THE ADVANTAGES OF INVESTMENT CASTINGS

The Investment Casting Process has distinct advantages over other manufacturing methods. These include:

FLEXIBILITY OF DESIGN
Investment castings can be manufactured with all manner of complex features, such as 3D contours, thin walls and undercuts, allowing designers to concentrate on functionality as opposed to manufacturability.

CLOSE TOLERANCES AND CONSISTENCY
Recognition of process variables and statistical process controls result in closer tolerances and excellent product consistency.

HIGH STATIC AND DYNAMIC MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
Reduced cast grainsize or dentrite arm spacing, combined with controlled solidification casting techniques, yields components with improved mechanical properties.

ECONOMICAL FOR PROTOTYPE AND PRODUCTION QUANTITIES
Depending upon component size and configuration, five or ten prototypes, as well as large production runs, can be produced economically. Moreover, by incorporating many functional features into a single casting, the break-even quantity can be lowered significantly.

FREEDOM OF ALLOY SELECTION
Components can be manufactured with the aluminum- or copper-base alloy best suited to the application.

BETTER PRODUCT PERFORMANCE
Compared to conventional manufacturing methods, investment casting provides design flexibility, weight saving, improved mechanical properties and better product performance.

GOOD SURFACE FINISH
In contoured air-passage areas, such as engine air intakes, components can be cast with ultra-smooth surfaces, thereby increasing engine performance without resorting to expensive secondary operations.

LOWER TOTAL COMPONENT COST
Incorporating many functional features into the same complex casting reduces the number of sub-assemblies and lowers the overall manufacturing cost.

ELIMINATION OF MACHINING
Well-engineered designs that select the most effective and functional dimensioning and tolerancing techniques minimize the need for subsequent machining operations.

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