Casting & Forming
casting_forming_system
The casting and forming system converts smelted metal ingots and sheet stock into bulk structural components and enclosures up to 50 kg, achieving casting tolerances of ±0.5 mm and shaping sheet metal between 0.5 and 10 mm thick. Lunar implementation is fundamentally shaped by one-sixth gravity, which alters mold filling dynamics and shrinkage patterns, requiring centrifugal casting techniques for thin-walled parts. However, the ambient vacuum naturally prevents oxide inclusions during induction melting, yielding castings with porosity below 0.5% by volume. Utilizing regolith-derived ceramic shell molds, the system produces moderate-tolerance components that are too large for additive manufacturing or wasteful to machine from solid stock.
Investment casting, sand casting, and sheet metal forming systems for producing bulk structural components and enclosures from molten metal and sheet stock.
Purpose
Efficiently produce large, moderate-tolerance components that would be wasteful to machine from solid stock or too large for additive manufacturing.
Context
Bridges the gap between raw metal ingots from smelting and finished parts, producing castings and formed sheet metal that may undergo finish machining.
Principles
- ▸Investment casting produces complex shapes with good surface finish using expendable molds
- ▸Regolith-derived ceramic shell molds enable lost-wax process on the Moon
- ▸Sheet forming (bending, stamping, hydroforming) for enclosures and panels
- ▸Vacuum casting eliminates porosity common in atmospheric casting
- ▸Near-net-shape output minimizes downstream machining waste
Typical implementations
- ▸Investment casting with 3D-printed wax or polymer patterns
- ▸Regolith-ceramic shell mold production
- ▸Induction melting furnaces for controlled pour temperature
- ▸Hydraulic press brake for sheet metal bending
- ▸Spin forming for axially symmetric pressure vessels
Lunar considerations
- ▸Vacuum environment naturally prevents oxide inclusions in castings
- ▸1/6 g changes mold filling dynamics and shrinkage patterns
- ▸Regolith-derived ceramics serve as natural mold material
- ▸Reduced gravity may require centrifugal casting for thin-wall parts
- ▸Radiation cooling dominates solidification heat rejection
Specifications
Functional
| primary function | Produce structural castings and formed sheet metal components from refined metals |
| inputs | metal_ingots, molten_metal, sheet_metal_stock, ceramic_mold_material, electrical_power |
| outputs | cast_blanks, formed_panels, structural_housings, pressure_vessel_shells |
| casting tolerance | +/- 0.5 mm |
| porosity | <0.5% by volume |
| maximum casting mass | 50 kg |
| sheet forming thickness | 0.5-10 mm |
Physical
| materials | regolith_ceramic_molds, induction_coils, refractory_crucibles, hydraulic_press_components |
| casting zone | vacuum or controlled atmosphere |
| mold preparation | pressurized workspace |
| forming area | vibration-tolerant floor mounting |
Operational
| thermal range c | -173, 127 |
| lifetime years | 100 |
Interfaces
Provides
- Near-net-shape castings for finish machining
- Large structural castings and formed panels
- Cast and formed enclosures for repair operations
Requires
- Refined metal for melting and casting
- 3D printed investment casting patterns
- NDT and dimensional verification of castings
- Power for induction furnaces and hydraulic presses
Decomposes into
Cite this entry
Lunar Ark Codex. "Casting & Forming" (L2-MFG-CAST). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://lunarark.com/entry/L2-MFG-CAST
Licensed CC-BY-SA 4.0. You may reuse and adapt this entry with attribution, under the same licence.