ductile iron, vermicular iron, malleable iron and alloy cast iron.

2. According to different methods of casting molding, castings can be divided into ordinary sand casting, metal casting, die casting, centrifugal casting, continuous casting, investment casting, ceramic casting, ESR casting, bi-metal casting and so on.

Metal Casting Properties and Uses

Castings have excellent mechanical and physical properties such as different strength, hardness and toughness, while one or more special properties, such as wear resistance and corrosion resistance.

There are a widely range of casting applications. Castings have been applied to the hardware, machinery and electronics industries, such as in constructional engineering, machine tools, ships, aerospace, computers and other industries, while their uses are expanding.

Metal Casting Quality

Casting quality includes appearance quality, internal quality and use quality.

1. Appearance quality refers to surface roughness, surface defects, dimensional deviations, shape and weight bias.

2. Internal quality mainly refers to the chemical composition, physical properties, mechanical properties and the holes, cracks, inclusions, segregations within the castings.

3. Use quality refers to the working endurance under different conditions, including wear resistance, corrosion resistance, fatigue, shock absorption and other properties.

Metal Casting Photos

The followings are some metal castings made by sand casting processes in China.

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