2. Role and possibilities of the foundry

The foundry industry uses raw materials (cast iron, scrap metal, coke) to supply finished or semi-finished parts to the industry as a whole. As such, it is a basic industry.

It is used either to manufacture complicated parts that would be difficult or impossible to produce using any other process, or to produce simpler parts at more attractive cost prices, or to take advantage of the physical or application properties (expansion, corrosion, friction, wear, low and high temperatures) and mechanical properties of the various metals and alloys cast, or to cast alloys that cannot be wrought or are difficult to machine.

A few figures representing the percentage by weight of castings give a better idea of their role and importance:

• on a car: 15% ;

• on a farm tractor:...