This document provides an overview of metal casting, including:
1. It describes the basic metal casting process which involves making a mold cavity from a pattern, pouring molten metal, and allowing it to cool and solidify.
2. It discusses the history of casting, why casting is used, common terms like patterns and molds, and the basic steps of pattern making, mold making, pouring, and cleaning.
3. It provides details on different pattern materials, types of patterns, and allowances provided in patterns for shrinkage, draft, machining and distortion.