Metal Forming Processes
Casting: Manufacturing process in which liquid metal is poured into a mold that contains a hollow cavity with the desired shape and detail. The part is allowed to solidify and is then ejected from the mold to complete the process.
Forging: Metalworking process used to shape metal by hammering or using compressive forces. It is used for shapes impossible or too costly to manufacture by other methods or requiring properties not available by casting. Categories of forging include hammer, press, drop, or stamping.
CNC Machining: Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) machines use a program from a computer file generated from CAD software to provide the commands necessary to operate a particular machine to manufacture parts to a defined specification. This highly automated process allows for the consistent manufacture of intricately detailed products.
Stamping: Manufacturing process that can be performed on sheet metal and other materials where every stroke of the press can produce the desired form on a sheet metal part. For more detailed parts, the stamping process can occur in a series of stages.
Bending: Common metalworking technique used to process sheet metal, tube, and other materials. Bending is a step on the metalworking process that is used to create a radius or to form and stretch materials into a desired shape.
Brazing: Process where a filler metal or alloy is heated to a particular melting temperature to join two or more close-fitting parts via capillary action (movement of molten metal through porous media).