What Are the Reasons for Using Investment Casting?

Investment casting is one of the most common metal parts used by most industrial companies. These cast components have a myriad of benefits that make them attractive alternatives for a wide range of businesses and industries. Investment casting offers ultimate design flexibility for highly complex parts made from multiple alloys. Additionally, the relatively simple investment casting process allows for high productivity and consistent dimensional accuracy.

1. What is investment casting?

Investment casting, also known as lost wax casting, is an industrial process based on one of the oldest known metal forming techniques. It was developed more than 5,500 years ago and remains an integral part of metalworking today. This casting takes the wax profile of the part and coats it with a ceramic material. It is then heated until the wax melts from its center. The molten metal is then poured into hollow ceramic molds, the metal hardens and the part is made.

2. What are the common uses of investment casting?

The uses of investment castings are immeasurable. Investment castings are mainly used in the power generation and aerospace industries to produce various components. The investment casting process includes machining operations after metal fabrication. This is to allow it to be built and delivered to the company's exact specifications. In the power generation and aerospace industries, any accurate measurements in machined investment casting must be guaranteed.

Nonetheless, companies or industries involved in the aerospace, power generation, firearms, automotive, military, commercial, food service, gas and oil, and energy industries make significant use of these metal components. For example, the firearms industry turned to cast parts for firearm receivers, triggers, hammers, and other precision parts. Investment castings are even used by equipment manufacturers for the beverage industry and international pressure relief valve manufacturers in the oil and gas industry. So, it's safe to say that no matter what industry you're in, if your business can benefit from the advantages of investment casting parts and assemblies, they could be the perfect metal choice for any project you have.

3. Why use investment casting?

There are several explanations for why an individual chooses to use this casting. Companies and industries use castings for the following reasons: Investment casting produces very smooth surfaces with no parting lines and requires only minor machining, and investment casting can create oddly shaped and complex parts.