Casting can produce parts with very complex shapes, especially those with intricate internal cavities. Because molten metal can fill every corner of the mold, casting is particularly suitable for manufacturing blanks and parts with complex internal structures or irregular shapes. For example, components with complex internal channels, such as the cylinder block, cylinder head, and crankshaft of an automobile engine, are typically manufactured using casting processes.
Common castable shapes include:
Complex internal cavity structures (such as cooling water channels in engine cylinders)
Thin-walled parts (investment casting can produce castings with a wall thickness of 0.5mm)
Modular integral castings (reducing the number of assemblies)
Near-net-shape parts (close to the final part shape, reducing subsequent machining) Different casting processes also have varying adaptability to shapes:
Sand casting: Suitable for any complex shape, especially for large or single-piece production of complex castings
Investment casting (lost-wax casting): Capable of manufacturing parts with extremely high precision and extremely complex shapes, such as aero-engine blades
Die casting: Suitable for mass production of complex thin-walled parts, but due to mold limitations, the structural design must consider the demolding direction
Centrifugal casting: Mainly used for cylindrical and axisymmetric parts, such as pipes and sleeves.
