Investment castings – find manufacturers and suppliers

Investment castings are high-precision and complex-shaped metal parts with fine details, thin wall thicknesses and excellent surface quality.

They are produced using the investment casting process (also known as precision casting or lost wax casting).
Thanks to its advantages over other casting processes, investment casting offers an optimal solution for demanding applications where quality and attention to detail are crucial.

Below you will find the production and use of investment castings as well as a brief overview of the advantages of the investment casting process:

Production of investment castings:

The investment casting process consists of several steps:

1. Production of the wax model:
   First, a wax model is created that has the exact shape of the desired metal part.
   The wax model is often produced using injection molding or 3D printing.
   Several wax models can be assembled into a so-called tree in order to cast several parts at the same time.
2. Producing a ceramic shell:
   The wax model is repeatedly dipped into a ceramic slip and sprinkled with fine sand.
   This process is called shell formation or ceramic coating.
   After several layers, a hard investment casting mold is created.
3. Melting out the wax:
   The ceramic mold is heated, causing the wax to melt and run out.
   What remains is a hollow ceramic negative mold that corresponds exactly to the wax model.
4. Metal casting:
   The hot ceramic mold is filled with molten metal, e.g. stainless steel, aluminum, titanium.
   After cooling, the metal solidifies in the mold.
5. Demolding and finishing:
   The ceramic mold is broken to expose the finished metal part.
   The casting is then deburred, machined or heat-treated to achieve the desired properties.

Use of investment castings:

1. Aerospace:
Heavy-duty turbine blades and structural components.
Lightweight components for airplanes.
Heat-resistant components for rockets.

2. Automotive industry:
Lightweight and high-performance components.
Exhaust components, transmission parts.
Chassis and engine components.

3. Medical technology:
Implants, e.g. hip prostheses, dental implants.
Surgical instruments and precision tools.

4. Mechanical engineering:
High-precision gear parts, valves, pumps:
Complex components for industrial applications:

5. Energy and chemical industries:
High-temperature and corrosion-resistant components
Cast components for power plants and chemical plants

Advantages of the investment casting process:

• Production of delicate, complex and thin-walled structures.
• Tightest tolerances and fine surface quality.
• Can be used for metals such as steel, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, cobalt-chrome alloys and nickel alloys.
• High dimensional accuracy means that often only minimal mechanical finishing is required
• Investment casting enables very individual and complex geometries that are difficult to realize with other processes
• Efficient use of materials thanks to the precise casting process.
• Investment casting is ideal for highly stressed components in aviation, medical technology and mechanical engineering.

Investment castings are ideal for applications that require high precision, complex geometries and excellent material properties. They are indispensable in many industries, particularly in aviation, the automotive industry, medical technology and mechanical engineering.

Here are the most important aspects to look out for when purchasing investment castings:

Purchasing investment castings requires a detailed analysis of various factors such as material, tolerances, manufacturing process, supplier selection and cost.

• Before ordering investment castings, the technical requirements should be precisely defined:
• Are the parts needed for the automotive industry, aviation, medical technology, mechanical engineering or the energy sector?
• What mechanical stresses are expected?
• Is corrosion resistance and temperature resistance an important factor?
• Determine the required accuracy of the components.
• Does the component require a special surface treatment?
• Different materials are required depending on the application:
• Stainless steel e.g. 316L, 17-4 PH is corrosion resistant and has high strength. The parts are suitable for medical technology, the food industry and mechanical engineering.
• Titanium Ti-6Al-4V is lightweight, extremely strong and biocompatible. The material is suitable for aviation, medical technology and prostheses.
• Aluminum AlSi10Mg, A356 is lightweight and has good thermal conductivity. Parts for automotive engineering and electronics can be cast from this material.
• Nickel alloys such as Inconel 71 or Hastelloy have high temperature and corrosion resistance. Ideal for turbine blades and parts for the chemical industry.
• Cobalt-chrome is wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant. It can be used to cast dental implants and high-performance components.
• The choice of material should be agreed with the supplier and, if necessary, validated by material tests.
• The investment casting process offers different variants that have an impact on costs and quality:
• Conventional investment casting is the standard process for small to medium-sized series
• Vacuum investment casting is suitable for reactive metals such as titanium or particularly clean surfaces.
• Ceramic slip casting is ideal for fine structures and high dimensional accuracy.
• 3D-printed wax patterns make the casting flexible and are suitable for prototypes or small series.
• The optimum process should be selected depending on the complexity and quantity.
• Many industries have strict requirements for investment castings:
• For dimensional tolerances according to ISO 8062 (casting tolerance standards).
• The surface quality is specified in μm (e.g. Ra 3.2).
• Pay attention to certifications and standards when purchasing: ISO 9001: manufacturer's quality assurance, IATF 16949: automotive industry, AS9100: aviation, ISO 13485: medical technology, NADCAP: aviation industry certification for castings.
• Many investment castings require additional processing:
• Heat treatment to increase hardness or toughness.
• If tighter tolerances are required, further processing such as CNC milling or grinding.
• Surface finishing by polishing / electropolishing.
• Coating such as anodizing, chrome plating or painting.
• Sand or glass bead blasting for visually appealing surfaces
• It should be clarified with the supplier in advance whether the supplier can offer these processes in-house or whether external processing is required.
• The costs for investment castings depend on several factors:
• Tooling costs: wax molds are necessary, except for 3D-printed prototypes.
• Material costs: High performance alloys are more expensive.
• Machining costs: Additional CNC machining increases the price.
• Batch sizes: The larger the quantity, the lower the unit price.
• You should request samples in advance and check alternative production options in order to optimize costs.
• Compare different suppliers and their guarantees.
• It can be useful to obtain supplier evaluations and references to ensure reliability.

Professional purchasing requires a detailed analysis of materials, quality, production processes and supply chain.
With this approach, high-quality investment castings can be procured efficiently and cost-effectively.

Investment castings can be purchased from various suppliers. Comprehensive information about manufacturers and suppliers of Investment castings from all over the world can be found on Exportpages.