Manufacturing companies usually face two process choices when creating their precision-machined parts and components: casting or fabrication. Making the right choice will drive the success of your project, so it’s critical to investigate the benefits and limitations of each during the design phase.
This month’s blog discusses the differences between the two processes and provides examples of where each might be most effective.
How Does The Metal Casting Process Differ From Fabrication?
Casting and fabrication both have their places in creating precision-machined parts and equipment. However, the processes often serve different purposes and come with their own sets of advantages and limitations. Let’s break down the significant differences between the two.
Casting
Casting is a very old technique that dates back to antiquity. Those ancient bronze statues you see in museums all over the world were created through casting.
The basic process involves transforming solid materials and specialty alloys, such as iron, aluminum, bronze, and copper, into a hot, molten liquid form and pouring it into a mould. The metal then cools and solidifies into the shape of the mould. Casting allows you to create virtually limitless shapes and sizes, making it a practical approach when producing complex parts with intricate or ornate patterns with little tolerance.
Fabrication
Fabrication is also an old process. It resembles the way marble statues were created by taking a solid object and removing material to get the desired final piece. In metalworking, the steel workpiece goes through a series of bending, cutting, welding, and grinding processes to create the final to-spec part that’s accurate down to the last detail.
One of the benefits of fabrication is its ability to work with a wider variety of steel types, giving you more material selection options. It’s also a faster process than casting, which is a significant benefit when you have tight timelines.
Choosing Between Fabrication And Casting For Your Project
When starting a new precision-machined project, the all-important question is which process to use to create your parts. Here are some examples where one method might be preferred over the other.
Casting Applications
Casting takes the lead in parts that require specific shapes and intricate designs and creates products that provide superior integrity under high stress and temperature conditions. This makes casting an excellent choice for manufacturing engine blocks and transmission casings for the automotive industry, including off-road vehicles in agriculture, construction, mining, defence, and other industries.
Casting is also popular in the aerospace industry, where precision-machined, lightweight parts are required to enhance aerodynamics, fuel efficiency, and intricate aircraft engine parts.
Architecture is another area where casting delivers a touch of uniqueness and sophistication to decorative elements such as fences, sculptures, and ornate metalwork, primarily when constructed using specialty alloys such as bronze, copper, or brass.
Fabrication Applications
When strength and durability are priorities for your application, fabrication offers the perfect solution. It’s the go-to process for beams, girders, trusses, and columns used in construction projects such as bridges, skyscrapers, stadiums, and industrial facilities.
Steel fabrication delivers the strength and precision required to create the framework and hull of ships where superior structural integrity and design flexibility are non-negotiable. The process is also preferred in the renewable energy sector for building support structures for wind turbines and solar panel arrays. Fabricated steel is strong enough to withstand severe weather conditions, allowing the equipment to maintain optimal positioning for energy-capturing equipment.
Fabricated parts can sustain durability under heavy industrial use, making it the perfect choice for many off-road automotive components. This makes off-road vehicle manufacturing one of the many areas where casting and fabrication come together to create quality parts built for heavy-duty applications.
Read More: Sustainability Practices In Metalworking
Make The Best Choice For Your Manufacturing Project With The Help Of Our Experts
Understanding the key differences between casting and fabrication is helpful when designing your project, and it always helps to have expert advice in your corner before going to production.
The design and engineering experts at AC Fabrication & Assembly Solutions can provide the guidance you need to help you make an informed choice with confidence.
Our engineers will perform a comprehensive analysis of your design to identify which parts and components would benefit most from either casting or fabrication. We’ll also provide valuable insights into material selection, tooling design, and process enhancements to help streamline production.
Additionally, our one-stop design, fabrication, and assembly solution offers our customers unique opportunities to cut costs, improve scheduling, and get their products to market sooner.
Best of all, you’ll get high-quality products that deliver optimal performance, durability, and reliability, along with a customer service experience unparalleled in our industry.
Read More: The Benefits Of Using A One-Stop Fabrication Supplier
AC Fabrication And Assembly Solutions: The Only End-To-End Off-Road Equipment Solutions Supplier You’ll Ever Need
With 300 years of combined experience under our belts, we offer unparalleled quality, durability, and service you won’t find with any other fabrication supplier, delivered by skilled technicians whose primary goal is to create sustainable growth for our customers.
Contact an AC Fabrication and Assembly Solutions expert at 204-952-1900 or sales@acfabandassembly.com for a custom quote on your next project today!
