This document provides an introduction to casting processes. It discusses that casting involves pouring molten metal into a refractory mold to take on its shape upon solidification. The key steps in sand casting are pouring molten metal into a sand mold, allowing it to solidify, breaking up the mold to remove the casting, and any required post-processing. Common casting applications include cylinder blocks, pistons, wheels, and housings. Patterns are replicas of the desired casting that are used to form mold cavities and can be single-piece, two-piece, gated, or other variations. Materials for patterns include wood, metal, plastic, and wax.