KT Metal Castings Blogs

Choosing between cast and extruded aluminum can make or break your project. Pick the wrong one, and you’re looking at wasted tooling costs, parts that don’t perform, or production delays that throw your timeline off by weeks. The confusion makes sense. Both processes use aluminum. Both produce strong, lightweight parts.…

Welding cast iron is challenging but completely doable when you follow the right steps. The key is understanding which type of cast iron you’re working with, properly preparing the metal, and controlling the heat throughout the entire process. Most cast iron welding failures happen because welders treat it like steel.…

Pure aluminum and cast aluminum differ primarily in their composition and manufacturing method. Pure aluminum contains 99% or more aluminum with minimal additives, while cast aluminum is an alloy that combines aluminum with other metals like silicon, copper, or magnesium to improve specific properties. Aluminum Pure aluminum is one of…

You’re about to select an aluminum alloy for your next production run. Choose wrong, and you’ll face costly consequences. Over 35% of casting rejections stem from porosity issues alone. Mechanical property differences between cast and wrought aluminum reach 30-40%. These aren’t just numbers on a spec sheet—they translate directly to…

Cast aluminum is aluminum that’s been melted and poured into a mold to create a specific shape. Once the metal cools and hardens, you get a solid part that matches the exact shape of the mold—from engine blocks to cookware to outdoor furniture. This manufacturing process transforms raw aluminum into…

Grinding fluids are specialized liquids or oils used during metalworking to cool cutting tools, remove metal chips, and protect parts from rust. Think of them like the oil in your car engine – just as engine oil keeps metal parts from overheating and wearing out, grinding fluids protect both the…

Grinding fluids make the difference between a smooth, precise finish and a warped, burnt mess. These specialized liquids cool your workpiece, flush away metal chips, and prevent your grinding wheel from clogging up—all while protecting against rust. Choosing the wrong fluid is like using water instead of oil in your…

Sand casting is a metal manufacturing process where you pour molten metal into a mold made from sand. Think of it like making sandcastles at the beach, except instead of water holding the sand together, you use special binding agents, and instead of filling it with air, you fill it…

Binders are the glue that holds sand together in sand casting, allowing it to maintain its shape when molten metal is poured into the mold. Without binders, the sand would simply collapse, making it impossible to create the precise metal parts we need for everything from engine blocks to decorative…

Green sand foundries have a dirty secret: the average rejection rate sits around 5%. That’s 50,000 defective parts per million—fifty times higher than typical manufacturing standards. I’ve watched new foundry workers struggle with mold preparation for years. They mix the sand wrong. They pack it too loose or too tight.…