ABSTRACT
Most metal objects have at some stage in their manufacture been shaped by pouring molten metal into a mould and allowing it to solidify. On solidifying, the object is known as a casting if the shape is such that no further shaping is required – it may only require machining to produce the finished article. Castings are produced by various methods, e.g. sand casting, die-casting and investment casting. If, upon solidifying, the object is to be further shaped by rolling, extrusion, drawing or forging, it is known as an ingot, pig, slab, billet or bar – depending on the metal and the subsequent shaping process – and these are cast as simple shapes convenient for the particular forming process.
