Sunday April 5, 2015
Kabul (BNA) Casting is the art of shaping metals through melting and pouring of the melted metal into the mold and then freezing it according to the shape of the mold.
This method is the oldest method for getting the desired shape of metals. The original casting ovens were made of clay mixed with layouts of wood and copper. Casting is common in science, art and technology. Despite of the scientific development of casting, in practice, it is the skill, experience and style of the molder that guarantees a desired product. This technique is one of the basic production methods because over fifty percent spare parts of machineries are produced in this way. Mohammad Saleem one of the casting professionals in Pakhta Feroshi street Kabul city, said, casting has a historical background of over fifty years in Kabul city and some provinces. In the beginning simple instruments were used like leathern bag but gradually semi-modern casting instruments appeared and used while today casting machineries for melting of iron, iron cast, aluminum operating by electricity, generators or batteries which have facilitated our business. As you see, this oven is called iron melting oven which operates by electricity otherwise it requires a lot of expenditures.
M. Saleem added I have learned this occupation from my father and since fifteen years I have been working here. I have been graduated from high school and in this period I have trained a lot of students. Talking on casting equipment and instruments M. Saleem said we use machine of iron melting oven, file, drill, saw, hammer, different kinds of measuring molds, sand and mixture of tar and engine oil. Mold is made by special sand. Then metal is melted in oven and put inside mold and the desired product becomes ready. Mohammad Saleem added that there are about fifteen casting shops in Pakhta Foroshi Street and in each of them two the four people are working. We collect and purchase old pressures cookers from people, re-melt them and produce new pots. Beside that we make and produce pot cover, pot handle, frying pans, water pumps spare parts, cup holders, we collect and purchase Russian, Iranian, cast iron, Bronze and Aluminum pot, melt them and produce equipment according to customers offer. We also make metal LOGOs of some factories.
M. Saleem went on to say, we repair and mold motor bikes and vehicles broken spare parts which are rare in local markets and seldom imported from abroad according to their originals.
The mechanics get and use them. In previous years our business was good and we afforded to pay all our workers to support their families but today the business situation is not good and just we manage to lead our life. The main job of a caster is to melt and mix a certain quantity of materials needed for special spare parts and drilling, sawing and hammering is the duty of students. Students also gradually learn all essential casting process. Students are paid Afs 200-300 per day. He added we purchase old and used pressure cookers Afs 400 per seven kilogram and a new pot costs us Afs 400. We are capable to mold and cast all cars spare parts. Beside our small casting shop here, we also have a big factory in Diwanbegi area in which we have employed eight workers who produce big pots from cast iron for wedding parties, for restaurants and also for rent. In this factory we use modern casting machineries including lathe, polishing machine, iron cast melting oven etc. I asked the government, private capital holders and donors to build a modern casting factory in which we would produce everything including motorbike, automobile spare parts which are rare in Afghanistan. Karima Malikzada
