鑄造是將金屬熔煉成符合一定要求的液體并澆入鑄型內，經冷卻凝固、清整處理后得到有預定形狀、尺寸和性能的鑄件的工藝過程。

  鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)件(jian)的(de)(de)(de)(de)加工(gong)(gong)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)可以(yi)說有(you)許多種工(gong)(gong)藝方(fang)法，現在使(shi)用(yong)較(jiao)為(wei)廣泛(fan)的(de)(de)(de)(de)主(zhu)要有(you)砂型(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)、殼型(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)、精密鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)及陶瓷型(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)。所有(you)這(zhe)些鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)工(gong)(gong)藝的(de)(de)(de)(de)共同(tong)點(dian)是(shi)，鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)型(xing)(xing)都設計有(you)澆注系(xi)統，即熔融金屬(shu)進入(ru)型(xing)(xing)腔的(de)(de)(de)(de)通(tong)道；鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)型(xing)(xing)都是(shi)在每次澆注完成后就被(bei)(bei)破壞掉。這(zhe)些鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)通(tong)道在砂型(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)中被(bei)(bei)稱為(wei)直澆道、橫澆道及內澆口，見圖2-1。鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)型(xing)(xing)是(shi)由型(xing)(xing)芯來形成鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)件(jian)的(de)(de)(de)(de)空(kong)腔和凹(ao)槽的(de)(de)(de)(de)。

  金屬液澆注(zhu)完畢之后(hou)，所(suo)得到(dao)的鑄(zhu)件在出廠之前(qian)，還需要(yao)進(jin)行諸如清(qing)理、檢驗、磨光(guang)以及(ji)在必要(yao)時進(jin)行的焊補和熱處理等后(hou)繼工序。

  鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)種(zhong)類很多(duo)，按造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)方(fang)法習慣(guan)分(fen)為(wei)：①. 普通砂(sha)(sha)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)，包(bao)括(kuo)濕(shi)砂(sha)(sha)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)、干砂(sha)(sha)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)和化(hua)學硬化(hua)砂(sha)(sha)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)三種(zhong)類型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)；②. 特種(zhong)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)，按造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)材(cai)料又(you)可(ke)分(fen)為(wei)以(yi)天然礦產砂(sha)(sha)石為(wei)主要造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)材(cai)料的(de)特種(zhong)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)（如熔模鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、泥(ni)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)車間殼型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、負壓(ya)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、實型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、陶瓷型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)等(deng)）和以(yi)金(jin)屬(shu)為(wei)主要鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)材(cai)料的(de)特種(zhong)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)（如金(jin)屬(shu)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、壓(ya)力鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、連續鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、低壓(ya)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、離(li)心鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)等(deng)）兩種(zhong)類型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)。

  鑄造(zao)是比較經濟(ji)的毛坯成型方法(fa)，對(dui)于形狀(zhuang)復雜(za)的零件更能顯示出它(ta)的經濟(ji)性(xing)。如汽(qi)車發動機(ji)的缸體和缸蓋，船(chuan)舶螺旋(xuan)槳(jiang)以(yi)及精致的工藝藝術品等。有些難(nan)以(yi)切削的零件，如燃氣輪機(ji)的鎳基合金零件不用(yong)鑄造(zao)方法(fa)是無(wu)法(fa)成型的。

  另(ling)外(wai)，鑄(zhu)造(zao)(zao)的(de)零(ling)件尺寸和重量的(de)適應(ying)范圍很(hen)寬，金屬(shu)的(de)種類幾乎(hu)不受限(xian)制(zhi)；鑄(zhu)造(zao)(zao)零(ling)件在具(ju)有一般(ban)機械(xie)性(xing)能的(de)同時，還(huan)具(ju)有耐磨、耐腐蝕、吸震等綜合(he)性(xing)能，是其(qi)他金屬(shu)成型方法(fa)如鍛、軋、焊、沖壓等所達不到(dao)的(de)。因此(ci)，在機器制(zhi)造(zao)(zao)業中用鑄(zhu)造(zao)(zao)方法(fa)生(sheng)產(chan)的(de)毛坯零(ling)件，在數量和噸位上迄(qi)今(jin)仍(reng)是最(zui)多的(de)。