PPCP — The Investment Casting Process done right

The Investment Casting Process begins with a tool that is built to create a wax pattern of the casting ultimately desired by the customer. This tool is built to specifications directed by the customer and can create a wax that will ultimately hold precise dimensional requirements to ten thousandths of an inch per inch.

The first step in the Lost Wax Casting Process is to create the wax patterns using the tooling specified by the customer. Wax is forced into the cavity of the tool, and once removed is used to create the eventual casting. A proprietary wax system that produces excellent dimensional stability should be used.

The Investment Casting Process — Creating the Mold

The next step is assembling the wax patterns onto a sprue. The gating and sprue ultimately feeds the molten metal as the casting is being formed during the pouring process. Technical staffers design a set-up that will yield superb cast results while minimizing excess use of valuable raw materials. Operators affix the wax patterns to the sprue following directions for that process.

During the dipping process, successive layers of liquid ceramic and stucco are applied until a robust ceramic shell is created. The mold is next placed into a flash fire de-wax oven which burns out the wax and sprue materials until only the hollow mold remains. The mold is then pre-heated to 1800 degrees fahrenheit and then placed into a sand bed to be prepped for molten steel to be poured in. Once the molten steel is poured into the mold and the metal becomes solid, it's ready for the next step in the investment casting process.

The Investment Casting Process — Refining the Cast

The ceramic shell is next broken away from the metal sprue and castings. Then the individual castings are cut from the sprue and gates. The gates remaining on the casting are ground to customer specifications. Heat Treating is next used to make the castings harder, softer, or more corrosion resistant. Castings are then blasted with shot to remove any scaling or residual ceramic. The castings are inspected thoroughly to determine they meet or exceed the needs of the end user.

The Investment Casting Processing — Quality Assurance

Lastly, a Quality Assurance Department employee reviews all information about the castings prior to shipment. The process flow is monitored to ensure no steps were missed or incomplete. All testing reports are reviewed in great detail to ensure each requirement on the purchase order has been accomplished satisfactorily. Once these details have been completed, the order is then released for shipment to the customer.