-
Essay / Advantages and disadvantages of micro-manufacturing in...
Manufacturing is the process of transforming raw materials into finished products with the aim of meeting customer needs, this is done through cost-effective methods in a given period of time. Microcasting is the process of manufacturing materials in the micrometer range or larger parts by transporting microstructures using molten metal poured into a mold. There are two different methods used to cast structures in the micrometer range; micro-casting by capillary action (permanent mold) and micro-casting based on precision foundry. Investment casting, also known as the lost wax process, is the oldest known method. Already 5000 years ago, at the time of the Pharaohs, this method was used to make jewelry, armor and statues out of gold. Around 4000 BC, the discovery that metals could be cast in molds was a major step towards civilizations. After experiments with colored minerals like malachite, these experiments enabled the smelting of copper which led to the casting of copper into simple stone or clay molds to produce simple tools, like hammers, followed by the use of two-part molds in which both faces could be made. Potters of this era were accustomed to making small human and animal figures representing natural or symbolic use for many gods. The melting and molding of these figures was carried out in a crude furnace or furnace in the east. Some materials had been carved from various stones while the human figures were often made from beeswax. In the fourth millennium BC, a potter and metalworker came up with the idea of taking a sculpted beeswax model, coating it with clay, and heating the composite structure. to harden the clay and melt the wax, using the formed mold to produce a casting with ...... middle of paper ...... mass produced using investment casting processes by the major automobile manufacturers, they were mainly used for engine components. In 1993, the first foundry application of a plasma ladle refiner took place at Maynard Steel Casting Co. This was intended to show that the lost wax process had become a major success, with the discovery of better ways of casting and more effective, but the rate of discovery had slowed. During the years 1995 to 2000, microstructure simulation was developed, which contributed to a much better understanding of the metallurgical effects and properties of castings. This also included the benefits of controlling casting distortion, reducing residual stress, eliminating cracks, etc. NASA released a physics-based software tool that accurately predicted the filling of expanded polystyrene models and sand cores as many variables changed..