01/29/2024
What is patternmaking? In our case it has nothing to do with textiles. Instead, using a blueprint, we most commonly use wood, metal, or plastic to create essentially a copy or replica of a desired casting. Once the pattern is completed a foundry will pack a medium (such as sand) around the pattern to create a mold of the negative image of the pattern. The mold is removed from the pattern revealing the negative cavity. Molten metal is then poured into the sand cavity and once cooled this gives the foundry the casting of the original pattern. This is a very basic understanding of the process and there are many various ways to create a pattern. A single pattern can be used to make numerous castings, which helps to lessen the production cost of making multiple parts.
