The Investment Casting Process

'Lost Wax Investment Process' castings are specified to achieve :

  • Reduction or elimination of machining
  • High standards of repeatable dimensional accuracy
  • Intricate cast features
  • Thin walls
  • Hidden internal channels
  • Pin matrix features
  • High standard of cast surface finish

Tooling is produced by toolmakers machining a negative form in aluminium tooling stock, conforming to customer specification.

Prior to work starting on any project, a hard copy 'route card' is produced and a 'tracker' is entered on the electronic production control software 'Xponet' to record traceability, work details and progression of all work.

Molten wax is injected into the tooling 'die', which when cool is used as a 'pattern' to form the mould using the 'Block' or 'Shell' process.

On completion of the SHELL or BLOCK mould making process:

  • The wax is melted out and the mould baked to harden, this is in preparation for the metal pouring (casting) process.
  • Prior to mould metal pouring a test button is produced for chemical analysis
  • After pouring, the metal is cooled and the mould medium removed with controlled water jet aplication
  • The casting is removed from the metal feed system and etched or identified with a unique melt serial number.
  • The casting have 'flash' removed from parent metal then have a 'solution' heat treatment and passed through a straightening process which utilises precision tooling and hydraulic 3 dimensional presses.
  • The castings are cleaned and have a precipitation heat treatment
  • Accompanying batch sample test-bars are tensile tested, with castings being subjected to NDT and dimensional assessment.
  • On satisfactory results casting results are correlated and certificated, castings are wrapped in protective material and boxed for despatch.