INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS

AND PROCESSES
 HISTORY OF METAL CASTING

• The oldest known metal casting is that of a copper frog, believed to have been produced in
3200 BCE in Mesopotamia. Later, around 2000 BCE, iron was discovered. But it was not
until around 700 BCE that the first production of cast iron was developed in China. The sand
molding process of casting metals was also invented in China in 645 BCE.
 HISTORY OF METAL CASTING
• The crucible process, a technique used for producing fine or tool steel, appeared and disappeared
in various locations around the globe since the early 1st millennium CE. The technique popped
up in India and central Asia first, until it appeared in northern Europe around 800 CE, where it
was used to make Viking swords. The technique didn’t resurface until 1750 when Benjamin
Huntsman reinvented it in England. Huntsman heated small pieces of carbon steel in a closed
crucible, which is a ceramic pot with refractory properties that can withstand a high degree of
heat. Huntsman achieved a temperature high enough to melt steel for the first time.
 WHAT IS METAL CASTING?
• Metal casting is a process by pouring liquid metal into a
mold, where it is cooled and later extracted from the mold.
Metal casting is arguably the earliest and most influential
industrial process in history. It’s used to make many metal
objects used in our daily lives: automotive parts, train
wheels, lamp posts, school bus pedals, and much more. Plus,
metal casting foundries rely on metal recycling as a cost-
efficient source of raw material, significantly reducing
wasted scrap metal that might end up in landfills.
 TWO MAIN DIVISIONS OF MOLD
• Expendable Mold
• Can only make one metal casting
• Made of sand, or other similar materials
• Binders used to support material hold its shape
• Mold that metal hardens in should be damaged to wipe out casting
• More complex geometries are feasible for casting
• Long-lasting Mold
• Can create many metal castings
• Generally made of metals or often a refractory ceramic
• It has parts that can close or open, permitting eradication of the casting
• Have to open mold limitations part designs
 TYPES OF METAL CASTING

1. Centrifugal Casting - In this range of processes the melted material is required to

2). Continuous Casting - In this process, a flow of molten material equates of a water-cooled
hole and creates a continuous rod or strip which is then chopped by a rounded saw. A new
technique, generally known as circular continuous casting, entails the water-cooled hole
(mold) oscillating as well as rotating at approximately 120 RPM during the casting procedure
 TYPES OF METAL CASTING

3). Die Casting - Metal Die casting processes force the molten material into the hole of a steel
cavity, termed as a die, within extremely high pressure, approximately 1000 – 30,000 psi.
Categorization of die casting entails the kinds of machines used, the main types being used are
hot-chamber and cold-chamber machines.
 METAL CASTING PROCESS
• 1). Patternmaking – A pattern is a replica of the exterior of the casting. Patterns are
typically made of wood, metal, plastic, or plaster. Patternmaking is incredibly important for
industrial part-making, where precise calculations are needed to make pieces fit and work
• 2). Coremaking - If a casting is hollow, an additional piece of sand or metal (called a core)
together.
shapes the internal form to make it hollow. Cores are typically strong yet collapsible so they
can be easily removed from the finished casting.
 METAL CASTING PROCESS

• 3). Molding - Molding is a multistep process that will form a mold around the pattern using
molding sand. In casting, a mold is contained in a frame called a flask.
 METAL CASTING PROCESS
• 4). Melting and Pouring - There are two categories of metals that castings are
produced from: ferrous (metals that contain iron) and non-ferrous (metals that
do not contain iron). Ferrous alloys include steel, malleable iron, and gray iron.
The non-ferrous alloys most commonly used in casting are aluminum and
copper, however magnesium, nickel, and titanium based alloys are sometimes
used for specialized applications.

• The metals to be melted and cast – usually a mix of recycled scrap and alloying
metals – are loaded to “charge” the furnace. Once inside the furnace, the metal
is subjected to extremely high temperatures until the melting point (often in
excess of 2500 degrees Fahrenheit [1370°C]) is reached. Specialized furnaces
are necessary to reach such elevated temperatures.
 METAL CASTING PROCESS
• 5). Cleaning – In this final step, the cast metal object is removed from the mold and then
fettled. During the fettling, the object is cleaned of any molding material, and rough edges
are removed.
 ADVANTAGES OF METAL CASTING PROCESS
• Metal casting can produce complex shapes

• Features like internal cavities or hollow sections can be easily achieved.

• Large components can be produced in one piece cast.

• Material that are difficult or expensive to manufacture using other manufacturing process can be
cast.

• Compared to other manufacturing processes, casting is cheaper for medium to large quantities.

• Almost all the metals can be cast.

• Near net shape often without or very minor post processing.