The low-pressure permanent molding (LPPM) and semipermanent molding (LPSPM) processes are versatile, and they meet the quality requirements of a variety of high-integrity, large-sized, and thin-walled aluminum castings for various industries. This chapter presents the major features, operation sequence, advantages, and applications of LPPM, LPSPM, and counter-pressure casting.

This chapter examines the microstructure of metallic components produced by casting and compares them with microstructures achieved by means of powder metallurgy. It shows how metals and alloys obtained by various processing routes differ in terms of grain size, secondary phases, oxide and carbide dispersions, porosity, dendritic formation, and properties such as hardness, toughness, tensile strength, and yield strength.

Planning and laying out casting facilities involve a number of vital factors, such as available infrastructure, selection of suitable sites, orientation of operations and process flow, markets and products, operating parameters, and targeted hourly output and annual capacity. This chapter presents guiding principles and layout concepts with these factors in mind. It also presents steps for the creation of a plant layout. Plant layout involves the arrangement of processing areas, machinery, and equipment for the efficient conversion of raw materials into finished products. The chapter discusses general guidelines for developing a layout.

Iron and steel castings require cleaning as they come out of the shakeout units to remove any burned sand and sand that may remain stuck from the mold. This chapter presents the casting cleaning operation sequence. The sequence includes shot blasting; decoring or removal of cores from castings; degating or removal of runners, gates, and feeders; and flash removal and automation. The chapter also presents the objectives of heat treatment and discusses its processes. The chapter describes product quality control. Quality checks are grouped into three categories: material checks, product checks, and functional checks.

This chapter provides an overview of aluminum die casting and the equipment used. It discusses the advantages and limitations of the die casting process and the design and operation of hot- and cold-chamber die casting machines. It also discusses clamping systems and forces and the factors affecting die life, including die materials, metal injection cycles, and lubrication. A typical die casting cell layout is also provided.

This chapter describes the processes and alloys used in the casting of aluminum components, the advantages and disadvantages of the different shape-casting methods, and the major factors that influence alloy selection for shape-casting applications. An overview of the heat treatment of cast products is also included.

Engineered geometry and its microstructures impact casting performance. This chapter describes three interdependent disciplines that are needed to achieve product performance and cost targets, namely engineered geometry; target microstructure and chemistry; and optimum process for high integrity.

Casting is one of the most economical manufacturing processes for providing shape to components of machinery and is used in a wide range of industries. This chapter is a brief account of the advantages, applications, limitations, and market growth of aluminum casting. It also provides information on the process of conversion of steel and iron parts to aluminum.

This chapter provides information on comparative attributes of sand molds and metal molds for aluminum casting. The cooling rates and microstructures obtained with each mold type are discussed. In addition, the chapter explains why sand castings work successfully in certain applications.

This chapter discusses the advantages, limitations, and applications of various aluminum casting processes, namely green sand casting process, air set or no-bake molding process, vacuum molding process, evaporative foam casting process, and die casting process. The processes covered also include gravity permanent molding, low-pressure permanent molding, counter pressure, squeeze casting, investment casting, rapid prototype casting, cast forge hybrid, and semisolid metal processes.

Casting is the most economical processing route for producing titanium parts, and unlike most metals, the properties of cast titanium are on par with those of wrought. This chapter covers titanium melting and casting practices -- including vacuum arc remelting, consumable electrode arc melting, electron beam hearth melting, rammed graphite mold casting, sand casting, investment casting, hot isostatic pressing, weld repair, and heat treatment -- along with related equipment, process challenges, and achievable properties and microstructures. It also explains how titanium parts are produced from powders and how the different methods compare with each other and with conventional production techniques. The methods covered include powder injection molding, spray forming, additive manufacturing, blended elemental processing, and rapid solidification.

This chapter covers the practices and procedures used for shape casting metals and alloys. It begins with a review of the factors that influence solidification and contribute to the formation of casting defects. It then describes basic melting methods, including induction, cupola, crucible, and vacuum melting, and common casting techniques such as sand casting, plaster and shell casting, evaporative pattern casting, investment casting, permanent mold casting, cold and hot chamber die casting, squeeze casting, semisolid metal processing, and centrifugal casting.

This chapter provides an overview of beryllium casting practices and the challenges involved. It discusses the stages of solidification, the effect of cooling rate, the difficulty of heat removal, and the potential for hot cracking. It describes common melting techniques, including vacuum induction melting, vacuum arc melting, and electron beam melting, and some of the ways they have been used to cast beryllium alloys. The chapter also includes information on metal purification and grain refinement procedures.

With typical alloy systems, casting is often the most convenient method by which to produce components. This is true for stainless steels, both for corrosion-resisting and for heat-resisting applications. This chapter discusses stainless steel casting alloys and their metallurgy. Foundry methods are discussed to the degree they are specific to the stainless alloys.

This article discusses the steps in the primary processing of stainless steels: melting, refining, remelting, casting, and hot rolling. It provides information of the major categories of defects in hot rolled stainless steels, namely hot mill defects, inclusion-related defects, and hot ductility-related defects.

This chapter describes cast steel features that may be identified or attributed to component failure during heat treatment or subsequent processing or service, namely porosity (generated by the presence of gas as well as by shrinkage pores), decarburization, cold joint, and inclusions.

Almost all metals and alloys are produced from liquids by solidification. For both castings and wrought products, the solidification process has a major influence on both the microstructure and mechanical properties of the final product. This chapter discusses the three zones that a metal cast into a mold can have: a chill zone, a zone containing columnar grains, and a center-equiaxed grain zone. Since the way in which alloys partition on freezing, it follows that all castings are segregated to different categories. The different types of segregation discussed include normal, gravity, micro, and inverse. The chapter also provides information on grain refinement and secondary dendrite arm spacing and porosity and shrinkage in castings. It concludes with a brief overview of six of the most important casting processes in industries: sand casting, plaster mold casting, evaporative pattern casting, investment casting, permanent mold casting, and die casting.

Gear manufacture depends on machinery available, design specifications or requirements, cost of production, and type of material from which the gear is to be made. This chapter discusses the processes involved in methods for manufacturing gears, namely casting, forming, and forging.

This chapter begins with information on the historical development of aluminum alloy castings. It then covers the basic factors involved in the selection of a casting process. This is followed by sections describing the various categories of casting processes and their variants: expendable mold gravity-feed casting, nonexpendable (permanent) mold gravity feed casting, and pressure die casting. Next, the chapter describes the technologies used to produce premium engineered castings and when such castings may be relevant. The chapter concludes with descriptions of other process technologies used with castings, including metallurgical bonding, metal-matrix composites, and hot isostatic pressing.