Scribd
Upload
6 views

Investment Casting Process

Uploaded by

tm
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
6 views

Investment Casting Process

Uploaded by

tm
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 30

Investment

Casting Process
Agenda
• What is Investment casting,
• Purpose of Investment casting,
• Advantages & Disadvantages of Investment
casting,
• What are the process in Investment casting,
• Each process definition with Images,
• Feedback.
What is Investment Casting?
• Investment casting, also known as precision casting
or lost-wax casting, is a manufacturing process in
which a wax pattern is used to shape a disposable
ceramic mold.
• A wax pattern is made in the exact shape of the
item to be cast.
• This pattern is coated with a refractory ceramic
material.
What is the purpose of Investment casting?
• Investment casting produces precise components
while minimizing material waste, energy, and
subsequent machining.
• It can also ensure the production of very intricate
parts. (இது மிகவும் சிக்கலான பாகங்களின் உற்பத்தியையும் உறுதி
செய்ய முடியும்)

• This makes the investment casting process quite


useful to design engineers.
Advantages of Investment casting
• Smooth Finish. Investment casting uses a ceramic
mold that can produce a much smoother finish,
typically averaging 125 RA surface finish as cast.
• Faster Production. ...
• Tight Tolerances. ...
• Affordable Tooling. ...
• Vast Size Range. ...
• Material Variety.
Disadvantage of Investment casting
• The most significant disadvantage is the size
limitation.
• Because so few design engineers can produce large
parts using this technique, it may not be the best
option for a client who needs to fabricate a bulky
component.
• This process is best for casting small intricate
components.
Investment Casting
Process Flow Diagram
Steps 1: Creating the Die/Pattern

• The first step in the process is to create the die or


pattern of the desired work piece. The pattern is
made from wax. It can be poured into a die using
injection molding, carved by hand from a block of
wax, or printed using a 3D printer and the
appropriate wax material.
Step 2: Mounting the Wax Patterns
• Investment casting tooling involves creating
multiple wax patterns and attaching these onto a
“gate” device. This device is where metal or other
materials will be poured to eventually create the
desired work pieces.
Step 3: Tree Assembly
• The tree assembly finishes the mounting of the wax
patterns on the “gate” device. It is called a tree at
this step because each individual wax pattern is
essentially a “branch” and will be one finished
work piece once the process is finalized. You may
have seen tree assemblies in new board games that
need to have pieces detached before use
Step 4: Shell Molding
• Once the tree is assembled, the next step is to add
the shelled casting around it. First, the tree is
dipped into a ceramic slurry. Then it is dipped into
a stucco of fine sand. The molding must fully dry
before it can be used. These two processes can be
completed multiple times until the mold is thick
enough to handle casting stresses.
Step 5: Wax Removal
• Before the desired material can be poured into the
newly shelled mold, the wax patterns have to be
removed first. This is often done by heating the wax
inside an oven. Steam can also be used to heat the wax.
The mold is placed upside down so that the liquid wax
can flow out of it and be reused to create new wax
patterns.
• An alternative process of wax removal is to heat the
wax so that it “burns” off and is fully removed from the
shelled casting.
Step 6: Mold Casting
• After the wax has been removed, there will be open
spaces inside the shelled casting in the shape of the
formal wax patterns. Molten metal or another
liquid material is poured into the casting. The
material remains in the casting until it has fully
cooled and solidified
Step 7: Removing the Shelled Casting

• A hammer or another tool is used to remove the


shelled casting until all that is left is the original
tree. In place of the wax patterns, there will now be
the finished workpieces attached to the tree. After
the casting has been removed, the workpieces are
carefully cut off the tree.
Step 8: Finishing Operations

• Each workpiece is inspected for imperfections. If


any are found, they are discarded, and the material
is recycled. The last step in the investment casting
process is to use different finishing methods on the
workpieces. They may be sanded, coated,
smoothed, machined, etc. to achieve the desired
results.
Die Inspection
Wax Injection
After Wax Injection Image
Tree Assembly
Primary Coating
Primary coating Images
Back up coating
Additional back up coating
image
Shell Drying
Shell before Dewaxing
Shell after dewaxing images
Melting
Knockout
Gate cutting
Heat treatment process

You might also like