Which of the following is a product produced by sand casting?

• A. Manhole covers
• B. Doorknobs
• C. Food containers
• D. Keyboard

Answer: (A)

Sand casting works well for large, heavy metal parts that don’t need a perfect surface finish or extremely tight tolerances. It uses a pattern to make a cavity in packed sand, pours molten metal in, and lets it solidify into a robust shape. A manhole cover fits this approach nicely: it’s a large, thick piece made from cast iron or similar material, designed to be strong and durable while keeping production costs reasonable. The geometry is simple (a flat to slightly domed circular disc), and the rougher surface typical of sand casting is acceptable since the cover will be exposed to the ground and then painted or coated.

Smaller, more intricate items like doorknobs need a smoother finish and more precise details, often achieved with die casting or machining. Food containers are usually made from plastics or sheet metal shaped by stamping or forming, not by sand casting, which wouldn’t be ideal for lightweight, high-volume, smooth-walled parts. Keyboards are plastic and produced by injection molding, not metal casting. So the best example of a product produced by sand casting is the manhole cover.