If you focus on the shape complexity and surface finish of the parts, investment castings are where you can go. In order to meet the mass production requirements of some customers and reduce the cost, we work with our suppliers to assist your project. Junying investment casting services can reduce the processing time and cost of CNC machining parts, as we can manufacture a large number of prototypes in batch quickly and modify the appearance with CNC techniques to deliver the final desired parts. Whether you want to look for an investment casting manufacturer casting stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum, or brass, professional technicians will perform investing casting process with a wide variety of metals, and be able to offer complex detail, smooth surface finish, and high definition in an economic way for clients. Our investment casting parts are used across broad fields, such as energy, automotive, gas, and oil, food, etc. ISO 9001 certification and multiple-stage quality inspection implementation will ensure the quality and performance of the lost wax casting products to be delivered.
Investment casting, also known as lost-wax casting, is one of the oldest known metal-forming techniques. The reason why investment casting goes its name is that the process invests the wax pattern with refractory materials to form the mold, and the molten material is cast into the die. The shape of the cavity inside the mold is an exact duplicate of that of the desired product. Common materials used in investment casting including stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum, and brass. Investment casting has been used in the last 5000 years, in the earliest time, beeswax was used to form the patterns, later, more advanced waxes are applied to make the wax mold. Most of the wax used in lost wax casting can be recycled. Investment casting is a popular manufacturing way because it is capable of producing parts with high accuracy, repeatability, and integrity in a variety of metals and alloys.
Investment casting (lost wax casting) is the process of using wax to make the mold of the parts to be cast, and then the wax mold is coated with mud, which is called clay mold. After the clay mould is dried, heat and melt the inner wax mould. Take out the clay mold after melting the wax mold and bake it into a ceramic mold. Generally, the gate system is left when making the mud mold, then the molten metal can be poured into the mold. Cool it until the part solidifies, the required parts are made.
Steps of Investment Casting Process
Precise and intricate investment casting parts are necessary for aircraft and jet engines. For example, turbine blades made from Inconel 718 often include intricate internal cooling passages to maintain engine efficiency under extreme temperatures. Titanium brackets are also cast to reduce overall weight while keeping strength. Additionally, aluminum lost wax castings are used in pressure vessels and other structural parts to meet the requirements of lightness and durability.
Stainless steel turbocharger housings made from investment casting suppliers are a common example, helping engines deliver more power while reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Transmission gears made through this process contribute to smoother and more efficient gear shifting to achieve the best performance. Investment casting also supports the growing electric vehicle market by producing battery cases and electronic components with exact dimensions and excellent material properties.
The medical field benefits from investment casting by obtaining parts that demand biocompatibility and accuracy. Cobalt-chrome scalpels are produced with smooth, sterilizable edges, ensuring safety during surgical procedures. Titanium hip implants are another common application, where precise casting guarantees a perfect fit and long-lasting durability inside the body. Beyond implants, surgical tools and dental instruments also rely on this method.
In industrial machinery, investment casting is used to manufacture components that must resist wear and corrosion. Stainless steel pump impellers improve the efficiency of fluid movement within machines. Valve bodies, often containing complex internal passages, are cast to manage flow effectively while resisting deterioration over time.
The defense sector uses investment casting to produce firearms and weapon parts made from strong alloys. Components like bomb racks, missile launchers, and communication equipment housings require high durability to perform consistently during military operations. Lost wax casting services allow these parts to be made with the necessary detail and strength to meet defense standards.
Investment casting supports the dairy and food industries by providing parts that meet hygiene and durability standards. Components for commercial dishwashers, meat slicers, ice machines, and candy-making equipment are created with smooth surfaces and complex shapes to ensure easy cleaning and long-lasting use. These castings help maintain efficient and sanitary food processing operations.
Marine applications often involve exposure to harsh, corrosive environments. Investment casting provides parts like pumps, deck hardware, bearing housings, and electronic enclosures that stand up to these conditions. Engine components, seal housings, and rings also benefit from the precise casting process, which ensures durability and reliable performance in marine settings.
Energy or power generation industries, including petroleum, natural gas, wind, and nuclear, use investment casting to create parts such as clamps, valves, and meter housings. Valves like butterfly valves and backflow preventers, made through investment casting, play important roles in controlling fluid flow safely and efficiently.
Online CNC programming services eliminate the limitations of physical distance and help alleviate the shortage of skilled labor. Users can access qualified experts globally without paying expensive in-house or on-site service fees.
1. Cost
Investment casting services generally involve higher costs than sand casting because this process needs extensive preparation, and the materials, like wax and ceramic slurry, are also more expensive than the sand and binder used in sand casting.
2. Part Weight and Size
Investment casting is specialized for producing smaller, more intricate parts usually weighing up to about 150 pounds, such as thin walls. But there are bigger limitations on the part size and weight. Sand casting is capable of producing very large castings weighing up to 6,000 pounds or more.
3. Surface Finish Quality
Investment casting parts usually come with a smooth, high-quality surface finish that requires minimal post-casting machining. The ceramic shell mold replicates the wax pattern’s fine details, yielding parts with excellent surface polish. However, sand mold often leaves a grainy texture and parting lines from mold splitting, so the final parts will have a rougher surface finish, which requires additional machining or finishing.
4. Design Complexity and Flexibility
Investment casting offers superior design flexibility, enabling the creation of highly intricate and delicate shapes, including thin walls and internal cavities. The use of a wax pattern and ceramic shell allows for near-unlimited geometric complexity, including undercuts and hollow sections, without extensive tooling changes. Sand casting is more restrictive in design because the sand mold must be split to remove the pattern, requiring draft angles and simpler shapes to avoid mold damage. Complex internal cavities need specially formed cores, which add time and cost, and design changes are easier to implement in sand casting due to simpler pattern modification.
5. Dimensional Tolerance and Accuracy
Lost wax casting provides much tighter dimensional tolerances compared to sand casting. Typical tolerance levels in investment casting range from CT 4 to CT 6. The tolerance of sand castings is generally around CT 10 to CT 13, which means parts need thicker walls (minimum 3 to 5 mm) and may require additional machining to achieve exact measurements.
6. Cycle Time and Production Volume
Sand casting has a relatively short mold-making cycle, which allows for faster turnaround times, especially suitable for prototyping and small to medium production runs. Its molds are single-use but quick to produce, which benefits projects needing rapid changeovers. Investment casting has a longer cycle time due to multiple stages, and is well-suited for mass production of consistent, high-quality parts.
7. Reuse and Sustainability of Materials
In investment casting, the wax used to create the pattern is melted out and can be reused multiple times. The ceramic shells, however, are destroyed to retrieve the casting. Sand casting molds are single-use, but the sand itself can be recycled and reused after the casting process, reducing waste and operational costs in large-scale foundries.
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