Methods of Processing Materials

Methods of Processing Materials

Casting

  • Involved in creating items from metals, glass, or plastic, casting needs a mould for shaping the material.
  • Process involves liquifying the material, pouring it into a mould, and allowing it to cool and solidify.
  • Once material is cooled, the mould can be removed to reveal the final product.

Moulding

  • Typically used in plastics industry, it involves heat and pressure to shape the material.
  • There are several types of moulding such as injection moulding, blow moulding, and compression moulding, each going through the shaping process in their own unique way.

Machining

  • This involves removing parts of material to reach desired final product shape.
  • This can be done using multiple types of cutting tools, depending on the material that’s being worked on.
  • Lathe, milling machine, and drill press are some of the machines used in this process.

Forming

  • This is a process that changes the shape of materials without removing any parts or adding any substances.
  • Rolling, forging, and extrusion are forms of this method of processing.

Fabrication

  • This involves building up materials, like welding diverse pieces together to create a final product.
  • Methods include welding, bonding, and seaming.

Heat treatment

  • Introduces changes in the properties of metal by heating and cooling the material in a controlled process.
  • It can improve material hardness, toughness, ductility, and stress resistance.
  • Annealing, tempering, and quenching are common heat treatment methods.

Powder technology

  • Materials are formed by using metallic or non-metallic powders and compressing them into desired shapes.
  • The compacted powder is then heated or sintered to bond the particles, enhancing its strength and durability.

Methods of Assembly

Fastening

  • This involves keeping components together using screw threads, such as bolts and nuts.
  • Riveting is another form of fastening, typically used in metal work.

Adhesive bonding

  • Different parts are joined together using a sticky substance.
  • Glue, gum, and paste are some examples of adhesive materials.

Soldering and Welding

  • Two materials are fused together by melting a filler material between them.
  • In soldering, the base material doesn’t necessarily have to melt, whereas in welding both base and filler materials are melted.