Learn About the Investment Casting Process From the Industry's Best
Dive into precision manufacturing with our RLM Industries FAQ page, centered on the investment casting process—a contemporary practice rooted in the ancient art of lost-wax casting. This time-honored technique has been refined over countless generations as a cornerstone of modern industrial metal forming. Here, we address your curiosities, offer insights, and illuminate how our mastery of investment castings delivers precise and customized solutions for your complex metal component needs.
Investment Casting FAQs
Investment casting is a process in which a wax cluster is covered in a ceramic slurry. Once hardened the wax is melted out of the ceramic shell. The shell is heated to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, and molten metal is poured in. After cooling, the ceramic is vibrated and blasted off the metal products. The products are then cut, cleaned, and prepared for shipping.
Generally, all ferrous and non-ferrous materials can be investment castings. Carbon, tool, alloy steel, and 300, 400, 15-5ph, and 17-4ph stainless steels are most commonly poured. Check our Alloy Selection Guide for details.
Investment castings can range from a fraction of an ounce to over 1,000 pounds. Most investment casting foundries only cast parts up to 20lbs. RLM can cast parts up to 250 lbs.
RLM tolerance—first inch plus or minus 0.010 and .005 for every additional inch.
The ceramic shell is built around a smooth wax pattern, and the finish achieved by investment casting is excellent. A 125 micro-finish is standard.
Indeed, investment castings are usually more expensive than forged parts or those produced by other casting methods. Investment casting, however, makes up for this added cost by reducing the amount of machining and other secondary costs involved with other processes.
Investment castings are used widely in applications that require parts to be x-rayed and meet definite soundness criteria. The integrity of investment casting can be far superior to parts produced by other methods.
Typically, 6 weeks for commercial grade and 8 weeks for ordnance. Deliveries can be negotiated and changed for customers with special requirements.