ABSTRACT
The casting type depends on the kind of product required, such as the mechanical properties and the surface finish of the product. There are several steps or processes followed to produce a final casting. For example, there are conventional and non-conventional casting routes that include investment casting techniques. Vacuum arc melting (VAC) is discussed in this chapter. To produce alloys such as Ti which has a high affinity to interstitial elements (oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen), the VAC is crucial in order to obtain high-purity metals and fewer defects in the casting. Moreover, the casting process can be very costly, especially during product development. In this process, repeated trials to obtain the best product may be costly in terms of raw materials and multiple melting. As a result, numerical tools combined with experimental tests are critical. Modelling and simulation before actual casting save costs and yield the best results. This may be beneficial especially when biomedical parts such as intricate prostheses are developed and made. This chapter gives an overview of the ingot metallurgy routes focusing on metal casting but taking an example of investment casting and vacuum arc melting. It shows that with the latest technological development, modelling/simulation is crucial for product development. As a result, very difficult castings can be made with fewer defects and at a minimum cost.
