Signicast partners with the recreational vehicle industry, providing advanced investment casting solutions.

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Recreational vehicles

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Investment casting is ideal for complex recreational vehicle components, such as chassis parts, engine components and interior fittings, due to its ability to handle intricate details and thin-walled sections for rugged use.

Complex components

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Investment-cast engine components, such as cylinder heads, intake manifolds and exhaust manifolds, can improve engine performance, fuel efficiency and emissions.

Enhanced engine performance

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Investment casting creates high-quality recreational vehicle interior components, such as cabinet hardware and lighting, enhancing aesthetics and resale value.

Improved aesthetics and comfort

Investment casting lowers manufacturing costs and speeds up time-to-market for recreational vehicle components, helping manufacturers remain competitive and meet market demands.

Reduced manufacturing costs

Recreational vehicle leaders choose Signicast to help achieve key goals

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<p>When turning to the <a href="/investment-casting/process" target="_self">investment casting process</a>, it is important to understand all of the factors involved in making a successful part. One of the first steps to avoid part failure is to ensure the required soundness of a part before it is cast. Investment casting is one of the few manufacturing processes that can preliminarily demonstrate component success. </p><h2>Gating systems</h2><p>When designing an investment cast part, the gate location and size must be taken into consideration. The gate is a small opening that allows molten metal to flow freely to the cavity and can be thought of as the connection point between the feeding source, or sprue, and the part. The gate is ideally located on the thickest and heaviest section of the casting, allowing the metal to continuously flow and fill the part in its entirety before solidifying.</p><h2>How metal solidifies during casting</h2><p>Metal solidification is a critical factor in understanding gating. As molten steel cools from its initial pouring temperature of approximately 3000°F to its solidifying temperature of roughly 2500°F, it undergoes volumetric shrinkage. This shrinkage continues as the metal solidifies and then again as it cools to room temperature, due to thermal expansion.</p><p>To illustrate, a 1" x 1" x 1" cube, when filled with molten steel, will shrink to approximately 0.96" x 0.96" x 0.96" at room temperature. This volumetric change necessitates careful consideration of part geometry and gate location and size. Proper design ensures that the casting is continuously fed with liquid metal to compensate for shrinkage as solidification progresses.</p><h2>What makes a successful cast part?</h2><h3>Gate location and size</h3><p>After understanding the basics of metal solidification, we can start to determine the size and location of the gate. If gate details are not taken into account, the gate could solidify before the metal has the opportunity to fill the casting and replace lost volume. This could create large pockets within the part that are not fully filled, also known as internal porosity. Porosity refers to the level of solidity achieved, that is, whether there are cavities or holes within the part. If a component is not carefully gated with part function in mind, this could lead to part failure.</p><h3>Part design</h3><p>The gate is not the only determining factor in eliminating porosity. Part geometry can impact the directional solidification of the metal. The design must account for making thermal gradients steep enough to keep the feed paths clear from the sprue to the part. Since parts do not solidify all at once, and they cool from the outside in, a quality design will allow for the metal to cool away from the gate first. An icicle shape is the prime example of a perfect casting, with the tip freezing first and the remainder of the icicle freezing from the smallest sections back through to the thickest section (the water source).</p><p>In designs that show initial porosity, adding features like feed ribs can eliminate any unwanted pockets. Part design can also be enhanced with structural changes, like tapering bottom floors, to reduce porosity. In some instances, however, part geometries cannot be altered. We can take advantage of radiant heat, designing the gate with inconsequential arms that keep thin walls hot enough to feed the part, including end plates, as it solidifies.</p><p>In working closely with customers, <a href="/additional-capabilities/engineering" target="_self">Signicast design engineers</a> are able to better understand part function and optimise part geometry to meet the requirements of the application.</p><h2>Casting material selection</h2><p>In addition to design considerations, <a href="/materials/metal-selector-tool" target="_self">material choice</a> directly impacts porosity within a part and the solidification of a casting. Each element within an alloy has a different solidification temperature, making an alloy like 17-4 stainless steel have a larger temperature range as it goes from a liquid to a solid due to the number of elements within the alloy. The large temperature range inhibits flow, making it less forgiving than a low carbon steel. By knowing material requirements at the front end of the project, design engineers have a better opportunity to predict part success and limit porosity before moving to the tooling stage.</p><p>Before heading into full production with a part design, it is important to identify potential porosity issues. At Signicast, we use solidification and flow software to determine the efficacy of gating locations and predict casting porosity to validate the design. Our design engineers can help make beneficial design suggestions that will result in successful parts without delaying time to market.</p>

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Learn how optimised gating and controlled cooling eliminate voids, reduce shrinkage porosity and ensure structural soundness in investment cast components.

