Casting is the process of pouring molten metal into a sand, metal, or ceramic mold. After the liquid metal cools and hardens, it has the required shape. A casting is also the outcome of this manufacturing process. This manufacturing technique has already existed for 7,000 years. Compared with machining, casting is a less expensive way to produce metal parts.
Materials used for castings include metal, plaster, concrete, and plastic resin. Most commonly used materials for metal castings include gray iron, ductile iron, aluminum, steel, copper, and zinc. Metal casting allows the production of parts, which have a complicated shape to be fabricated through forming or machining.
The metal casting process is ideal for mass or batch production. This casting method is also advantageous in producing heavy and bulky metal parts.
