Discover Greater Value and Streamlined Production

<p>Experience product optimization with our investment casting solutions, delivering added value through intricate designs, superior quality, and cost-effective production.</p>

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Product Optimization & Added Value

Speak to an Engineer

Whether our customers are facing recurring challenges during product development, or production issues that have proven difficult to solve elsewhere, we help companies streamline production processes, reduce material waste, and optimize designs for manufacturability with our expertise.

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Enhanced Engineering

Enhanced Design for Manufacturing 

Implementing net-shape parts minimizes additional processing steps, which not only saves time but also reduces labor and operational costs. 

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Cut Secondary Operations 

Reduction of Secondary Operations 

Enhance the visual appeal and functional performance of the final product to improve corrosion resistance and longevity.

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Improved Surface Finish 

Offering complete kitting and tailored packaging solutions enhances the customer experience by simplifying assembly and reducing handling time. 

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Kitting and Packaging 

Comprehensive Kitting and Packaging 

Uncover the Advantages of Signicast’s Product Optimization Solutions

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Design for manufacturing is integrated from the outset of production to ensure that engineers can optimize part designs for efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and manufacturability.

Design for Manufacturing 

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With investment casting, we can produce a single net-shape part that eliminates the need for multiple components, simplifying assembly and enhancing overall structural integrity.

Net-Shape Parts

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Utilizing sub-assemblies with investment cast parts allows for streamlined assembly processes and improved design flexibility.

Sub-Assemblies

Our in-house machining capabilities optimize investment cast parts by ensuring precise dimensions and finishes, enhancing performance and reducing the need for external processing.

Machining 

NDT ensures structural integrity and reliability without compromising the component, increasing customer confidence and reducing the risk of failure.

Non-Destructive Testing 

Secure and efficient transport minimizes damage risk and enhances the overall presentation and readiness for use.

Packaging 

Investment cast parts are pre-assembled with necessary components, reducing assembly time and improving overall efficiency for our customers.

Kitting

Elevate Your Product, Eliminate Secondary Operations 

See All Resources

<h1>Investment Casting and Ceramic 3D Printing</h1><p>In recent years, Signicast has been expanding its prototyping services to meet the ever-evolving needs of its growing customer base—from rapid in-house tooling to PMMA and SLA patterns for strength and design validation. Signicast understands that when seeking a fully functional prototype that will streamline the transition to mass production, clients don't want to compromise on quality for the sake of time or cost.</p><p>In recent years, Signicast has been expanding its prototyping services to meet the ever-evolving needs of its growing customer base—from rapid in-house tooling to PMMA and SLA patterns for strength and design validation. Signicast understands that when seeking a fully functional prototype that will streamline the transition to mass production, clients don't want to compromise on quality for the sake of time or cost.</p><p>With a new partnership comes access to new technologies and exciting possibilities. DDM's LAMP™ (Large Area Maskless Photopolymerization) ceramic 3D printing technology introduces advanced capabilities—including topology optimization and generative designs—for achieving the complex components clients have come to expect from Signicast, but with the convenience and shorter lead times of 3D printing.</p><p>In this webinar, Signicast's Vice President of Sales, Pete Lorenz, joins DDM founder and Chief Technology Officer, Suman Das, to discuss how this new technology can best serve customers. The webinar will cover:</p><ul><li>Investment casting and ceramic 3D printing process foundations</li><li>Metal quality and options with ceramic printing</li><li>Pros and cons of ceramic 3D printing versus 3D metal printing</li><li>Case studies</li><li>And more!</li></ul><p>Meet the speakers!</p><p>Fill out the form below to download the free on-demand webinar.</p><p>Unable to attend the webinar live? No problem!</p>

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Explore how ceramic 3D printing enables faster tooling, complex shapes, and low-volume runs in investment casting applications.

Ceramic 3D Printing + Casting | Signicast Webinar

Pete Lorenz

Vice President of Sales

Suman Das

Founder and Chief Technology Office

Explore the partnership between Signicast and DDM, focusing on how DDM's LAMP™ ceramic 3D printing technology enhances Signicast's prototyping and investment casting capabilities, offering customers faster access to high-quality, complex components. 

Investment Casting and Ceramic 3D Printing

<h1>Investment Casting Material Options</h1><p>Access this free online seminar to discuss material options. From corrosion resistance to strength and ductility, learn more about alloy options and how they may fit into your next project.</p><p>Fill out the form below to receive the slides and video recording:</p>

Get a breakdown of common investment casting alloys—when to use stainless vs. tool steels, and how to balance hardness, corrosion resistance, and cost.

Investment Casting Materials Guide | Signicast Webinar

This free online seminar explores material options for investment casting, covering corrosion resistance, strength, ductility, and various alloys, helping attendees choose the right materials for their projects. 

