Method for manufacturing metal matrix composite material

A method for producing a metal matrix composite having a near-net shape, the method comprising:

• molding a reinforcing material-molded or filled body having a near-net shape of the metal matrix composite and pores, in a metal mold having a cavity therein that corresponds to the near-net shape of the metal matrix composite, with a reinforcing material, the reinforcing material comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of ceramic particles, graphite particles, and metal particles, thereby forming a combined-use metal mold including the reinforcing material-molded or filled body;
• pre-heating the combined-use metal mold including the reinforcing material-molded or filled body;
• placing the pre-heated combined-use metal mold including the reinforcing material-molded or filled body in an outer shell metal mold;
• and
• casting a matrix material and the reinforcing material by filling a molten matrix material into the pores of the reinforcing material-molded or filled body that is placed in the combined-use metal mold having a near-net shape and being placed in the outer shell metal mold, thereby obtaining the metal matrix composite as a resulting casted product, wherein the cavity of the mold having the near-net shape has a substantially same shape as a shape of the casted product, the molten matrix material being a pure metal or an alloy and being different from the reinforcing material, wherein the pure metal is aluminum and the alloy is an aluminum alloy,
• wherein the metal mold having a near-net shape used in the molding of the reinforcing material-molded or filled body is further used as the combined-use metal mold, in the pre-heating, the placing, and the casting in the method.