Modern foundries are heavily mechanized. They contain all the machinery and equipment used in pattern and core making, casting, and molding. That assortment includes large melting furnaces, ladles, forklifts, cranes, conveyors, and transfer vessels. All foundry equipment is specially designed to function reliably in melt shop heat.
The fundamental distinction between foundries is ferrous (iron or steel) or non-ferrous (aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, etc.). The exact type of equipment is determined by the metals the foundry works with; electric arc furnaces are ideal for working with steel, while a foundry specializing in copper is more likely to use an induction furnace. Furnaces can range in size, from small tabletop equipment to ones that weigh several tons. Production quantities can range from a fraction of an ounce to several tons. The same variability in model and size extends to patternmaking and molding machines, and most other foundry equipment.
