Development of Foundry Technology

Early stage

The 875kg Si Mu Wu square tripod of the Shang Dynasty, the Zenghou Yi zunpan of the Warring States period, and the transparent mirror of the Western Han Dynasty are all representative products of ancient casting. Most of the early castings were tools or utensils for agricultural production, religion, life and so on, with a strong artistic color. At that time, the casting process was developed in parallel with the pottery making process, which was greatly influenced by pottery.

Development

In 513 B.C., China cast the world's first recorded cast iron, the Jin shaped tripod, weighing about 270 kilograms. Europe also began to produce iron castings around the 8th century. The appearance of cast iron has expanded the application range of castings. For example, in the 15th to 17th centuries, Germany, France and other countries laid many cast iron pipes to supply drinking water to residents. After the industrial revolution in the 18th century, the steam engine, textile machinery, railway and other industries rose, casting entered a new era of serving the big industry, and casting technology began to have great development.

Modern

In the 20th century, casting has developed rapidly. One of its important factors is the progress of product technology, which requires that castings have better mechanical and physical properties and still have good machining properties; Another reason is that the development of the machinery industry itself and other industries, such as chemical industry and instrumentation, has created favorable material conditions for the foundry industry. For example, the development of testing means ensures the improvement and stability of casting quality, and provides conditions for the development of casting theory; The invention of the electron microscope helps people to go deep into the microscopic world of metal, explore the mystery of metal crystallization, study the theory of metal solidification, and guide casting production.