Metals can be processed in a variety of ways. These can be classified roughly into casting, forming and machining. The following table gives characteristics of different processes for metals, although some may also apply to non-metallic materials such as plastics and composites.
General characteristics of metal processes :
| Process | Economic quantity | Materials (typical) | Optimum Size | Minimum section (mm) | Holes Possible | Inserts possible |
| Sand casting | Small/barge | No limit | 1-100 kg | 3 | yes | yes |
| Die casting, gravity | large | AI, Cu, Mg,Zn alloys | 1- 50 kg | 3 | yes | yes |
| Die casting, pressure | large | AI, Cu, Mg,Zn alloys | 50g-50kg | 1 | yes | yes |
| Centrifugal casting | large | No limit | 30mm-1m diameter | 3 | yes | yes |
| Investment casting | small/large | No limit | 50g-50kg | 1 | yes | yes |
| Closed die forging | large | No limit | 3000cm3 | 3 | yws | yes |
| Hot extrusion | large | No limit | 500mm diameter | 1 | - | yes |
| Hot rolling | large | No limit | - | - | no | no |
| Cold rolling | large | No limit | - | - | no | no |
| Drawing | small/large | AI,Cu,Zn,mild steel | 3mm/6m diameter | 0.1 | no | yes |
| Spinning | one-off, large | AI,Cu,Zn,mild steel | 6m/4.5m diameter | 0.1 | no | yes |
| Impact extrusion | large | AI, Pb, Zn,Mg, Sn | 6-100mm diameter | 0.1 | - | no |
| Sintering | large | Fe, W, bronze | 80g-4kg | 0.5 | yes | yes |
| Machining | one-off, large | No limit | - | - | yes | yes |
Labels: Manufacturing technology