User:FuzzyMagma/History of metal casting
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The history of metal casting is rich and complex, dating back thousands of years. The Chalcolithic period, which occurred between 5000 and 3000 B.C., is when the experimentation of smelting copper and melting metals for castings began. The process of casting made its way to Egypt by 2800 B.C., and effectively performing this process was tremendously influential on their gain of power during the Bronze Age.
In 1300 B.C., the Shang Dynasty in China were the first to utilize sand casting when melting metals, while around 500 B.C., the Zhou Dynasty invented cast iron to the world. Iron was discovered around 2000 B.C., but it was not until around 700 B.C. that the first production of cast iron was developed in China. During the 19th century, many important advancements were made in the field of metal casting. In 1809, A.G. Eckhardt of Soho, England developed centrifugal casting. The cupola was introduced in the United States in 1815 in Baltimore, MD, and in 1818, the first cast steel was produced by the crucible process in the U.S. at the Valley Forge Foundry. Aluminum, which is the most common metal in the earth's crust, was isolated in 1825.
Today, casting affords great flexibility in terms of design and readily accommodates a wide range of shapes, dimensional requirements, and configuration complexities. Metal casting has been employed by civilizations through the ages to produce goods, structures and materials used in the world all around us, from bridges to medical equipment and even car parts. The history of metal casting is marked by discoveries, advancements, and influential events, which have led to its widespread use and application in various fields of industry.[1]