Investment Casting Material Options

<h1>Fit Form Function FAQs</h1><p>Part design is crucial to the success of any component. It's essential for the overall success of a project to remain on track in terms of timelines and deliverables. A supplier requesting a design for manufacturing review may seem like a potential hindrance, but an initial design review at the project's outset could save costs related to the fit, form, and function of the part, thanks to input from design experts. Below are some frequently asked questions about the investment casting process and how our team of highly trained engineers can enhance the design of parts.</p><h2>Is my part too heavy for investment casting?</h2><p>Just like any other manufacturing process, there are limitations with investment casting. In multiple steps throughout the investment casting process, the molds must meet certain weight requirements. Molds themselves have weight restrictions based on the type of alloy poured, maxing out at 100 to 120 pounds and meeting the industry weight standard. At other stages, molds are handled manually, or even automatically by Signicast’s state-of-the-art automation and robotics systems, requiring strict weight and safety restrictions.</p><h2>Does surface area cause limitations?</h2><p>There are three areas in which surface area has limitations—dip cells for the ceramic shell-building process, dewaxing where steam pressure is used to remove the wax from the shell, and then the burnout ovens.</p><h3>Dip</h3><p>The more surface area the part has, the more viscous slurry sticks, increasing the weight of the sprue and causing weight limitations for the robot.</p><h3>Dewax</h3><p>Now that there is a fully injected and dipped mold, there is the weight of the wax and the added weight of the ceramic shell. In this stage, there are personnel safety weight limitations to safely transport the molds in the plant.</p><h3>Burnout Oven</h3><p>The molds are fired to 1800℉, and once the temperature is reached, it's essential to ensure that the molds are still handled safely.&nbsp;</p><h2>How do I take full advantage of the investment casting process?</h2><p>As previously mentioned, almost every design will likely encounter a geometry, pour weight, or shell weight limitation during the initial mold design phase.</p><p>However, through a Design for Manufacturing (DFM) meeting, the&nbsp;Signicast engineering team collaborates to address potential limitations, increasing the value of the part from the outset. The part effectively "rents" space on a mold, so any changes or features added to the design are essentially free, as long as the footprint of the mold remains unchanged.</p><p>For instance, holes or bosses can be added to the design without increasing the overall footprint of the part. The number of pieces on the mold, as well as the piece part price, will stay the same. Small price implications might be added to the tool cost.</p><p>In a recent project, the Signicast Engineering team reduced a customer's piece part price from $23 to $18—a cost reduction of almost 30%. This price reduction wasn't due to the alloy cost, but rather a design change that allowed for more pieces per mold. The initial customer DFM session also leveraged the full benefits of the investment casting process by adding lettering, lot codes, part numbers, and logos on the parts at no additional cost.</p><h2>When should I consider alloy and heat treatment selection?</h2><p>Alloy selection and heat treatment are often considered early in the design process and not revisited later.</p><p>Some customers utilize cutting and grinding tools. A knife blade design, initially machined from solid 420 steel, was brought in for review. After discussing the part's function and conducting a DFM call, the in-house metallurgist suggested D2 tool steel. The result was a sevenfold increase in wear resistance, significantly extending the part's service life.</p><p>Considering heat treatment is also crucial. For parts requiring heavy machining, heat treatment and homogenization of the material before machining are recommended to minimize hard spots and broken tools. However, if extensive machining isn't necessary, heat treatment might be eliminated entirely.</p><h2>How can I eliminate machining and ultimately cut costs?</h2><p>By simply designing an investment casting with certain features, machining can be avoided, eliminating a significant cost associated with the part.</p><p>The engineering team frequently encounters prints with surface finish callouts. This often adds unnecessary costs. Many features machined on the casting are for size, position, or flatness. A surface finish callout is only necessary if it's for a sealing surface, O-ring groove, or a press fit. The DFM process can often help eliminate one or two machine passes, or even reduce the overall machining cycle time.</p><h2>How long does a DFM meeting take?</h2><p>The meeting duration typically ranges from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the part's complexity and the potential areas for improvement identified by the engineering team. Within this timeframe, the team can conduct a comprehensive DFM call and conclude with actionable steps to enhance the quote or RFQ.</p>

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Read answers to top engineering questions about investment casting tolerances, wall thickness, shrink factors, and dimensional control strategies.

Casting Fit, Form, Function | Signicast Article

See frequently asked questions about the investment casting process, including design limitations, optimizing part design, alloy selection, and how to reduce costs through design for manufacturing (DFM). 

Fit, Form, Function FAQs

Elevate Your Knowledge About Signicast Product Optimization & Added Value 

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