Investment casting is a great way to create affordable, high-quality parts for sensitive applications. When determining the need for custom investment casting or before requesting a quote, it is paramount to take into account the details a manufacturer needs to know and factors that affect costs and turnaround times. By being aware of these details in advance, you&#;ll be better equipped to set your project up for success.
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Take advantage of the full casting process and minimize costs by including details such as:
Manufacturers use wax patterns to make molds, or investments. A casting is only as good as its pattern, especially in regard to smooth finishes and close tolerances. Good communication regarding pattern equipment design and production will help prevent misunderstandings and give you a clearer picture of the costs involved.
It&#;s best to specify the quantity of parts you require because it determines the type of tooling required. It also affects a foundry&#;s ability to meet your production volume needs. Some foundry&#;s offer short-term, short-run projects; others might only focus on high-volume production.
Specifications are a group of requirements that are mandatory for non-steel and steel investment casting processes as outlined by ASTM International. The requirements serve to meet metallurgical standards. It is wise to follow standard specifications to prevent higher costs, misunderstandings, and the exclusion of potential foundries.
Foundries produce castings in two metal categories: non-ferrous (non-iron based) and ferrous (iron based). Metal alloys should be cast using internationally recognized standards and tested with heat, product and chemical analyses.
Foundries may use heat treatments to homogenize, standardize and enhance an alloy&#;s properties. For many types of alloys, the treatment is routine and used to give the metal the minimum physical properties in final cast products. Depending on the alloy and application, you may specify specialized heat treatments as an additional process.
A metal component&#;s soundness relates to the level of discontinuities or impurities in it, such as shrinkage or sand inclusions. These engineering requirements are important to include because castings are never defect-free. Before production, define acceptance and rejection criteria with the foundry.
After production, an investment casting manufacturer should test the castings to ensure they meet specifications and for surface finish conditions, physical properties, cracks, internal soundness and dimensional accuracy. Clearly communicate and agree on the testing and inspection requirements with a manufacturer before production. After completing tests, manufactures may ship the castings or subject them to further processing.
The more an investment casting weighs, the more the materials will cost. Providing detailed weight-related data when requesting a quote will result in a more accurate estimate. Manufactures are interested in a casting&#;s gross and net weights.
Machining is the process of removing unneeded materials from a casting to ensure dimensional accuracy. It is a good idea to allot a certain amount of material for machining allowance to produce a tight tolerance. When first produced, check the casting design to determine if machining requirements are realistic.
The turnaround time you require for your short- and long-term needs will help you narrow down the foundries that can accommodate your request. When requesting a quote, keep in mind that the following will affect turnaround times after ordering a casting:
Sinotech has more than 20 years of experience making QS- and ISO-certified investment castings. We&#;ll assist you through every part of the investment casting process, from design to product delivery. Our specialists will help you achieve the most economical solutions for your needs and personally oversee your project&#;s progress in person. Contact us today to learn more about using Sinotech for all your investment casting needs.
1.What Is the Definition of Investment Casting?
Investment casting, also known as precision casting, is an industrial lost wax manufacturing process for small metal components.
2. What Kind of Products Could be Made in Investment Casting?
Investment casting process is suitable for products less than 100kg, and it is flexible for product design, no matter how complex it is. So investment casting can make almost all the small products. For larger products, sand casting is preferred.
3. What Are the Benefits of Investment Casting?
There are lots of benefits of investment casting, such as affordable tooling cost, no quantity limitation, flexible design, large selection of material specification, etc. See more about benefits of investment castings&#;
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4. What Alloys can CFS Foundry Make for Investment Castings?
CFS foundry offers a wide range of alloys selection for investment castings. Common materials used in investment casting are :Alloy steel ,carbon steel, stainless steel, gray iron, ductile iron, etc. We can make products following your material specifications or material compositions.
5.What Type of Tooling is Required for Investment Casting?
A split aluminum tool or die is used to create a wax pattern, which is then coated with layers of stucco and ceramic material. Before pouring the alloy, wax will be first melted away, which is where the term &#;lost wax casting&#; originated. In other processes (forging, stamping, die casting), tooling is quite much more complex and expensive.
6. What General Tolerances can We Meet for An Investment Casting Part?
For lost wax investment castings, we can reach general tolerances CT7-CT8. And for smaller precision parts, CT5-CT6 can be available.
7. What Is the Typical Surface Finish of Investment Casting?
Good surface finish starts with the injection die and the production of a wax pattern with an excellent surface. Next, the first layer of ceramic applied to the pattern is designed to replicate extreme detail and create an interior mold surface that is very smooth and non-reactive when contacted by molten metal. As a result, surface finishes of Ra12.5-Ra6.3 are typical with some alloys producing smoother surfaces than others.
8. Is Small Quantity Acceptable for Investment Castings in CFS foundry?
Yes, we do not have quantity requirements for investment castings, even if a trial order with small quantity, it is also acceptable. Besides, we can supply demands of large quantity order with annual capability of 8,000t.
9. Can CFS Foundry Supply Machining Service As Well After Investment Casting?
Even if investment casting can reach excellent tolerances, but sometimes, for tighter dimensional tolerances, additional machining will be needed. So to supply finished products, we also have a mature machining production line.
10. What Is the Lead Time of Investment Castings?
Normally, it will take us about 20-30 working days for one off sample, and another 25-35 working days for batch production.
11. How Does CFS do Quality Control for Investment Casting Parts?
First of all, we have a district inner control system of each production process. Secondly,we are equipped with complete testing instruments, such as Spectrograph, Brinell & Rockwell hardness tester, Impect testing instrument, MT instrument, etc. Thirdly, sample will be provided before mass production. Also, for mass production, we will select some products randomly for testing. And even if there will be quality problem after delivery, we will also send replacements asap at our own costs or return parts of production payments to our customers directly.
12. What Makes CFS Different From Other Foundries?
CFS aims to produce top-quality investment castings with a wide range of metal alloys. Our team has the extensive experience, knowledge and commitment to ensure that you will have a truly exceptional customer experience with us. We serve online at 7×24 hours.