Iron and steel casting and forging is used in the manufacture of iron, steel, copper and aluminium products. Casting involves melting metal and pouring it into a mould, while forging involves the use of machinery to hammer or press metal into pre-determined forms, typically after heating it. Businesses tend to perform casting or forging, not both. Most are small, with ‘jobbing’ (one off) or ‘batch’ production systems. A handful of very large businesses dominate the sector by value. The … [Read more...]