This week’s adventure had me examining the metalcasting process from start to finish, as I learned the steps to creating the perfect metal casting. Going into it, I pictured…well, nothing really. I had never stopped to think about how metal castings were made. To be honest, until I started interning for Metal Casting Design & Purchasing, I didn’t know what metal castings were or that they are all around us in items we use daily. Now, I find myself looking more closely look at these objects and thinking about the work involved in making the castings.

I first learned a little background information about the metalcasting industry. As a history buff, I was excited to learn metalcasting dates back to 5,000 B.C. Of course, a lot has changed since then, and modern metalcasting operates according to a strict science. The different techniques and materials that combine to create a mold, which is ultimately used to produce a metal casting, showed me how versatile and complex the process is.

When I started to grasp the intricate metalcasting process, I couldn’t help but think of its similarities to cooking or baking.  Different ingredients are mixed together, “cooked” or “baked,” and then left to be cooled. Once they have cooled to room temperature, they are ready to be used, or “eaten.” Baking requires special preparation time, as does metalcasting. If the right ingredients are chosen and the recipe is followed correctly, the end result is a delicious casting that can range in shape, size and color.

Relating the metalcasting process to cooking has allowed me to wrap my mind around the complex procedures it takes to make castings. Hopefully, it has made you think about how these tasks are alike and will allow you to appreciate a metal casting as much as your next slice of chocolate cake.