<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>

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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>Medical Grade Investment Castings</h1><p>The healthcare industry constantly evolves, and recent years have seen an increased need for innovations in medical technology and portable, durable devices. Simultaneously, there's a growing demand for medical components that are not only high-performing but also compatible with the human body over sustained use.</p><p>For many years, stainless steel was considered the only material suitable for manufacturing medical equipment. However, aluminum and cobalt chromium alloys have recently found a place in the medical market.</p><p>Signicast investment castings leverage each of these alloys, along with precision capabilities and tight tolerances, for the best performance in the industry.  </p><h2>Stainless steel alloys for medical-grade equipment</h2><p>While innovations in materials for the medical industry are ever-changing, stainless steel remains a top choice for most medical equipment manufacturers due to its low and high-temperature resistance, high strength, and biocompatible properties. Investment casting allows for the engineering of necessary complex geometries into the casting, enhancing part performance and reliability. Signicast's stainless steel alloys include different combinations of nickel, chromium, and carbon. Depending on the application, one can choose between the 300 or the 400 series stainless steels.  </p><ul><li>The 400-series comprises 25% nickel, 1% carbon, and 11-27% chromium.</li></ul><ul><li>The 300-series contains 6-25% nickel and 16-30% chromium.</li></ul><p>If high strength and cost reduction are priorities, the 400-series might be the right choice. However, for applications needing high strength, high corrosion resistance, and property retention at high temperatures, the 300-series group could be more effective.</p><p>Connecting with a Signicast metallurgist is recommended to determine the best-suited material for specific requirements. There might be an option available that hasn't been considered yet.</p><h2>Aluminum alloys for Class 1 &amp; 2 devices and housings</h2><p>While stainless steels meet biocompatibility and strength requirements for Class 1 and 2 medical devices, their weight can be a limiting factor in usability. Aluminum alloys often offer lower total costs while maintaining a significantly higher strength-to-weight ratio compared to stainless steels. Additionally, aluminum inherently creates aluminum oxide when exposed to oxidizing agents, forming a protective layer that prevents further oxidation and weakness of the component. This is where lightweight aluminum has found its place in the market, producing medical components for applications like handheld surgical devices and portable medical equipment that need to be durable, lightweight, and easy to use while also passing stringent FDA regulations.</p><h2>Cobalt alloys (ASTM-75) for implantable devices</h2><p>Signicast has utilized cobalt alloys as an alternative to stainless steel,</p><p>particularly for implantable devices. Cobalt-Chromium, which is ferromagnetic, is very strong even at very high temperatures and has high corrosion and wear resistance compared to other metals. It is also entirely biocompatible, making it suitable for implantable devices.</p><h2>Medical component manufacturer</h2><p>Medical devices, whether Class 1 or 2, have components that should meet and/or exceed the necessary efficiency and safety requirements set by governing bodies, as well as the physical and mechanical properties required by the manufacturer. This calls for extra care when choosing the material for such devices and the right manufacturing partner for a successful program launch.</p>

See how Signicast meets rigorous biocompatibility, cleanliness, and dimensional standards for implantable and surgical-grade cast parts.

Medical-Grade Castings | Signicast Industry Article

Medical grade investment casting utilizes stainless steel, aluminum, and cobalt alloys to produce high-performance, biocompatible components for diverse medical applications, demanding careful material selection and a knowledgeable manufacturing partner. 

