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Home / Investment Casting / Investment casting process

Investment casting process

Investment casting is a metal manufacturing process that leverages advanced technology and automation to handle projects of virtually any size and adapt to fluctuating demand.

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Benefits

Why choose investment casting?

Investment casting is the smart choice for projects that demand metal parts with:

  • Specialized alloys
  • Incredibly tight tolerances
  • Thin walls for reduced weight
  • Impressive repeatability
  • Less waste
  • Reduced secondary operations
  • Highly detailed surfaces and stamps
  • Improved reputation for quality/return rate
  • Reduced tooling costs over multiple production runs

Key features

A look at investment casting key features

Key features of our advanced investment casting machines include:

  • Part weight range: a few ounces to 200+ pounds
  • Parts range in size from the palm of your hand to a basketball
  • Offers flexibility and design freedom
  • Combines multiple complex parts into one casting
  • Retains details of each combined part
  • Flexibility to pour multiple alloys into one mold
  • Minimizes stagnant inventory

Compatible materials

Select your investment casting materials

Our wide range of compatible investment casting materials include:

  • 300-Series Stainless Steels
  • 400-Series Stainless Steels
  • Aluminum
  • Carbon & Low Alloy Steels
  • Cobalt-based Alloys
  • Nickel
  • Precipitation Hardened Alloys
  • Thermal Hardened Alloys
  • Titanium
  • Tool Steels

What is investment casting?

Investment casting is a precision metal casting process that delivers high-quality, complex components with intricate details and tight tolerances. This capability can manage sudden increases in demand and is ideal for industries requiring precision and durability, such as aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and more.

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Inside the investment casting process

Investment casting, or lost wax casting, involves creating a wax pattern, coating it with ceramic to form a mold, melting out the wax, pouring molten metal into the mold, and then removing the ceramic shell to reveal the metal casting.

A large, investment cast part.

Flexible part sizes

Investment casting is versatile enough to handle parts ranging from a few ounces to over 200 pounds. This makes it suitable for projects of any size.

Automated machine dropping molded parts into a kiln

Scalable solutions

Signicast's advanced technology and automation enable us to swiftly handle any surges or fluctuations in demand. Our continuous flow system ensures rapid adaptability, effectively managing variable production needs with efficiency.

Design for manufacturing

Success in metal manufacturing involves tackling challenges in design, production, cost control, and delivery. Our engineers help customers navigate challenges and transform nearly every aspect of designing, developing, and producing precision metal components.

From wax to metal

A 10-step guide to investment casting

Step 1: Computerized solidification analysis
Step 1: Computerized solidification analysis
Simulates the casting process in advance, eliminating the need for multiple trials and achieving high quality the first time.
Step 2: Tool design and build
Step 2: Tool design and build
Automated to produce patterns efficiently and to provide dimensionally consistent patterns.
Step 3: Inject and assemble patterns
Step 3: Inject and assemble patterns
Injects semi-solid wax using an in-house automated process to achieve higher dimensional stability.
Step 4: Shell build
Step 4: Shell build
Using robotics and other automation shaves more than five days off the shell-building process compared to traditional foundries.
Step 5: Pre-heat oven
Step 5: Pre-heat oven
The high temperature used to melt out the wax improves both the flow of liquid metal and the final detail of the cast.
Step 6: The pour
Step 6: The pour
Automated pouring allows us to reach ultra-high temperatures and use spectrographic analysis to meet specifications.
Step 7: Shell and part removal
Step 7: Shell and part removal
A proprietary process removes the castings, while shell removal is carried out using high-pressure water jets and a hot chemical bath.
Step 8: Finishing
Step 8: Finishing
Our blast cleaning operation, using abrasive grit or steel shot, grinds and finishes the part to a smooth surface.
Step 9: In-house secondary operations
Step 9: In-house secondary operations
Our treatments and services like value-added plating, painting, assembly, and machining work hand in hand with our modules to make your part ready for assembly.
Step 10: Delivery
Step 10: Delivery
Just-in-time delivery ensures you don’t hold excess inventory.

BEYOND THE BASICS

Elevate your knowledge about Signicast investment casting

Signicast Investment Casting Engineering Video

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Global reach, local expertise

Use our location finder to see which of our global facilities offers the processes and materials you need.

Global locations

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Interested in starting your investment casting project?

Our engineers are here to answer your questions and show you how innovative investment casting technologies can revolutionise your next project and beyond.

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