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)加工鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造可以說有(you)許(xu)多種工藝(yi)方法，現在(zai)(zai)使用較為(wei)廣泛的(de)(de)主要有(you)砂(sha)型(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造、殼型(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造、精(jing)密鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造及陶瓷型(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造。所有(you)這些鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造工藝(yi)的(de)(de)共同(tong)點是(shi)，鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)型(xing)(xing)(xing)都設(she)計有(you)澆注系統(tong)，即熔融金屬(shu)進入型(xing)(xing)(xing)腔(qiang)的(de)(de)通(tong)(tong)道(dao)；鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)型(xing)(xing)(xing)都是(shi)在(zai)(zai)每次澆注完成后(hou)就(jiu)被破壞掉。這些鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造通(tong)(tong)道(dao)在(zai)(zai)砂(sha)型(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造中被稱為(wei)直澆道(dao)、橫澆道(dao)及內澆口，見圖2-1。鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)型(xing)(xing)(xing)是(shi)由型(xing)(xing)(xing)芯來形成鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)件(jian)的(de)(de)空腔(qiang)和凹槽的(de)(de)。

  金屬(shu)液澆注(zhu)完畢之后，所得到的鑄件在出(chu)廠之前(qian)，還需要進(jin)(jin)行(xing)諸如清理、檢驗、磨光以(yi)及在必要時(shi)進(jin)(jin)行(xing)的焊補和熱處(chu)理等后繼(ji)工序。

  鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)種類很多(duo)，按造(zao)(zao)(zao)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)方法習慣分(fen)為：①. 普(pu)通砂型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)，包括(kuo)濕砂型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)、干砂型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)和(he)化學硬化砂型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)三種類型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)；②. 特種鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)，按造(zao)(zao)(zao)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)材(cai)料(liao)又可分(fen)為以(yi)天然(ran)礦產砂石為主(zhu)要造(zao)(zao)(zao)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)材(cai)料(liao)的特種鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)（如熔模鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)、泥型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)、鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)車間殼型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)、負壓鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)、實型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)、陶瓷型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)等(deng)）和(he)以(yi)金(jin)屬為主(zhu)要鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)材(cai)料(liao)的特種鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)（如金(jin)屬型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)、壓力鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)、連續(xu)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)、低(di)壓鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)、離(li)心鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)等(deng)）兩種類型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)。

  鑄造(zao)是(shi)比較經(jing)濟(ji)的(de)(de)毛坯成型方法(fa)，對(dui)于形(xing)狀(zhuang)復(fu)雜的(de)(de)零(ling)件(jian)更能顯(xian)示(shi)出它的(de)(de)經(jing)濟(ji)性。如汽車(che)發動機的(de)(de)缸體和缸蓋，船舶螺旋槳(jiang)以(yi)(yi)及精致(zhi)的(de)(de)工藝藝術(shu)品(pin)等。有些(xie)難(nan)以(yi)(yi)切削的(de)(de)零(ling)件(jian)，如燃氣輪(lun)機的(de)(de)鎳基(ji)合金零(ling)件(jian)不用鑄造(zao)方法(fa)是(shi)無法(fa)成型的(de)(de)。

  另(ling)外，鑄造(zao)的(de)零(ling)件尺寸和重量的(de)適應(ying)范圍很寬(kuan)，金屬的(de)種類幾乎(hu)不受限(xian)制；鑄造(zao)零(ling)件在(zai)(zai)具有一般機械性能(neng)的(de)同時，還(huan)具有耐(nai)磨、耐(nai)腐蝕、吸震等(deng)綜合性能(neng)，是(shi)其他金屬成(cheng)型方法如鍛、軋、焊、沖壓等(deng)所達(da)不到(dao)的(de)。因此，在(zai)(zai)機器制造(zao)業中(zhong)用鑄造(zao)方法生產的(de)毛坯零(ling)件，在(zai)(zai)數量和噸位上迄今仍是(shi)最(zui)多(duo)的(de)。