Shrinkage porosity solutions | Investment casting article

Gating and solidification are crucial in investment casting to eliminate porosity; gate location, part design and material selection directly impact the success of castings. 

Gating and solidification: the key to eliminating porosity

<p>Part design is crucial to the success of any component. It is essential to the overall success of a project that it remains on track in terms of timelines and deliverables. A supplier requesting a design for manufacture review may seem like a potential hindrance, but an initial design review at the outset of the project could save costs related to the fit, form and function of the part, thanks to input from <a href="/additional-capabilities/engineering" target="_self">investment casting design experts</a>. Below are some frequently asked questions about the investment casting process and how our team of highly trained engineers can enhance part design.</p><h2>Is my part too heavy for investment casting?</h2><p>Like any other manufacturing process, investment casting has limitations. At multiple stages throughout the <a href="/investment-casting/process" target="_self">investment casting process</a>, the moulds must meet certain weight requirements. Moulds themselves have weight restrictions based on the type of alloy poured, with a maximum of 100 to 120 pounds in line with the industry weight standard. At other stages, moulds are handled manually, or automatically by Signicast’s state-of-the-art automation and robotics systems, requiring strict weight and safety restrictions.</p><h2>Does surface area create limitations?</h2><p>There are three areas where surface area creates limitations—dip cells for the ceramic shell-building process, dewaxing where steam pressure is used to remove wax from the shell, and the burnout ovens.</p><h3>Dip</h3><p>The greater the surface area of the part, the more viscous slurry adheres, increasing the weight of the sprue and creating weight limitations for the robot.</p><h3>Dewax</h3><p>Once there is a fully injected and dipped mould, there is the weight of the wax and the additional weight of the ceramic shell. At this stage, personnel safety weight limitations apply to ensure moulds can be transported safely within the plant.</p><h3>Burnout oven</h3><p>The moulds are fired to 1800℉, and once this temperature is reached, it is essential to ensure that the moulds can still be handled safely.&nbsp;</p><h2>How do I take full advantage of the investment casting process?</h2><p>As previously mentioned, almost every design is likely to encounter a geometry, pour weight or shell weight limitation during the initial mould design phase.</p><p>However, through a Design for Manufacture (DFM) meeting, the&nbsp;Signicast engineering team collaborates to address potential limitations, <a href="/additional-capabilities/product-optimization-and-added-value" target="_self">increasing the value of the part</a> from the outset. The part effectively "rents" space on a mould, so any changes or features added to the design are essentially free, provided the footprint of the mould 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 mould, as well as the unit price, will remain the same. Minor price implications may be added to the tooling cost.</p><p>In a recent project, the Signicast Engineering team reduced a customer's unit price from $23 to $18—a cost reduction of almost 30%. This price reduction was not due to the alloy cost, but rather a design change that allowed more pieces per mould. The initial customer DFM session also leveraged the full benefits of the investment casting process by adding lettering, lot codes, part numbers and logos to the parts at no additional cost.</p><h2>When should I consider alloy and heat treatment selection?</h2><p><a href="/materials/metal-selector-tool" target="_self">Alloy selection</a> and heat treatment are often considered early in the design process and not revisited later.</p><p>Some customers use 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 extensive machining, heat treatment and homogenisation of the material before machining are recommended to minimise hard spots and broken tools. However, if extensive machining is not necessary, heat treatment might be eliminated entirely.</p><h2>How can I eliminate machining and ultimately cut costs?</h2><p>By 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 drawings 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 for a sealing surface, O-ring groove or press fit. The DFM process can often help eliminate one or two machining passes, or even reduce the overall machining cycle time.</p><h2>How long does a DFM meeting take?</h2><p>The meeting typically lasts 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 quotation or RFQ.</p>

Investment casting molds being put into the oven

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Read answers to key engineering questions on investment casting tolerances, wall thickness, shrinkage factors and dimensional control strategies for designers.

Casting fit, form, function | Signicast article

View frequently asked questions about the investment casting process, including design limitations, optimising part design, alloy selection and reducing costs through design for manufacture (DFM). 

