Casting
Casting is a process where a liquid material is poured into a mold based on the negative of a desired geometry after which the liquid material solidifies. This solidified part is typically referred to as a casting. Casting is the most common process for creating complex parts.
Metal Casting
Metal casting involves pouring liquid metal into a mold, then allowing the metal to solidify. Metal casting molds can be divided into two distinct categories: expendable and non expendable.
Expendable Mold Casting
Expendable mold casting is a generalized term for a mold that is of single use or temporary use. Examples of such molds include sand, clay, plastic, wax, and plaster. These castings are used for creating a relatively small number of parts and are very cheap to make.
Non-Expendable Mold Casting
Non-expendable mold castings are the opposite of expendable castings where after each casting the mold does not need to be reformed/rebuilt. Four methods stand out when discussing non-expendable mold casting: die, permanent, continuous, and centrifugal. These methods are highly revered for their reproducibility and lifetime of the mold.
