INVESTMENT CASTING
Investment casting, also known as lost wax casting, is a manufacturing process in which a wax pattern is created and then coated with a ceramic slurry to create a mold. The wax is then melted out of the ceramic mold and molten metal is poured into the cavity. The molten metal solidifies and the ceramic shell is then broken or blasted off, creating a metal casting. The investment casting process does not require a minimum order quantity and can cast parts ranging from a few grams to upwards of 200 kgs, so it can be a manufacturing solution no matter what size project you are working on. Although this process is comparatively expensive compared to sand or die casting, yet it is helpful for creating complicated and intricate designs and shapes.
Learn more about our precision investment casting process here.
Benefits of Investment Casting
The advantages of investment casting are amazing. Create almost any configuration of your precision metal component. Design parts as small, large, or complex as you need. It eliminates many of the barriers holding you back like the more production time, critical machining, achieving complex shapes which cannot be possible in other casting processes.
Consider that investment casting can also help you:
- Reduce or eliminate secondary operations
- Create stronger parts
- Have the widest choice of alloys
- Produce less waste
- Maintain incredibly tight tolerances
- Incorporate thinner walls for reduced weight
- Maintain outstanding repeatability
- Reduce tooling costs over multiple production runs
- Design highly detailed surfaces and stamps
Is Investment Casting Right for You?
Thinking of using investment casting on your next project or still not sure?
To make the decision easy, here are five questions about your component goals and five about your business goals.
Are you specifying a part that:
- Requires the tightest tolerances and repeatability?
- Combines or simplifies multiple, complex parts into one single casting, while retaining unique details of each?
- Requires flexibility and design freedom?
- Requires a better as-cast surface finish?
- Requires flexibility to pour multiple alloys within the same mold?
Do company goals require you to:
- Lower your total costs?
- Reduce waste, e.g. secondary operations and scrap?
- Minimize stagnant inventory?
- Improve reputation for product quality/return rate?
- Make your supply chain more predictable?
Your score? Simple. Any time you answered “yes,” you’re one step closer to choosing investment casting.
Investment Cast Manufacturer
Success in manufacturing means overcoming challenges in every area of your business. Challenges in design, production, cost control, delivery—the list goes on. That’s where we come in. We’ve been helping customers face their most pressing manufacturing challenges for over 37 years. And we’ve revolutionized virtually every aspect of how precision metal components are designed, developed, and produced. Looking for the right manufacturer to help you move your business forward? Contact our team today to get the conversation started.