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Green casting is a sustainable development model centered on the 3R principles of a circular economy (reduce, reuse, and recycle). Through technological innovation and management optimization, it minimizes negative environmental impacts and maximizes resource efficiency throughout the life cycle of cast products.

"Invisible Killers" in Casting: A Complete Analysis of Five Major Defects and Casting, a veteran metalworking process, holds a core position in mechanical manufacturing thanks to its low-cost and high-complexity molding capabilities. However, the casting process also harbors hidden challenges. Five common defects, like "invisible killers," can lead to increased costs and even production line disruptions. This article will analyze the causes, characteristics, and countermeasures of these defects, combining mainstream casting processes, and propose ultimate solutions.

Qingdao West Coast New Area, August 15-17, 2025—The 7th Shandong International Foundry Industry Exhibition (Shandong Foundry Exhibition), hosted by the Shandong Foundry Association and guided by the Shandong Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, will grandly open at the Qingdao World Expo City. Themed "Global Vision, Precise Positioning," this exhibition leverages Shandong's strengths in the foundry industry, benchmarks against cutting-edge international technologies, and focuses on high-end equipment, green materials, and intelligent processes, injecting new momentum into the industry's high-quality development.

Recently, the Chinese government, along with eight government departments, issued the "Implementation Plan for the Digital Transformation of the Machinery Industry (2025-2030)," aiming to promote the digital transformation and intelligent upgrading of the machinery industry. This initiative has far-reaching implications for the development of the machinery industry and the entire national economy. Background and Significance of the Plan As a fundamental and strategic industry, the machinery industry is characterized by its broad industrial coverage, diverse product range, complex structure, long industrial chain, and diverse production models. Accelerating its digital transformation is not only an inevitable requirement for the industry's own high-quality development, but also a vital force in supporting the digital transformation of all sectors of the national economy and promoting new industrialization. This implementation plan was developed to implement the "Action Plan for the Digital Transformation of Manufacturing."

The application of electron microscopy in defect detection of iron castings has brought revolutionary breakthroughs to the foundry industry, enabling precise quality control and process optimization at the microscopic level. Its value permeates multiple dimensions, including defect analysis, process improvement, quality control, R&D innovation, and industry standardization. Specifically, it is reflected in the following aspects:

Silica Sol process, also known as silica sol lost wax precision casting, is a kind of investment casting technology with silica sol as a binder. It is often used in the manufacture of precision parts of metal materials such as stainless steel, carbon steel, and alloy steel. Silica sol is a stable colloidal solution with nano-scale silica particles as the core and dispersed in water. Compared with the traditional water glass process, silica sol has higher thermal stability and better surface fineness, so it can produce higher quality castings.

From July 9 to 11, 2025, the annual event of China's foundry industry - 2025 China Cast Iron Annual Conference and Isothermal Quenching Castings Annual Conference was successfully held at the Buckingham Hotel in Changzhou, Jiangsu. This annual meeting was hosted by the China Foundry Association and co-organized by the China Foundry Association Cast Iron Working Committee and Isothermal Quenching Castings Working Committee. It attracted more than 220 representatives from more than 110 units across the country to discuss the digital transformation and high-end development path of the cast iron industry.

Recently, the China Foundry Association issued the "Electron Microscope Analysis Method for Defect Detection of Cast Iron Parts", which will be implemented on October 21, 2025, and the implementation standard number is T/CFA 0198-2025.Next, let's take a look at what the electron microscope analysis method is. The electron microscope analysis method for defect detection of cast iron parts is a method of microscopic morphology observation, composition analysis and structural characterization of internal defects of cast iron parts by scanning electron microscope (SEM) or transmission electron microscope (TEM), which can effectively determine the defect type and guide the improvement of casting process.

As a common technology for metal material forming, casting achieves efficient manufacturing of complex components by injecting molten metal into the mold cavity and solidifying it. This technology integrates the principles of material solidification, fluid dynamics and thermodynamics, forming a complete scientific chain from microstructure control to macro process optimization. Based on the ASTM A802 casting quality standard and the ISO 8062 tolerance system, this paper systematically analyzes the technical characteristics and application boundaries of mainstream casting processes, and reveals the technical logic of its industrial evolution.

Casting tolerance: the art of balancing precision and cost In the manufacturing industry, casting is the core process of metal forming, and its tolerance control directly affects the dimensional accuracy, assembly performance and manufacturing cost of parts. Casting tolerance is not a simple stacking of numbers, but a systematic engineering that requires comprehensive consideration of process characteristics, material properties, size scale and economy. This article will systematically analyze the key points of casting tolerance from basic concepts to practical applications. I suddenly thought of this topic today because last year a British customer wrote the accuracy as ±0.1% when inquiring for a quote, and specifically told us that it was not ±0.01%. This detail made us feel that the customer's needs are the key to our correct work. Next, let's take a look at some standards for casting tolerances.