Though they have been refined through the ages, significant differences exist between the two methods used to make metal parts. Sand casting and investment casting are methods of creating metal parts by pouring molten metal into three-dimensional molds. Although methods are thousands of years old, both have been refined over the years to minimize the amount of metal used and…

Higher safety and environmental regulations in the automotive industry push designers to use stronger, lower-density metals. Engineers wrangling with material technology continuously try to find the right balance of properties. However, it’s safe to say that two properties have remained constant over the years—stronger and lighter. Around the end of the last millennium, tighter regulations caused the automotive industry to…