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)件的(de)加工鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)可以說有許多(duo)種工藝方法，現在使用較為廣泛(fan)的(de)主要有砂型鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)、殼型鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)、精密鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)及陶瓷型鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)。所有這(zhe)些(xie)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)工藝的(de)共同點是(shi)，鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)型都設計有澆(jiao)(jiao)(jiao)注(zhu)系(xi)統，即熔融金(jin)屬進入型腔的(de)通(tong)道(dao)；鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)型都是(shi)在每次澆(jiao)(jiao)(jiao)注(zhu)完成(cheng)后就被(bei)破(po)壞掉。這(zhe)些(xie)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)通(tong)道(dao)在砂型鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)中(zhong)被(bei)稱為直(zhi)澆(jiao)(jiao)(jiao)道(dao)、橫澆(jiao)(jiao)(jiao)道(dao)及內澆(jiao)(jiao)(jiao)口(kou)，見(jian)圖2-1。鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)型是(shi)由型芯來形(xing)成(cheng)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)件的(de)空腔和凹(ao)槽的(de)。

  金屬(shu)液澆注完(wan)畢之后，所得到的(de)鑄(zhu)件在(zai)出廠之前，還需要進行(xing)(xing)諸如清理、檢(jian)驗、磨(mo)光(guang)以及在(zai)必要時進行(xing)(xing)的(de)焊補和熱處理等后繼(ji)工(gong)序。

  鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)種類很多，按(an)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)方(fang)法習慣分(fen)為(wei)(wei)：①. 普通砂(sha)(sha)(sha)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)，包括濕砂(sha)(sha)(sha)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)、干砂(sha)(sha)(sha)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)和化(hua)學硬化(hua)砂(sha)(sha)(sha)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)三種類型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)；②. 特(te)種鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)，按(an)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)材(cai)(cai)料(liao)(liao)又可(ke)分(fen)為(wei)(wei)以(yi)天(tian)然礦(kuang)產砂(sha)(sha)(sha)石為(wei)(wei)主要造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)材(cai)(cai)料(liao)(liao)的特(te)種鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)（如(ru)熔模鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、泥型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)車間殼(ke)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、負壓鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、實型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、陶瓷型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)等）和以(yi)金(jin)(jin)屬(shu)為(wei)(wei)主要鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)材(cai)(cai)料(liao)(liao)的特(te)種鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)（如(ru)金(jin)(jin)屬(shu)型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、壓力鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、連(lian)續(xu)鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、低壓鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)、離心鑄(zhu)(zhu)(zhu)造(zao)(zao)(zao)(zao)等）兩種類型(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)(xing)。

  鑄(zhu)造是比較經濟(ji)(ji)的(de)毛(mao)坯成型方法，對于形(xing)狀復雜(za)的(de)零件更能顯示出它的(de)經濟(ji)(ji)性(xing)。如汽車發動(dong)機(ji)的(de)缸(gang)體和缸(gang)蓋，船舶螺旋槳以(yi)及精致的(de)工藝(yi)藝(yi)術品等。有些難以(yi)切削的(de)零件，如燃氣輪機(ji)的(de)鎳(nie)基(ji)合金零件不用鑄(zhu)造方法是無(wu)法成型的(de)。

  另外(wai)，鑄(zhu)造(zao)的(de)(de)(de)零(ling)(ling)件(jian)尺寸(cun)和重量的(de)(de)(de)適應范圍很(hen)寬(kuan)，金(jin)屬(shu)的(de)(de)(de)種類幾乎(hu)不受(shou)限制；鑄(zhu)造(zao)零(ling)(ling)件(jian)在(zai)具有一般(ban)機械性能的(de)(de)(de)同(tong)時，還具有耐磨、耐腐蝕、吸震等綜(zong)合性能，是(shi)(shi)其(qi)他金(jin)屬(shu)成(cheng)型方法(fa)如鍛(duan)、軋、焊、沖壓等所達不到的(de)(de)(de)。因此，在(zai)機器制造(zao)業中(zhong)用(yong)鑄(zhu)造(zao)方法(fa)生產(chan)的(de)(de)(de)毛坯零(ling)(ling)件(jian)，在(zai)數(shu)量和噸位上迄今仍是(shi)(shi)最多的(de)(de)(de)。