The Investment Casting or Lost Wax Process is the blending of an ancient technique with current technologies to come up with a quality, cost-effective casting.
Pattern Production:
This process begins with the production of a one piece heat-disposable pattern. This pattern is made by injecting wax into a aluminum die. These dies can be simple, hand-operated single cavity tools to fully automated multi-cavity tool, depending on production and complexity of the part.
Pattern Assembly
Patterns are fastened by the gate to one or more runners attached to a pouring cup.
Ceramic Shell Mold Process
The Ceramic Shell Mold technique involves dipping the entire cluster into a ceramic slurry, draining it, then coating it with fine ceramic sand. After drying, this process is repeated again and again until an adequate, self-supporting shell is formed.
Wax Removal:
The coated cluster is then placed in a steam autoclave where the pattern melts and runs out through the gates, runners, and pouring cup. This leaves a ceramic shell containing cavities of the casting-shape desired.
Casting:
The ceramic shell molds are fired to burn out the remnants of the wax, to develop sufficient temperatures for the layers of ceramic materials to bond with each other and to preheat the molds for casting.
The hot molds are then filled with molten metal utilizing the static pressure of the molten matter.
Cleaning:
After the molds have cooled, the ceramic material is removed from the casting cluster. The individual castings are removed from the cluster and the gates are removed by belt grinding.
Secondary Operations:
- heat-treating
- straightening
- CNC machining
- Electro finish
- Brush or mirror polishing
- Inspection
Any other operations would be taken care of prior to shipping.
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