Investment Casting Process
Investment casting, also known as lost-wax casting, is used to produce complex metal parts with excellent dimensional accuracy and surface finish. The process involves creating a wax pattern of the desired part, coating it with a ceramic material, and then melting out the wax before pouring molten metal into the resulting cavity.
Pattern Creation
Create wax patterns by injecting wax into a metal die that mirrors the final part's shape. For multiple parts, attach these patterns to a central wax sprue to form an assembly.
Ceramic Shell Formation
Dip the wax assembly into a ceramic slurry and then stucco with coarse ceramic particles to build shell layers. Repeat this process and allow each layer to dry thoroughly.
Dewaxing and Burnout
Melt out the wax from the ceramic shell using an autoclave or furnace. Follow this with a high-temperature burnout to remove any remaining wax and strengthen the ceramic shell.
Metal Pouring
Melt the selected metal alloy in a crucible until it becomes liquid. Carefully pour the molten metal into the preheated ceramic shell, ensuring proper filling of the mold.
Cooling and Shell Removal
Allow the filled shell to cool and solidify. Once solidified, break away the ceramic shell using mechanical methods or chemical dissolution for intricate parts.
Finishing and Inspection
Remove excess material from sprues and gates. Perform necessary finishing operations and inspect the castings for quality and dimensional accuracy using non-destructive testing and measurements.
