Alloys

Almost every material we could ever want is lurking somewhere in the planet beneath our feet. From the gold we wear as jewelry to the oil that powers our cars, Earth's storehouse of amazing materials can supply virtually every need. Chemical elements are the basic building blocks from which all the materials inside Earth are made. There are 90 or so naturally…

A Quick Guide to Ferrous Metals

This article gives an overview of ferrous metals, what they are and how they're made There are several common types of ferrous metals such as mild steel, stainless steel and cast iron. Ferrous metals are highly versatile. Read this article to learn about their applications and advantages and disadvantages of ferrous metals Have you noticed how some materials rust over…

Definition

Casting is a method where a solid material is dissolved, heated to suitable temperature (generally treated to change its chemical structure), and is then added into a mold or cavity, which keeps it in a proper form during solidification. As a result, in just one step, complex or simple designs can be created from any material that can be dissolved.…

Components for Pumps & Valves

A variety of casting methods are used for making the components for pumps and valves. They can be done using either ferrous or non-ferrous casting methods. Using Ferrous Casting Pump and Valve components can be cast using the following processes malleable iron casting, gray iron casting and ductile iron casting. Advantages of each of the casting methods are enumerated below…

The Metal Casting Operation

Pouring, Fluidity, Risers, Shrinkage And Other Defect In the previous section the fundamentals of the metal casting process, as the basic starting point for metal fabrication and part manufacture, were covered. Setup and design of a system to perform a casting operation was explained. Main topics were molds, patterns, cores, and the elements of a gating system. In this section…

Casting Process: Basic Steps

Industrial Process DescriptionThe metal casting process has been divided into the following five major operations: Obtaining the Casting Geometry :The process is referred as the study of the geometry of parts and plans, so as to improve the life and quality of casting. Casting Pattern-making :In pattern making, a physical model of casting, i.e. a pattern is used to make…

Heat Treated Metals and Their Uses

The process of heat-treating metals on the industrial scale primarily serves to improve the overall properties of the metals required for their future use. Such metal properties can include toughness, hardness, ductility, machinability, refined grain structure, removal of residual stresses and an overall improvement in the wear resistance. The specific techniques used to both heat and cool metals are not…

Properties and Production of Lightweight Metals

Introduction Lightweight materials have become increasingly critical in the transportation manufacturing sectors, including aircraft, automobile, heavy truck, rail, ship, and defense manufacturing industries. Light metal and alloys possess high strength-to-weight ratios and low density, and are generally defined by low toxicity as opposed to heavy metals, except for beryllium. Lightweight metals consist of aluminum, beryllium, titanium, and magnesium alloys. Light…

Metal Mold Casting

Metal Mold Casting At least three families of molding and casting processes can be categorized as metal mold processes. These include diecasting (high-pressure diecasting), low-pressure permanent mold casting and permanent mold casting. Unlike sand casting processes, in which a mold is destroyed after pouring to remove the casting, permanent mold casting uses the mold repeatedly. Diecasting Diecasting is used to…