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

Recreational vehicle driving on a sand dune

Signicast_Industries_Recreational Vehicles.jpg

Recreational Vehicles

Speak to an Engineer

Large Square Card_Zinc.jpg

Investment casting is perfect for complex recreational components like chassis parts, engine components, and interior fixtures, due to its ability to handle intricate details and thin-walled sections for rugged use.

Complex Components

Large Square Card_Magnesium.jpg

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

Enhanced Engine Performance

Large Square Card_Aluminum.jpg

Investment casting creates high-quality RV interior components like 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 RV components, helping manufacturers stay competitive and meet market demands.

Reduced Manufacturing Costs

Recreational Vehicle Leaders Choose Signicast To Help Achieve Key Goals

Abstract Signicast red pattern on a dark background

Signicast Background.png

A Look At

Recreational Vehicle Applications

Search All Certifications

Certification.png

Industry Leading Certifications

See All Resources

<h1>Streamlined Finishing, Exceptional Results: The Signicast Advantage</h1><p>Partnering with Signicast for investment casting finishing offers a distinct advantage: a comprehensive suite of secondary operations housed under one roof. This streamlined approach not only guarantees the highest quality cast components but also translates to significant benefits for customers.</p><h3>Efficiency and Cost Savings</h3><p>By eliminating the need to outsource finishing, Signicast's integrated process minimizes lead times and reduces overall production costs. Customers enjoy the convenience of a single point of contact and the assurance that their components are handled with expert care throughout the entire manufacturing journey.</p><h3>Uncompromising Quality</h3><p>From machining and plating to specialized treatments, Signicast's finishing capabilities are second to none. The company's commitment to quality is evident in its state-of-the-art equipment, rigorous in-cycle part checking, and a team of skilled professionals dedicated to delivering consistent, flawless results.</p><h3>Reduced Risk, Increased Confidence</h3><p>Signicast's in-house tool room ensures minimal downtime in the event of unforeseen maintenance issues, further safeguarding customer projects and ensuring on-time delivery. This level of control and responsiveness sets Signicast apart, providing customers with peace of mind and the confidence that their components are in expert hands.</p><h3>From Design to Delivery, One Trusted Partner</h3><p>Signicast's seamless integration of casting and finishing fosters better component design, faster product launches, and fewer errors. By choosing Signicast, customers gain a true one-stop shop for their investment casting needs, backed by a commitment to quality, efficiency, and exceptional customer service.</p>

Signicast_Resources_Articles.png

Discover how in-house finishing, machining, and automation help Signicast deliver final parts faster with tighter control over quality.

Finishing & Machining in Casting | Signicast Article

Signicast's in-house investment casting finishing offers a streamlined, high-quality, and cost-effective solution with reduced risk, ultimately benefiting customers throughout the entire manufacturing process.

