Most people who require casting services do not usually have the full information behind the processes, and that is why they may not know the particular casting services they need. Most of the time, casting companies are the ones who inform clients of the type of casting to choose. The following explains important things about the casting industry to help you get a better understanding:
Casting and Casting Material
Casting is a process carried out in the processing and manufacturing industry in which a hot liquid is poured or forced into a mould. The mould features a hollow cavity of a particular shape. When the hot liquid cools, it solidifies and takes the shape of the mould. The solidified shape is called a casting.
Casting materials can be separated into two categories: metals and cold-setting materials.
The hot liquid mentioned above comes from heating metals. The most common metal materials used are copper, aluminium, zinc, tin, lead and magnesium-based alloys. Iron and steel are also used. If you come across the terms bronze and brass, know that brass is an alloy of zinc and copper. Bronze is also an alloy of copper and zinc as well as tin, aluminium, manganese and nickel.
Cold-setting materials are not heated to liquid. They are mixed and then cured. They include clay, epoxy, concrete, plastic resin and plaster.
Why Is Casting Done?
Casting is used to make different products required in everyday life. It can be used to make sculptures, jewellery, weapons, tools, engine parts, equipment parts, pipe parts, car parts and so on.
There are two different types of casting processes, and each can help produce specific products. The two types are expendable and non-expendable casting methods.
Expendable methods are those that require the creation of a new mould every time, which means that if you want a particular product, a new mould has to be built. Some methods in this category are plaster mould investment, sand, full-mould and lost-foam casting.
Non-expendable methods can use one mould multiple times. These methods include permanent mould, centrifugal, continuous and die casting.
Some of the more common casting methods used are sand, investment and die casting, followed by centrifugal and permanent mould casting.
Which Method Should Be Used?
Various factors help determine which casting method to use, and these include price, the kind of surface finish you want, the type of casting material to be used, whether there is a particular process required and so on. You, therefore, might not have a choice as to which method will be used to cast your product.
For more information about bronze castings or other kinds of castings, reach out to an industry professional.
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