No matter what your application, metal casting molds are available to get the job done. Molds for metal casting can be either expendable or permanent. They can be made of plaster, sand, wax, steel, steel alloy and copper. The different metals that can be cast in molds include silver, gold, bronze, zinc, aluminum, magnesium, copper, lead and tin.

Before choosing a metal casting mold, you need to consider the type of metal you want to cast, the weight of the item, the overall length, the minimum and maximum thicknesses, the desired surface finish and the number of pieces to be produced. Armed with your metal casting information, you're ready to start comparing molds. The most common types of metal casting molds used in industrial applications are the following:

1. Permanent metal casting molds

2. Die casting molds

3. Centrifugal molds for metal casting

4. Continuous casting molds

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Compare products from permanent metal cast mold manufacturers

In permanent cast metal manufacturing, a metal casting die is used in conjunction with metal or sand cores, where applicable. Some of the parts made with this process include timing gear housings, pistons, oil pans, torque converter impellers, intake manifolds, wheels and turbo-charger compressor housings.

I recommend: Aurora Metals offers permanent metal castings for the automotive industry. Gupta Permold offers permanent metal cast aluminum products in small quantities up to hundreds of thousands.

Find metal casting distributors to die cast your parts

Die casting applications make zinc, copper and aluminum products for every known market. Precision parts, such as gears, connector housings and sprockets, are made from aluminum alloys. When wear resistance and corrosion are a problem in electrical, marine and plumbing applications, copper alloys are used.

I recommend: Ken Walt Die Castings offers a variety of die casting machines that produce high quality aluminum and zinc die casting. Empire Die Casting offers die castings for many industrial applications, such as pumps and valves, medical equipment, home appliances, power tools, aerospace and lawn and garden.

Buy metal cast mold products processed by centrifugal metal casting

Metals used in centrifugal molding include copper, iron, nickel, steel, alloys of aluminum and stainless steel. Cylinder liners, pressure vessels, pipes, flywheels and boilers are made by this process.

I recommend: American Hollow Boring offers forgings for centrifugal molds in carbon and alloy steels made to customer specifications. Johnson Brass and Machine Foundry is a custom manufacturer of centrifugal casting molds. Markets served include pumps and valves, mineral processing, petrochemical and hydroelectric industries.

Look for cold metal cast mold manufacturers

In continuous casting the molten steel is formed into a billet, bloom or slab that is later finished. Steel is the metal with the largest tonnage cast by this process, although aluminium and copper are also continuously cast.

I recommend: Metal Tek is a metal casting supplier of steel continuous cast bars and shapes. Dura-Bar is a continuous metal cast mold manufacturer of metal casting supplies such as cast iron bar stock. End products include automotive parts such as bearing housings, bearing caps, brake pins, battery grids and balance shafts.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Traditional die metal casting molds made from hardened steel are very expensive, resulting in high start-up costs.
• •  While molds for casting metal are widely used in industrial applications, they are also used on a smaller scale by hobbyists and artists.