4.3 METALWORKING The basics Metallurgy and metalworking While corresponds to the branch of materials science that deals with the physical and chemical behaviour of metallic elements when manufactured, is the process of working with metals to create individual parts, an assembly of parts, or large-scale structures. Since metals cannot be used in their pure form, they need to undergo specific processes to be transformed from raw materials into workable metals. This process, called , is where an ore is heated in order to extract its base metal. metallurgy metalworking smelting Metallurgy A bit of history Metalworking started long before the Iron Age and has evolved from the discovery of smelting various ores to the production of malleable metals that have been used as everyday tools, weapons, and adornments. Iron and steel have been essential to the progress of man, and the knowledge of how to work metals has always been an integral part of the development of civilisation. 1 2 The starting point of modern metalworking began with the Industrial Revolution, during which gave a new drive to metal manufacturing by inventing new methods for the creation of more specialised products. foundries MORE Metalworking was carried out by the South Asian inhabitants of Mehrgarh (a Neolithic site on the Kacchi Plain of Balochistan, Pakistan) between 7000-3300 BC. 1 MORE To obtain iron suitable for the production of steel, iron ore is smelted in a furnace, turned into a liquid called “pig iron,” then purified and added to the alloying elements. 2 Modern methods of metalworking The four main types of metalworking are: : The process through which the metal achieves a specific shape by removing a portion of the excess material using high-speed cutting tools. Cutting : The process of shaping metals using a rigid . Casting molten mould : The process of changing the shape of metal parts or objects through deformation and without removing any material. Forming : The process in which two or more metal parts are joined together through different methods such as , , and . Joining welding brazing soldering The development of industrial technology has drastically improved machine tools, enabling them to carry out ever more specialised and complex metalworking processes. Metal working