Metal casting has been around for more than seven thousand years since it was invented. There are many uses for metal casting, besides being used to make different metal parts, it can also be used to make jewelry, weapons or other metal tools. One of the earliest metal castings was a bronze frog made 3,200 years ago. In fact, the technique of metal casting became very popular during the Bronze Age. And compared to metals like gold, bronze was easier to work with and stronger than soft metals like gold. Throughout the development of Chinese and Western history, the lost wax casting method of metal casting method used very common. And today, thousands of years later, metal casting technology has a new development, more technology is integrated into the metal casting.
What does the basic metal casting process look like?
Metal casting can actually be broken down into two simple steps, the creation of the mold and the re-solidification of the metal. Next, we'll explain the process of metal casting in more detail.
1. Gold The design of the shape of the property
Before you make the molds, it is a good idea to line up a pattern on a drawing of the metal that you want to make. What you have to consider is whether the complexity of the pattern is as difficult as you or the craftsman can make it. On the drawing you had better mark out the detailed dimensions of the model.
2. Making molds
The next thing you need to do is to make a mold from the drawing. You can use wax, sand, or plastic to make the molds. When making the molds, it is best that you try to make sure that the mold that you make is as close as possible to the metal part that you want in the end. Finally, one other factor that you had better take into account when casting the mold is that the metal may shrink as it cools. After the mold is made, you can cast the mold with plaster or another material.
3. Selecting the type of metal
The next thing you have to do is choose what kind of metal you want to use to make your metal parts. Most of the metals used in metal casting are alloys. One is a ferrous alloy and the other is a colored alloy. Ferrous alloys include three metals, which are steel, gray cast iron, and malleable iron. The most common metals used in non-ferrous alloys are bronze, aluminum, and copper. If you are making jewelry, then you will probably use metals such as gold, silver, and platinum.
4. Molten metal
As mentioned above, there are different alloys available for metal castings, and different alloys have different melting points. But the essence of melting metal is all about heating the metal by placing it in a crucible. There are two ways to heat it, one is to heat it over an open fire, and the other is to heat it in a furnace.
5. Pour the metal into the mold
The step of pouring the molten metal directly into the mold is not really that complicated. However, you'd better be prepared for total safety. You must wear protective clothing, including natural fiber clothing, long pants as well as long sleeves. By the way, there are also insulated gloves as well as goggles to protect your hands as well as your eyes, respectively. When pouring metal, it is best that you perform this operation in a ventilated environment. And have a fire extinguisher to prevent any danger during the operation.
6. Remove casting
You will need to spend enough time waiting for the metal to cool. If you choose to encase the mold in plaster, then you'll have to put it in water to quench it after the metal has solidified, which will make it easier for you to subsequently take the metal out. If your mold is repeatable grounds then you can use special handling tools to remove the casting.
7. Finishing touches
After you take out the metal parts, if you find that there are imperfections on the metal parts, you can use some specialized engraving tools to slightly touch up the imperfections on the metal surface. If you have the condition, you can also use a special jewelry engraving machine to engrave some shades of patterns on it, or any other patterns you want.
What are the different types of metal casting?
Generally speaking, metal casting can be divided into two types. The main distinction is made by whether or not the mold can be reused. If the mold can be reused, then this casting process is called non-consumable metal casting. If the mold is disposable, then this metal casting process is called consumable metal casting.
1. Expendable casting
The so-called consumable casting means that the molds used to make the metal parts are disposable. After it has been used it can only be made again. These molds are usually made of resin sand, ceramic shells.
2. Non-expendable casting
Non-consumable metal casting is where the molds used can be used many times. These molds are more stable and can withstand very high temperatures. Non-consumable molds are mostly made of steel or cast iron. Generally, non-consumable molds are used to make multiple identical metal parts.
How do I learn metal casting?
There are so many metal parts that can be created by metal casting, from as small as a ring to as large as the metal parts of an automobile engine. So when you're learning metal casting, you'd better think about what type of metal casting you're going to be working with first. This is because if you want to learn jewelry casting, the most you will be exposed to is metals like gold and silver. After you have determined your goal, you can then explore the field in this area.