Fit, form and function FAQs

<p>Due to the intricate mechanisms required to allow wheelchair users to enter and exit safely, creating more space requires complex modifications to the vehicle’s factory-supplied suspension.</p><p>“In the past, Chrysler used a much simpler design: the solid rear axle,” says Sajed Dosenbach, a Design Engineer at BraunAbility. “However, the independent rear suspension in the newer design was much more complex.”</p><p>Ultimately, this meant that the company’s usual in-house fabrication capabilities would simply not be feasible.</p><p>Dosenbach knew <a href="/investment-casting" target="_self">investment casting</a> would reduce manufacturing complexity through part consolidation—not to mention providing greater strength than sheet-steel stamping—so he contacted Signicast.</p><h2>Design for manufacturability</h2><p>To implement this new modification, cradle mounts needed to be seamlessly integrated into the Chrysler-designed subassembly beneath the vehicle, similar to the way a trailer hitch slides effortlessly into a sleeve-like hitch receiver. </p><p>As this suspension had never been attempted before, Dosenbach had to begin with only an idea, which he then translated into a CAD drawing. Signicast’s role was to help transform that idea into the components BraunAbility required.</p><p>Before investing the time and cost of tooling for a production run, Signicast needed to verify the manufacturability of this entirely new design and ensure it would meet BraunAbility’s rigorous safety and durability testing standards.</p><h3>In-house prototyping capabilities</h3><p>After running simulations, <a href="/additional-capabilities/engineering" target="_self">Signicast’s engineers</a> created CAD models for several design options. Using in-house prototyping capabilities, they transformed 3D-printed patterns into production-intent steel prototype parts—exact replicas of the part—on which BraunAbility could conduct real-world tests.</p><p>As Dosenbach explains, “That's the <strong>best prototype you could ask for</strong> because it accurately replicates the strength of the final production part. When prototyping rather than producing a final part, you are essentially changing the manufacturing method.”</p><h3>Preventive prototyping</h3><p>Most importantly, the ability to revise and improve the idea using <a href="/additional-capabilities/prototyping" target="_self">&nbsp;Signicast’s prototyping capabilities</a> resulted in a successful, workable design.</p><p>For example, some prototype test results showed that the original design would require a greater welding surface area to maintain joint strength. A better solution was to invert part of the design—a far easier and more affordable fix during prototyping than after a production run.</p><p>After the new design was prototyped in different versions, BraunAbility retested the part—and it passed. “Going through Signicast’s prototyping process was much quicker than developing a completely new original design, and <em>saved us from wasting money on tooling</em>,” says Dosenbach.</p><h3>The most spacious wheelchair-accessible van on the road</h3><p>The BraunAbility Pacifica is gaining recognition as the most spacious wheelchair-accessible van on the road. The suspension clearance project, together with</p><p>modifications to the interior floorboard, resulted in nearly 20% more space for wheelchair passengers.</p><p>“BraunAbility was able to cut inches off the van floor and install their new modified floorboard,” says Lann Ellis of Signicast. “They have gained extra room and now have the largest cabin space of any modified minivan on the market.”</p><p>For Dosenbach, Signicast’s software simulations, real-world prototypes, part consolidation and in-house machining made the entire project easier to achieve. “The requests I made to Signicast for these parts were very complex from their perspective. Yet they always delivered what I needed,” he says.</p><p>The project also means that wheelchair passengers can now move a full 360 degrees around the vehicle’s interior.</p><p>And for BraunAbility, that means more satisfied customers.</p>

Wheelchair with enhanced investment cast parts

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See how Signicast helped BraunAbility consolidate parts, reduce weight, and speed up production to improve the mobility and comfort of wheelchair users.

Wheelchair-accessible van case study | Signicast 

BraunAbility partnered with Signicast to use investment casting and prototyping, creating the most spacious wheelchair-accessible minivan on the market and providing greater mobility and comfort for wheelchair users. 

Recreational vehicles

Recreational vehicle leaders choose Signicast to help achieve key goals

Complex components

Enhanced engine performance

Improved aesthetics and comfort

Reduced manufacturing costs

A look at
recreational vehicle applications

Industry-leading certifications

Beyond the basics

Expand your knowledge of investment casting for recreational vehicles

Article

Article

Case Study

Global reach, local expertise

Interested in starting your investment casting project?

Recreational vehicles

Recreational vehicle leaders choose Signicast to help achieve key goals

Complex components

Enhanced engine performance

Improved aesthetics and comfort

Reduced manufacturing costs

A look atrecreational vehicle applications

Industry-leading certifications

Beyond the basics

Expand your knowledge of investment casting for recreational vehicles

Article

Article

Case Study

Global reach, local expertise

Interested in starting your investment casting project?

A look at
recreational vehicle applications