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)件(jian)的(de)(de)加工(gong)(gong)鑄(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)可(ke)以說(shuo)有許多種工(gong)(gong)藝方法，現在(zai)使用較(jiao)為廣(guang)泛的(de)(de)主要有砂(sha)型(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)、殼型(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)、精密鑄(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)及陶瓷型(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)。所有這些鑄(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)工(gong)(gong)藝的(de)(de)共同點是(shi)，鑄(zhu)(zhu)型(xing)都(dou)設(she)計有澆(jiao)注系統，即熔融金屬(shu)進入型(xing)腔(qiang)的(de)(de)通(tong)道；鑄(zhu)(zhu)型(xing)都(dou)是(shi)在(zai)每(mei)次(ci)澆(jiao)注完成后就被破壞掉(diao)。這些鑄(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)通(tong)道在(zai)砂(sha)型(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)中(zhong)被稱(cheng)為直(zhi)澆(jiao)道、橫(heng)澆(jiao)道及內澆(jiao)口(kou)，見圖2-1。鑄(zhu)(zhu)型(xing)是(shi)由型(xing)芯(xin)來形成鑄(zhu)(zhu)件(jian)的(de)(de)空腔(qiang)和凹槽的(de)(de)。

  金屬液澆注(zhu)完畢之后(hou)，所得到的(de)鑄件(jian)在出廠之前，還需要進行(xing)(xing)諸(zhu)如清理、檢驗(yan)、磨光(guang)以(yi)及在必要時進行(xing)(xing)的(de)焊(han)補和熱(re)處理等后(hou)繼工(gong)序。

  鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)類很(hen)多，按(an)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)方法習慣分為(wei)：①. 普(pu)通砂(sha)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)，包(bao)括濕砂(sha)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)、干(gan)砂(sha)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)和化學硬化砂(sha)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)三種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)類型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)；②. 特種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)，按(an)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)材料又可(ke)分為(wei)以(yi)天然礦產砂(sha)石(shi)為(wei)主要造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)材料的(de)特種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)（如熔模鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、泥型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)車間殼型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、負(fu)壓(ya)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、實型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、陶瓷型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)等(deng)）和以(yi)金(jin)屬為(wei)主要鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)材料的(de)特種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)（如金(jin)屬型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、壓(ya)力鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、連續鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、低壓(ya)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、離心(xin)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)等(deng)）兩(liang)種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)類型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)。

  鑄(zhu)造(zao)是比較經濟的(de)(de)(de)毛坯成型(xing)方法，對于形狀復雜的(de)(de)(de)零(ling)件更能顯示出(chu)它的(de)(de)(de)經濟性。如汽車發動機(ji)的(de)(de)(de)缸體(ti)和缸蓋，船舶螺旋槳以及精致的(de)(de)(de)工藝藝術品等。有些難以切(qie)削(xue)的(de)(de)(de)零(ling)件，如燃氣輪機(ji)的(de)(de)(de)鎳基合金零(ling)件不用鑄(zhu)造(zao)方法是無法成型(xing)的(de)(de)(de)。

  另外(wai)，鑄造(zao)的零(ling)件(jian)尺(chi)寸和重量的適應范圍(wei)很寬，金(jin)屬的種類(lei)幾乎不(bu)受限制；鑄造(zao)零(ling)件(jian)在(zai)具有一般機械性能的同時(shi)，還(huan)具有耐磨、耐腐(fu)蝕、吸震(zhen)等綜合性能，是(shi)其他(ta)金(jin)屬成型方法如鍛、軋、焊、沖壓等所達不(bu)到(dao)的。因(yin)此，在(zai)機器制造(zao)業中用(yong)鑄造(zao)方法生產的毛(mao)坯零(ling)件(jian)，在(zai)數量和噸位(wei)上迄今仍(reng)是(shi)最多的。