Steel casting is a flexible method of forming steel into various shapes by pouring molten metal into molds, followed by finishing steps. It offers greater freedom in component design and can produce lighter parts than forging. Castings are used in various industries for different applications.
Steel casting is a method of forming steel into specific shapes by pouring molten metal into the molds and cooling it into the desired shape. Casting is followed by final finishing steps to create the required surface finish and remove excess metal left over from the casting process. This method offers the advantage of a very flexible component design due to its ability to easily adapt to many different shapes.
The steel casting process begins with making upper and lower molds according to the design specifications. These molds are coated on the inside to improve the surface finish of the final product. The two halves of the mold are then assembled together to form a closed shell.
Molten metal is poured into this shell and the assembled die set is allowed to cool. Separating the dies after the metal has cooled allows the part to be removed. At this point, excess material is removed from areas where metal was poured into the closed mold assembly. This finishes the part in the desired shape.
An inspector then examines the part for defects developed during or after the steel casting process. Defects that can be corrected can be sent for grinding, welding or other repair work. If a part cannot be repaired, it can generally be recycled for use in other steel castings by melting it together with other scrap steel.
Casting steel offers some advantages over another common metalworking process known as forging. In the forging process, the metal is shaped under compressive forces while remaining in a solid state. Hammering, pressing, rolling and other operations are among these compressive forces used in forging.
While some components can be made by either process, steel casting allows for much greater freedom in the sizes and shapes of the components that can be produced. A steel part that has been cast is also usually lighter than a comparable forged part, which can be critical in some weight restricted applications. Reproducibility is often better in steel casting because standardized dies are used rather than the relatively less controlled metalworking done in some forging operations.
Castings are found in a wide variety of applications in many different industries. They can be used for heavy industry in applications such as construction equipment, mining machinery and power generation equipment. Transportation applications include use in rail cars and military and industrial trucks. Steel casting can also be used to produce valves, fittings, electrical components and other parts that require precise geometric dimensions.
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