Precision Investment Casting Process Flow

The precision investment casting process adopts advanced process management, following a series of stringent steps to create high-precision, high-quality castings. The entire production process is mainly divided into the following stages: wax injection, shell making, casting, post-processing, and inspection. The specific steps are as follows:

Wax Injection Stage of the Precision Investment Casting Process

Mold Design and Making: Design and manufacture molds according to product requirements to ensure accurate wax model dimensions.
Wax Injection (Wax Pattern): Inject liquid wax into the mold to form an initial wax pattern.
Wax Trimming: Trim the wax pattern to remove surface flaws and ensure accuracy in shape.
Wax Inspection: Inspect the quality of the wax patterns to ensure only defect-free patterns proceed to the next stage.
Assembly: Assemble multiple wax patterns into a tree-like structure for easier processing in subsequent steps.

Shell Making Stage of the Precision Investment Casting Process

Slurry and Sand Coating: Repeatedly dip the wax patterns into slurry and sprinkle them with fine sand to form a shell layer that is both strong and heat-resistant.
Air Drying: Allow the shell to air dry after each slurry and sand coating to increase its strength.
Dewaxing: Use high-temperature steam to melt and remove the wax patterns from the shell, creating a complete hollow shell.

Casting Stage of the Precision Investment Casting Process

Shell Firing: Heat the shell to a high temperature to increase its strength and remove any residual impurities.
Chemical Analysis: Use spectrometry to confirm that the composition of the metal material meets the requirements.
Pouring: Pour the molten steel into the fired shell, completing the molding process. This step is the core of the precision investment casting process and directly affects the quality of the casting.
Vibratory Shell Removal: After cooling, use vibratory equipment to remove the shell, revealing the preliminary shape of the casting.
Cutting and Separation: Separate the casting from the sprue.
Gate Grinding: Grind the gate area to ensure smooth surfaces and precise dimensions.

Post-Processing Stage of the Precision Investment Casting Process

Sandblasting and Shot Blasting: Clean the casting surface to remove oxides and remaining shell material. This is an important step in ensuring the surface quality of the casting in the precision investment casting process.
Correction and Pickling: Further remove surface impurities and correct the external dimensions of the casting.
Machining and Polishing: Perform fine machining according to the drawing requirements to improve surface smoothness and meet the high standards of the precision investment casting process.

Inspection Stage of the Precision Investment Casting Process

Wax Inspection: Check the quality of the wax patterns to ensure they meet the requirements of the precision investment casting process.
Initial Inspection: Perform a preliminary size and appearance check on the blank casting.
Intermediate Inspection: Inspect the castings after polishing or machining to ensure the dimensions and performance meet design specifications.
Final Inspection: Conduct a comprehensive inspection of the final product to ensure quality standards before storage.

The precision investment casting process is a systematic and meticulous technique where every step, from mold design to final inspection, impacts the quality of the end product. Through rigorous process control, the precision investment casting process ensures high casting accuracy, smooth surfaces, and excellent performance, making it widely used in aerospace, automotive, and machinery industries. This process has earned customer trust for its precision and reliability and provides excellent solutions for modern industry.