Sand casting
Green sand and no-bake moulds for iron, steel and non-ferrous castings of almost any size.
Process guide
Processes
Manufacturing processes we inspect
Every manufacturing process has its own failure modes. These guides explain how each process works, what typically goes wrong and where an independent inspector should look.
Inspect the process, not only the part
A final inspection can only find what is still visible. Porosity inside a casting, a decarburised surface under paint or a cold solder joint under a component are decided during the process. Effective supplier control therefore starts with understanding how the part is made.
Each guide below lists the typical defects of the process with their usual causes, the inspection points before, during and after production, and the standards that usually apply. Use them to brief your team, to write an ITP, or to scope an audit with us.
01Casting
Liquid metal poured or injected into a mould.
Investment casting
Lost wax casting for complex, precise parts in steel, stainless and superalloys.
Process guide
High pressure die casting
Aluminium and zinc parts injected into steel dies at high speed and pressure.
Process guide
Gravity and low pressure die casting
Permanent mould casting for sound aluminium wheels, heads and structural parts.
Process guide
Centrifugal casting
Pipes, liners, bushings and rings cast in a spinning mould for dense, clean walls.
Process guide
02Forging and forming
Shape changed by plastic deformation, hot or cold.
Open die forging
Shafts, discs, rings and blocks forged between flat or simple dies, often very large.
Process guide
Closed die forging
Hot forged parts formed in shaped dies: flanges, crankshafts, gears and levers.
Process guide
Aluminium extrusion
Profiles pushed through a die: frames, heat sinks, rails and architectural sections.
Process guide
Metal stamping and deep drawing
Sheet parts blanked, pierced, formed and drawn in press tools at high volume.
Process guide
Sheet metal cutting and bending
Laser or punched blanks bent on press brakes into enclosures, panels and brackets.
Process guide
Roll forming
Continuous profiles formed from coil through successive roll stands.
Process guide
Pipe and tube manufacturing
Welded and seamless pipes and tubes: forming, welding, sizing, testing.
Process guide
03Machining and cutting
Material removed or separated to final geometry.
CNC turning
Shafts, bushings, pins and flanges turned on CNC lathes and turn-mill centres.
Process guide
CNC milling and machining centres
Prismatic parts, housings and plates machined on 3 to 5 axis machining centres.
Process guide
Grinding
Precision finishing of shafts, bores and flat faces with abrasive wheels.
Process guide
EDM, wire and sinker
Spark erosion for hard materials, sharp corners and die making.
Process guide
Gear manufacturing
Hobbing, shaping, grinding and heat treatment of spur, helical and bevel gears.
Process guide
Laser cutting
Fibre laser cutting of sheet and plate: blanks for bending, welding and assembly.
Process guide
Plasma and oxy-fuel cutting
Thermal cutting of thick plate for structures, vessels and heavy fabrications.
Process guide
Waterjet cutting
Cold cutting with abrasive water for metals, composites, glass and rubber.
Process guide
04Welding and joining
Parts joined permanently or by fasteners.
Arc welding (MIG/MAG, TIG, MMA, FCAW)
Manual, mechanised and robotic arc welding of steel, stainless and aluminium fabrications.
Process guide
Submerged arc welding
High deposition welding of thick plates, pipes, vessels and beams.
Process guide
Resistance spot welding
Sheet assemblies joined by spot, projection and seam welds, mostly robotic.
Process guide
Brazing and soldering
Heat exchangers, HVAC, refrigeration and electrical joints made with filler metals.
Process guide
Bolted joints and torque control
Preloaded bolted joints in structures, flanges, machines and vehicles.
Process guide
Adhesive bonding
Structural and sealing adhesives in vehicles, panels, composites and electronics.
Process guide
05Plastics, rubber and composites
Polymer and fibre reinforced parts.
Plastic injection moulding
Thermoplastic parts injected into steel moulds: housings, clips, gears and covers.
Process guide
Blow moulding
Hollow plastic parts: bottles, tanks, ducts and containers.
Process guide
Plastic extrusion
Pipes, profiles, sheets and cable insulation extruded continuously.
Process guide
Thermoforming
Heated plastic sheet vacuum or pressure formed into trays, covers and panels.
Process guide
Rotational moulding
Large hollow polyethylene tanks and containers formed in rotating moulds.
Process guide
Rubber moulding and vulcanising
Seals, gaskets, bushings and rubber to metal parts compression or injection moulded.
Process guide
Composite manufacturing (FRP, GRP, CFRP)
Fibre reinforced parts by hand lay-up, infusion, RTM, filament winding or prepreg.
Process guide
06Heat treatment and surface
Properties and surfaces changed after shaping.
Heat treatment (quench and temper, normalise, anneal)
Through hardening, normalising, annealing and stress relieving of steel parts.
Process guide
Case hardening (carburising, nitriding)
Hard, wear resistant surfaces on gears, shafts and pins with tough cores.
Process guide
Induction hardening
Local surface hardening of shafts, bearing seats and gear teeth by induction coils.
Process guide
Hot dip galvanizing
Zinc coating of steel structures, poles, gratings and fasteners by immersion.
Process guide
Electroplating (zinc, nickel, chrome)
Zinc, zinc-nickel, nickel and chrome plating of fasteners and components.
Process guide
Anodizing
Electrochemical oxide layers on aluminium for corrosion protection and appearance.
Process guide
Powder coating
Electrostatic powder coatings on cabinets, frames, profiles and machinery.
Process guide
Industrial painting and protective coatings
Multi-coat liquid paint systems on steel structures, tanks, machinery and vessels.
Process guide
Thermal spraying
Metallic and ceramic coatings sprayed for wear and corrosion protection.
Process guide
Abrasive blasting and surface preparation
Shot and grit blasting to clean steel and create profile before coating.
Process guide
07Powder and additive
Parts built from powder.
Powder metallurgy and sintering
Pressed and sintered metal parts: gears, bushings and structural parts.
Process guide
Metal additive manufacturing
Laser powder bed fusion and DED parts built layer by layer from metal powder.
Process guide
08Electrical and assembly
Electronics, wiring, panels and final assembly.
PCB assembly (SMT and THT)
Surface mount and through hole assembly of printed circuit boards.
Process guide
Cable and wire harness manufacturing
Cut, strip, crimp and assemble harnesses for vehicles, machines and appliances.
Process guide
Electrical panel assembly
Switchboards, MCCs and control panels wired, tested and documented.
Process guide
Mechanical assembly and end of line testing
Machines, pumps, gearboxes and equipment assembled and functionally tested.
Process guide
A process you do not see here?
The list covers the processes we meet most often in Turkish industrial supply chains. If your product depends on another process, such as glass forming, ceramic firing or textile coating, contact us: we will tell you honestly whether we have the competence, or who does.