The method of pouring "hot metal" (in industry parlance) into castes or molds and change it into a definite shape after cooling is the basic idea behind metal casting. Metal casting is an age old technique, went through many improvisation, and transformed into a revolutionary process of industrial casting. Metal customization needs, economical viability and artistic needs have given a new dimension to the metal casting industry.
With the advent of new alloys and metals, the industrial revolution arrived at a new heights, and industrial hope of metal customization has also reached at its best optimism. Seeing the demand and opportunity to make fortune, many mid level manufacturers sprung and later became a big names in the industry. The fast industrialization of metal casting paved way to new ideas of implementation at commercial level. With the advance research, the casting procedures in the metal casting industry results a high volume of units, which are also of better quality. The metal casting has also become an accessible industry because of its low cost set up and implementation. The process of metal casting is simple and require minimum skill to perform. The basic requirement is a furnace to heat the raw solid metal or alloy to molten level at high temperature and molds or casts this metal to give the desired shape.
The metal casting industry uses a procedure that is classified as non-disposable and involves processes that retain the cast or mold for various applications. The molds that are made up of sand, plaster or plastics, which are once used and unfit for application in the metal casting industry. Due to several applications of metal casting, it is a preferred choice because of cost effectiveness and continuous metal casting process.
Recent Trends In Metal Casting Industry
In the recent years, despite increased foreign competition, the metal casting industry expects a good amount of growth. The sales are expected to grow 14% in years to come and light metals will replace iron and steel castings, especially in transportation applications.
Particularly in the US metalcasting industry that has gone a dramatic transformation in last 2 decades because of advance technology, and government mandated regulations.
In other countries, notably China has grown much in metal casting as its estimated to be 12,000 foundries are presently working in the country. The distribution of foundries has spread in the eastern part of China such as Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangxi, Fujian. Other parts like Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guandong, Guangxi, Hainan and Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Neimenggu have 22% and 17% spread of metal casting industry respectively.
The motor vehicle and mechanical engineering industries use 40-80% of iron castings and ductile iron castings, the percentage rises to 90% or more. Germany, France and the Netherland uses gray iron castings where it is more than 50%. The ductile iron castings, the share is highest in Portugal and Hungary of 68% and 73% respectively.
The European foundry is the third largest producer of ferrous castings worldwide.
The major share of metal casting industry is claimed by the mechanical engineering industry.
In terms of ferrous casting, the gray iron casting dominates the industry with 50% share. In recent years, according to Urbat, competition among ferrous casting materials give a marked increase in the market share of ductile iron castings.