Medical Grade Investment Castings

<h1>Nickel-Based Steel Alloys</h1><p>While the investment casting process is capable of pouring almost any alloy, our most popular alloys are in the nickel family. Consisting primarily of nickel, chromium, and molybdenum, nickel-based alloys are among the most widely used investment casting materials. The most popular being CW2M.</p><p>Creating a nickel-based alloy takes great precision and skill. At Signicast, we pay very close attention to the composition of the material we melt to ensure we create superior alloys. Our casting process creates very metallurgically clean castings with excellent weldability.</p><h3>What Industries Use Nickel-Based Alloys?</h3><p>Any industry can use nickel-based alloys, but the majority of our customers who use them are looking for the best corrosion resistance in oxidizing environments. Additional elements like molybdenum and chromium are added to create an alloy that is arguably one the world’s toughest.</p><p><em>When should you use a Nickel-based Alloy? </em> If 300 series stainless steels do not cut it, nickel-based alloys are great for components used in the chemical and process industries. Additionally, meter bodies used in chlorine and acid services utilize CW-2M for its excellent mechanical and physical properties. </p><h3>High-Performance Alloys</h3><p>Nickel-based alloys are part of the super alloy family, also known as high-performance alloys. As well as being highly resistant to corrosion and oxidation these alloys are harder and stronger and corrosion resistant at higher temperatures making them a great option for welding applications. Some alloys lose corrosion resistant when you raise the temperature, nickel-based alloys do not. They also have great ductility and can be easily fabricated.</p><p>Signicast offers everything from 400 stainless steel to aluminum. We are committed to giving you the very best performing part at the lowest total cost. </p><h3>Did You Know?</h3><p>Hastelloys are name brand nickel-based alloys invented by Haynes International in 1912. The original patent expired allowing manufacturers to develop “generic” or off-brand “Hastelloys”. For example, our CW-2M is equivalent to Hastelloy C. So while the name itself may be different, the alloy acts and performs just like the original Hastelloy.</p>

Get to know Signicast’s nickel-based alloys, combining heat resistance and toughness for parts exposed to extreme service conditions.

Nickel Steel Casting Options | Signicast Article

Nickel-based alloys, known for their exceptional corrosion resistance and strength at high temperatures, are a popular choice in investment casting at Signicast, particularly in demanding applications like chemical processing and chlorine services. 

Nickel-Based Steel Alloys

<h1>Using Soluble Cores in Investment Casting</h1><h2>Do your metal components require complex inner cavities?</h2><p>Investment casting is ideal for parts that require tight tolerances, repeatability, and complex design characteristics. For parts that require particularly complex inner cavity configurations, our design engineers can incorporate a soluble core into the investment casting process. The use of soluble cores allows for more intricate cavity patterns to be included in the casting, reducing or eliminating the need for additional machining.</p><h2>Designing for soluble core</h2><p>Incorporating a soluble core into the investment casting process is achieved through strategic design and a few additional steps to our advanced investment casting process.</p><p>During the standard investment casting process, the pattern wax is injected into the mold cavity, cooled, ejected, and then attached to the sprue before continuing on for the remainder of the casting process. If the part does not require a particularly intricate core, this process is automated with our state-of-the-art technology. If the part does require an inner channel, the soluble core process is best-achieved by one of our specialized operators.</p><p>First, a soluble wax is injected into a mold to form the geometry of the core. The core is then ejected from the mold and cooled.</p><p>An operator will mount the soluble core in a precise position within the cavity of the mold for the entire component. The position of the soluble core within the mold is held by points of support that are incorporated into the mold during the design process. The added support ensures that the core stays in place when the pattern wax is injected and helps to facilitate the removal of the wax from the mold. The mold is then closed and the pattern wax is injected into the cavity around the soluble core. In the mold, the soluble core creates the inner baffles, channels, and ports that will be included in the final casting.</p><p>Once the pattern wax is cooled, the whole part is ejected from the mold. The part is then inserted into a bath of mild muriatic acid, and the soluble core is dissolved out, leaving behind a geometrically complex core that could not be otherwise achieved with standard investment casting.</p><p>The remaining pattern wax is then attached to the sprue and continues through the remainder of the investment casting process as normal. The end product is a repeatable, intricate part that delivers high performance without demanding costly secondary operations.</p><h2>So why soluble cores?</h2><p>Utilizing soluble cores provides many benefits, but the biggest benefit is the ability to design components with more complexity in the core of the part without costly secondary operations.</p><p>Without the need for additional machining, engineers enjoy greater design freedom. Additionally, the elimination of secondary operations mean that you’ll save time in the manufacturing process, and therefore, save on manufacturing costs.</p>

See how Signicast uses soluble wax cores to create complex internal features, enabling functionally integrated casting designs.

Soluble Core Wax in Investment Casting | Signicast Article

Soluble cores in investment casting allow for the creation of complex internal cavities within metal components, eliminating the need for secondary machining and offering greater design freedom while reducing manufacturing costs.

Streamlined Finishing, Exceptional Results: The Signicast Advantage

Streamlined Finishing, Exceptional Results: The Signicast Advantage

Efficiency and Cost Savings

Uncompromising Quality

Reduced Risk, Increased Confidence

From Design to Delivery, One Trusted Partner

Interested in starting your investment casting journey?