Casting
Casting makes an object by pouring or pressing liquid or pliable material into a mold, where it takes shape as it hardens or sets.
Mold: A shaped cavity or form that gives material its shape as it hardens or sets. The mold defines the cavity that casting material fills.
Sand casting: A casting process that forms a mold from bonded sand around a pattern. It makes large or complex metal parts with relatively inexpensive molds.
Foundry: A factory or workshop where metal is melted and formed by casting. Foundries organize the furnaces, molds, and handling needed for metal casting.
Casting defect: A flaw formed during casting, such as a crack, inclusion, or incomplete fill. Defects reveal how mold design, melt quality, and cooling conditions can fail.
Solidification: The transition of a material from liquid to solid. In metal casting, solidification fixes the mold’s shape into the workpiece.
Investment casting: A casting process that uses a disposable wax pattern and a ceramic shell mold. It produces intricate metal parts with fine detail and good dimensional accuracy.
Pattern (casting): A model used to form a mold cavity for a casting. A pattern establishes the intended shape and allowances before molten material is poured.
Near-net-shape manufacturing: Manufacturing parts close to their final dimensions, minimizing later material removal. Casting can produce complex forms that require less machining than stock-based methods.
Shrinkage (casting): The reduction in volume that occurs as a casting cools and solidifies. Designers compensate for shrinkage to prevent undersized or defective castings.
Die casting: A process that forces molten metal under pressure into a reusable metal mold. It efficiently produces precise, repeatable parts, especially from nonferrous alloys.