At Lava3DP.com, we empower innovators and businesses to bring their designs to life through advanced manufacturing. Metal casting is a cornerstone of custom part production, offering unparalleled flexibility for complex geometries and a wide range of materials. But with so many methods available, how do you choose the right one for your project?
This definitive guide breaks down the 10 major types of metal casting processes, highlighting their advantages, limitations, and ideal applications. Use this resource to make an informed decision and ensure your next custom part is manufactured perfectly.
The 10 Major Types of Metal Casting Explained
1. Sand Casting
The most versatile and widely used casting process. A sand mold is formed around a pattern of your part, which is removed to leave a cavity for molten metal.
- Ideal For: Low to medium volume production, massive parts (e.g., engine blocks, large machinery housings), prototypes, and complex geometries.
- Lava3DP Advantage: We offer rapid turnaround on sand casting prototypes and production runs, perfect for validating your design before committing to high-cost tooling.
2. Investment Casting (Lost-Wax Casting)
Known for its exceptional precision. A wax pattern is coated in ceramic slurry to create a mold. The wax is melted out, and metal is poured into the cavity, capturing incredible detail.
- Ideal For: Parts requiring excellent surface finish, high dimensional accuracy, and complex, thin-walled designs (e.g., jewelry, aerospace turbine blades, surgical instruments).
- Lava3DP Advantage: Our expertise in investment casting ensures your most intricate designs are produced with minimal need for secondary machining, saving you time and cost.
3. Die Casting
A high-pressure process where molten metal is injected into a reusable steel mold (die). This is a high-speed method for mass production.
- Ideal For: High-volume production of non-ferrous parts with excellent surface finish (e.g., automotive housings, consumer electronics components, power tools).
- Lava3DP Advantage: While best for high volumes, we can advise on design for die casting (DFM) to optimize your part for cost-effective mass production.
4. Permanent Mold Casting
Molten metal is poured by gravity into a reusable metal mold. It strikes a balance between the quality of die casting and the flexibility of sand casting.
- Ideal For: Medium to high volume runs of simpler parts where consistency and good mechanical properties are key (e.g., automotive pistons, gears, cookware).
- Lava3DP Advantage: We help clients evaluate if permanent mold casting offers the right cost-benefit ratio for their production volume goals.
5. Centrifugal Casting
The mold is rotated at high speeds, using centrifugal force to form a seamless, dense cylindrical part. Perfect for creating symmetric hollow shapes.
- Ideal For: Manufacturing symmetrical tubular components like pipes, rings, bushing liners, and compressor rotors.
- Lava3DP Advantage: We provide material guidance to ensure the centrifugal process delivers the superior density and mechanical properties your application demands.
6. Lost Foam Casting
An expandable polystyrene (EPS) foam pattern is vaporized by molten metal, perfectly filling the mold. It allows for incredibly complex internal features without traditional cores.
- Ideal For: Highly complex parts with internal passages (e.g., engine blocks, cylinder heads, architectural fixtures).
- Lava3DP Advantage: Our engineering team can help you leverage lost foam casting to consolidate multiple assembled parts into a single, stronger casting, reducing assembly time and cost.
7. Shell Mold Casting
- Description: A sand mixture with a thermosetting resin binder is placed over a heated metal pattern. It forms a hard, shell-like half-mold. Two halves are clamped together to form the complete mold.
- Advantages: Smoother surface finish and better accuracy than sand casting, higher production rate than conventional sand casting.
- Disadvantages: Pattern costs are higher than for sand casting, part size is limited, resin binder is more expensive.
- Best for: High-volume production of small to medium parts like connecting rods, gear housings.
8. Plaster Mold Casting
- Description: Similar to sand casting, but the mold is made from plaster of Paris (gypsum) instead of sand. Offers a much smoother surface finish.
- Advantages: Very smooth surface finish, good dimensional accuracy for complex shapes.
- Disadvantages: Mold has low permeability, which can trap gas, not suitable for high melting point metals (e.g., steel, iron), slow production rate.
- Best for: Non-ferrous metals like aluminum, zinc, and copper alloys for parts requiring fine detail and finish (e.g., lock components, gear prototypes).
9. Continuous Casting
- Description: Not for discrete parts, but for creating standard stock. Molten metal is poured into a water-cooled, open-ended mold. The metal solidifies as it is continuously withdrawn from the other end, forming a long, continuous strand (bloom, billet, or slab).
- Advantages: Highly efficient and automated, excellent and uniform quality, minimal material waste.
- Disadvantages: Not for finished parts; produces semi-finished products for further rolling or forging.
- Best for: Primary production of raw stock for other processes (e.g., steel I-beams, aluminum bars).
10. Vacuum Casting
- Description: Molten metal is drawn into a ceramic mold by a vacuum, rather than poured by gravity. This is often used in investment casting setups.
- Advantages: Reduces turbulence and gas entrapment, allows for very thin walls and fine detail, excellent mechanical properties.
- Disadvantages: Complex and expensive equipment.
- Best for: High-integrity superalloy components for aerospace (e.g., turbine blades).
Which Metal Casting Process is Right for You? [Downloadable Comparison]
| Process | Mold Type | Volume | Tolerances | Surface Finish | Best For Metals | Key Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Casting | Expendable | Low – Medium | Low | Rough | All | Ultimate flexibility, low cost tooling |
| Investment Casting | Expendable | Medium – High | Very High | Excellent | All, especially superalloys | Intricate detail, best finish |
| Die Casting | Permanent | Very High | Very High | Excellent | Low MP (Zn, Al, Mg) | High speed, high volume |
| Permanent Mold | Permanent | Medium – High | High | Good | Low-Med MP (Al, Cu) | Good consistency & properties |
| Centrifugal | Permanent | Medium | High | Good | Most | Dense, strong cylinders |
| Lost Foam | Expendable | Medium | Medium | Good | Iron, Aluminum | Extreme complexity, no cores |
Partner with Lava3DP for Your Next Custom Casting Project
Choosing the right process is just the first step. Partnering with an expert manufacturer is critical to your project’s success.
At Lava3DP, we don’t just supply parts; we provide manufacturing solutions. Our experts will guide you through every step:
- Design for Manufacturability (DFM) Analysis: We review your design to recommend the best process and optimize it for cost, performance, and quality.
- Process Selection: We help you navigate the pros and cons of each method to find the perfect fit.
- Precision Production: Using a network of trusted partners and proven quality controls, we deliver cast parts that meet your exact specifications.
- Secondary Operations: We offer a full suite of finishing services, including CNC machining, heat treatment, and surface finishing.
Ready to get a quote for your custom metal part? Upload your CAD model today and our engineering team will provide a free DFM analysis and competitive quote for your projec