The ancient art of casting on the Great Silk Road

Modern life cannot be imagined without the use of machines and metal products manufactured by casting. Machines perform many work operations, facilitate human labour, and are means of conquering the forces of nature. Metal products surround us everywhere: at home, at work, on the street. These include water taps, heating radiators, parts of gas stoves, sewing machines, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, radios, tape recorders, televisions, chandeliers, door handles, and figurines. On the streets, squares, in parks, and in the underground, we see cast bronze and cast iron monuments: various grates, bas-reliefs, vases, etc. Over the past 100 years, many of the processes involved in the formation of castings have been well studied, and a number of methods have been developed to control them in a given direction using modern methods of computing, cybernetics, electronics, etc. Foundry production is a multifaceted industry where the scope for research and improvement is much greater for engineers than in other branches of mechanical engineering.