The Metal Casting Process Explained
What is Metal Casting? Metal casting is a modern process with ancient roots. In the metal casting process, metal shapes are formed by pouring molten metal into a mold cavity, where it is cooled and later extracted from the mold. Metal casting is arguably the earliest and most influential industrial process in history. It's used to make many of the metal objects used in our daily lives: automotive parts, train wheels, lamp posts, school bus pedals, and much more. Plus, metal casting foundries rely on metal recycling as a cost-efficient source of raw material, significantly reducing wasted scrap metal that might end up in landfills. The History of Metal Casting The oldest known metal casting is that of a copper frog, believed to have been produced in 3200 BCE in Mesopotamia when copper was a popularly used material. Later, around 2000 BCE, iron was discovered. But it was not until around 700 BCE that the first production of cast iron was developed in China. Interestingly enough,