Page 256 - Manufacturing Engineering and Technology - Kalpakjian, Serope : Schmid, Steven R.

Metal-Casting

Processes and

Equipment

As described throughout the rest of this book, several different methods are avail-
able to shape metals into useful products. Cne of the oldest processes is casting,
which basically involves pouring molten metal into a mold cavity. Upon solidifica-
tion, the metal takes the shape of the cavity. Examples of cast parts are shown in
Figure II.1. Casting first was used around 4000 B.C. to make ornaments, arrow-
heads, and various other objects. A Wide variety of products can be cast, and the
process is capable of producing intricate shapes in one piece, including those with
internal cavities, such as engine blocks. Figure II.2 shows cast components in a typ-
ical automobile, a product that was used in the introduction to Part I to illustrate the
selection and use of a variety of materials. The casting processes developed over the
years are shown in Fig. II.3.

(H) (D)
FIGURE ll.| Examples of cast parts. (a) A die-cast aluminum transmission housing. (b) A tree
of rings produced through investment casting. Source: (a) Courtesy of North American Die
Casting Association, (b) Courtesy of Romanoff, Inc.

PART