The investment casting process, sometimes known as a lost wax casting, is a manufacturing technique used to make intricate and simple parts from different metals. This technique is quite popular in various industries. This write-up discusses the top investment casting advantages.
What are the primary advantages of investment casting?
The following are some of the best advantages of investment casting;
1. It can be used to produce simple and complex parts
Investment casting does not have any limitations regarding the parts that can be produced through it. This production technique is ideal for both complex and simple parts. This is one of the primary reasons it is applied in a variety of industries. Some industries use the technique to produce complex parts that require multipart assemblies. This can be achieved in one run.
Kindly note that investment casting is known for its consistency and repetitiveness. This makes the technique perfect for making intricate shapes. The intricate passages and contours also help make this possible. Therefore, the procedure can handle shapes that other machines or machine tools cannot achieve. This is why it is a good alternative to techniques like welding and fabricating.
2. The parts have better finishes
One of the best things about investment casting is that the finished parts feature incredible finishes. For instance, the parts have smoother surfaces without visible parting lines. This means that the parts do not need to go through additional treatments to get the lines off. This helps save a lot of money and time.
3. A wide size range
Investment casting can be used to produce parts featuring different sizes. This may be hard to believe for most people because the investment castings are usually small. However, the process can be used to make parts weighing hundreds to a thousand pounds. It is worth mentioning that the type of investment caster used will determine the size of the parts. Also, the fact that a single investment casting can feature several combined components helps make this possible.
4. Better accuracy
Investment casting also offers a high level of accuracy in terms of the surfaces and the dimensions. Regarding dimensional accuracy, the parts are typically produced based on the dimensions used in the mold-making process. More often than not, dimensional flaws are little to nonexistent. The technique also guarantees overall design accuracies. However, this depends on the way the master pattern is created.
5. Applications of different metals
Another advantage of investment casting is that it can be applied across different industries. This advantage can be attributed to the fact that various metals can be applied in investment casting. The flexibility of the process also helps significantly. This is why the technique has been applied for more than six thousand years.
Conclusion
While investment casting is mostly advantageous, it also features some downsides. For instance, the process takes longer compared to other production techniques. Another downside is that the process is expensive as it requires expensive raw materials and specialized tools to accomplish. A lot of manual labor is also required during the production process. However, despite the downsides, the advantages are still more superior.
