After smelting, the metal is poured into a mold. Cast ironĬast iron is produced by smelting iron-carbon alloys that have a carbon content greater than 2%. In the modern world, railings, doors, and benches are still made from wrought iron as custom pieces. Churches of the 15th and 16th century contain fine wrought iron pieces produced by skilled artisans.
Wrought iron has become famous for decorative pieces. However, the use of wrought iron for this purpose was largely abandoned in the early 20th century when steel products were developed with superior performance to iron for construction applications. Its high tensile strength (resistance to breaking when under tension) made it ideal to use for beams in large construction projects such as bridges and high-rise buildings. Hammering iron expels most of the slag from the material and welds the iron particles together.ĭuring the industrial revolution and the associated acceleration of construction activities, a new use for wrought iron was discovered. It is virtually pure elemental iron (Fe) that is heated in a furnace before being wrought (worked) with hammers on an anvil. The first type of iron produced and worked by blacksmiths was wrought iron. Within those, cast iron includes its own family of metals. There are two major types of iron produced: wrought iron and cast iron. Another milestone for metals would follow-the Industrial Revolution changed the way metals were produced and worked into products, including iron. The discovery of iron’s value led to what has become known as the Iron Age, due to the dominance of this material in social and military applications.
Every village and town would have a blacksmith’s shop, where sickles, plowshares, nails, swords, candlestick holders, and more were produced. Blacksmiths became a critical profession, working with iron to change its properties and shape the material into tools. The presence of iron in everyday life began in about 1200 BCE, encompassing a wide range of uses from farming implements to weapons of war. We supply castings made of iron, steel, and numerous specialty alloys and our process is ideal for rapid prototyping, small volume production, and service parts when a conventional patter is not available or applicable.įully embracing additive manufacturing as the cornerstone of the next industrial revolution, Kimura Group today has six ExOne sand 3D printers for core and mold production at our parent company in Japan and three at the Kimura Foundry America, where we began operations in late 2018 at our Shelbyville foundry designed entirely around the 3D sand binder jetting technology.īenefitting from nine decades of experience in sandcasting innovation in Japan, Kimura Foundry America was established in Shelbyville, Indiana on November 7th, 2018 with a mission to deliver top-quality rapid prototypes.View this page en français A versatile metal, cast iron has many unique applications in the commercial and industrial world Cast iron has excellent castability due to the combination of high carbon content and silicon.
In addition to 3D printed sand molds and cores, high speed casting simulation software and various inspection capabilities, including in-house CT scanning, strengthen our quality standard. Specializing in quality castings optimized with 3D printing technology, Kimura incorporates a long history of foundry success and a patented sand material that enables us to produce top-quality, defect-free casting in as little as 5 business days.