Streamlined Finishing, Exceptional Results: The Signicast Advantage

<h1>Invar 36 Spotlight</h1><p>Invar 36[1], also known within the industry as Nilo 36[2], is a nickel-iron superalloy known for its low coefficient of thermal expansion. Containing 36% nickel, it maintains nearly constant dimensions as well as good strength and hardness over a wide range of temperatures. Invented in 1896 by Swiss physicist, Charles Edouard Guillaume, Invar was created as a low-cost solution to a meter once made of platinum and iridium. Guillaume’s work led to the discovery of a fairly inexpensive iron-nickel alloy—a steel-like material—that expands very little when heated. He named the alloy Invar because it was almost unchanging or "invariable.”</p><h3>Invar 36 Success</h3><p>One of our customers came to us specifically wanting to use INVAR 36 for a component requiring the near constant dimensions and long-term dimensional stability this alloy is known for<em>.</em> Due to confidentially agreements, we cannot name the customer but what we can tell you, is that like with many other projects, Signicast engineers rose to the challenge to not only cast Invar 36 successfully but completely exceeded the customers’ expectations—all while saving them money. Because after all, isn’t that the end goal? Create a quality component at the lowest total cost. </p><p><em>Why did our customer need Invar 36</em>? The slightest change in dimension or shape of their component could alter their end product—even though they were already in a temperature controlled room. A few degrees could alter the function of the part. They knew they needed to work with a material like Invar 36 but machining it from solid became costly.</p><p><em>How did Signicast help?</em> We had never worked with Invar 36 in the past, but there has never been a challenge our engineers didn’t at least try to overcome. With some research and testing we came up with a casting material that actually performed as good or better than wrought and we were able to cast net-shape successfully. Not only did we add savings on final part cost because they didn’t have to machine the part, but our final part cost was actually cheaper than their original block of metal—prior to machining.</p><p><em>The end result?</em> A very happy customer who saved tenfold and a new material added to our offerings.  </p><p>Invar 36 maintains nearly constant dimensions at temperatures below -150 degrees Celsius up to 260 degrees Celsius.</p><h3>Who Should Use Invar 36?</h3><p>Customers who are under strict temperature constraints will likely see the advantages of using Invar 36. Unfortunately, those who are currently machining from solid do not realize that casting net-shape is even an option. In today’s world, Invar 36 is often used in measuring devices, precision mechanical systems, laser components, thermostat rods, meters and components that transport liquefied gases—to name a few.</p><h3>Invar Industry Applications</h3><p>Invar can be used in a variety of applications within the aerospace, medical, and consumer electronics industries. But where superalloys with low CTE are really starting to outperform other metals is in technologies within the automotive industry. As autonomous vehicles rise in popularity, sensors, radars, and cameras become increasingly advanced and critical to the function of the car. LiDAR, an acronym for light detection and ranging, uses light waves from a laser to calculate how long it takes for the light to hit an object or surface and reflect back to the scanner—determining the distance of surrounding objects. An alloy with near constant dimensions and long-term dimensional stability, such as Invar 36, is extremely important in such intricate devices. Alternative alloys, like Kovar, with low CTE are also viable options for casting LiDAR sensors. Investment casting is a cost-effective solution compared to machining LiDAR parts from solid.</p><h3>What are the Advantages of Invar 36? </h3><p>The most obvious advantage of Invar 36 is its ability to hold dimensions at cryogenic temperatures. Aside from that, Invar 36 looks and feels similar to steel. It also has outstanding weldability and machinability. Invar can also be created with customized chemistries to better meet the strength and hardness needs of customers. </p>

Learn how Invar 36 delivers ultra-stable dimensions under thermal stress, serving aerospace, optical, and cryogenic applications.

Invar 36 Investment Casting Benefits | Signicast Article

Invar 36 is a nickel-iron alloy known for its low coefficient of thermal expansion, making it ideal for applications requiring high dimensional stability across a wide temperature range, such as in precision mechanical systems, aerospace, and automotive technologies. 

Invar 36 Spotlight

<h1>Gating and Solidification: The Key to Eliminating Porosity</h1><p>When turning to the investment casting process, it is important to understand all of the factors that go in to 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, Signicast design engineers are able to better understand part function and optimize part geometry to meet the requirements of the application.</p><h2>Casting Material Selection</h2><p>In addition to design considerations, material choice directly impacts porosity within a part and the solidification of a casting. Each element within an alloy has different solidifying 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 amount of elements within the alloy. The large temperature range inhibits flow, making it less forgiving than a low carbon steel. Knowing material requirements on the frontend 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>

Dive into how optimized gating and controlled cooling eliminate voids and ensure structural soundness in investment cast components.

Shrink 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. 

Recreational Vehicles

Complex Components

Enhanced Engine Performance

Improved Aesthetics and Comfort

Reduced Manufacturing Costs

Industry Leading Certifications

BEYOND THE BASICS

Elevate Your Knowledge About Investment Casting for Recreational Vehicles

Global Reach, Local Expertise