Foundries produce metal products (called castings or castings) of well-defined shape, size and chemical-physical characteristics through a simple and energy-efficient production process.

In a foundry, the molten metal (consisting of ferrous or non-ferrous alloys) is cast directly into sand or metal moulds that reproduce in negative the geometry of the piece to be made, in which the metal solidifies. Once cooled, the casting is extracted from the mould and subjected to finishing operations.

The castings can be supplied to the customer raw, as they come out of the foundry process, or machined. Foundries that also offer machining deliver to the customer a cast ready to be assembled to other components, such as a piston on an engine, or a brake disc on a brake system. In some cases, foundries produce castings in the catalogue that can be sold directly to the end consumer: this is the case of radiators, grilles, manhole covers, street furniture, flue gas items, pots and pans.

Casting foundries are commonly called second melting foundries, because inside the furnaces there are only operations of remelting of products of primary metallurgical industries (cast irons and non-ferrous alloys in ingots obtained from the reduction of minerals or produced by scrap recovery) as well as, in the case of ferrous metal foundries, from scrap. Because of the peculiarity of their production process, foundries are a central element in the transition to a circular economy.