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

Key Features

Compatible Materials

Why ChooseInvestment 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

A Look AtInvestment Casting Key FeaturesKey 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

Select YourInvestment Casting MaterialsOur 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.

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

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

Automated to produce patterns efficiently and to provide dimensionally consistent 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

Using robotics and other automation shaves more than five days off the shell-building process compared to traditional foundries.

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

Automated pouring allows us to reach ultra-high temperatures and use spectrographic analysis to meet specifications.

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

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

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.