Producing a Complex Part

Investment Casting

2010
Authored by: Bob Knowlton
 Producing a Complex Part
Investment Casting

Investment casting, also known as the lost wax process, is a process in which several molds are
created and destroyed in order to create a complex part. Investment casting is one of the oldest
manufacturing processes and can be traced back to Ancient Egypt where casting was used to
make jewelry [1]. In more recent years, investment casting has been used to create complex parts
when other manufacturing processes would take too long or cost too much.
Part designers usually send out their complex part to investment casting companies who will
produce the part in a matter of days. Investment companies usually have large factories to
accommodate various designs and
materials of parts.
The Investment casting process is
depicted to the right in Figure 1. The
main steps of the process include:
 Creating a wax part (1)
 Creating a ceramic mold (2-5)
 Casting (6-9)
 Finishing touches (10-12) Figure 1: Investment Casting Process
Source: http://www.investmentcasting-
india.com/images/investment-casting-process.jpg
Creating a wax Part
Once the design is received, it will be made larger to accommodate for shrinkage. Shrinkage is
the amount the part will decrease in size while liquid metal cools to a solid part. Each metal has
its own shrinkage factors that will affect the size of
the part. Some common factors are thickness,
length, and allowable tolerances of the part.
After the part is resized, a metal die is created. A
die can be thought of as an ice cube tray where the
Producing a Complex Part | 4/6/2010

liquid will take the shape of the die as it solidifies.

The metal die is made by machining out the design
from a block of material. Creating this die can cost
thousands of dollars and take months for larger
parts. In investment casting, wax is forced into the
die so that it takes the shape of the part. When the
wax has fully taken the shape of the part, the die
halves are opened and the wax part is removed and Figure 2: Metal Die and Wax Parts
then sent on to the next step of the investment
Source: http://www.nugentpatterns.com
casting process. The die can now be used to create
another wax. Figure 2 shows the two metal dies and a few wax parts that have been produced.

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Another method to produce a wax part is to print the part using stereolithography.
Stereolithography is a manufacturing process in which a plastic part is produced. The plastic part
is then set into a container and liquid silicon is poured around the plastic part to create a mold of
the part. Silicon is used because it will hold its shape while the part is removed later in the
process. The silicon will sit until it has fully solidified. The plastic part is then carefully removed
so that the silicon mold is not damaged. Melted wax is then poured into the silicon mold. When
the wax has hardened, the wax part is removed from the silicon mold and sent off to the next
stage of the investment casting process and the silicon mold will be reused to create more molds.
Figure 3 and 4 is an image of a stereolithography produced part and its corresponding silicon and
wax mold.

Figure 3: Stereolithography produced part Figure 4: Silicon and wax molds

Source: Bob Knowlton Source: Bob Knowlton

Creating a Ceramic Mold of the Part

The next step in the investment casting
process is to create a ceramic mold of
the wax part. First, the wax parts are
assembled in a metal delivery system
commonly referred to as a tree. This
delivery system is made of wax and
assures that metal will fill all the gaps Producing a Complex Part | 4/6/2010
of the desired part without air bubbles.
The delivery system also makes sure the
flow of metal into the part is not
restricted. In Figure 5, the blue area is
the wax part that has been created in the
previous step. The red area is the metal
delivery system that will make sure no
Figure 5: Metal Delivery System and Ceramic Mold
air bubbles will occur in the part.
Source: http://www.wtec.org/loyola/rp/10_01.htm

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 Once the tree is configured, the system is then coated in ceramic slurry. Slurry is a mixture of
plaster, a binder and powered silica. The exact mixture depends on the finish of the part and the
metal’s material properties [1]. The tree is then covered in sand stucco, a mixture of lime, sand
and water, and allowed to dry. The slurry and stucco process is continued until the ceramic shell
is about 1/4 to 3/8 inches thick [2]. The yellow area in Figure 5c is the outline of the ceramic
mold of the metal delivery system and the part. Also Figure 6 contains a finished ceramic mold.
Once, the ceramic mold has reached its desired thickness, it is then moved on to the pouring step
of the investment casting process.

Figure 6: Ceramic mold

Source: Bob Knowlton

Casting the molten metal into the ceramic mold

Before the metal can be poured into the ceramic mold, the wax must be removed from the
ceramic shell. In order to do this, the ceramic shell is placed into an autoclave which is a pressure
vessel. The pressure is raised to melt the wax out of the ceramic mold. This is why investment
casting is also known as the lost wax process. The wax is usually recovered in a tray at the
bottom of the autoclave and reused in
other castings. This step is
represented in Figure 7A.
Once the wax has been removed, the
ceramic mold is then placed into a
furnace to burn out the wax that has
Producing a Complex Part | 4/6/2010

soaked into the ceramic mold. The

furnace is also used to preheat the
ceramic mold to a specific
temperature based on the material that
will be poured into the ceramic mold.
This step is represented by Figure 7B.
This step prevents the ceramic mold
from breaking when the molten metal
is poured in the next step.
Figure 7: Removing the Wax
Source: http://www.wtec.org/loyola/rp/10_01.htm

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 When the wax has been
completely removed and the
ceramic mold has been heated its
specific temperature, the molten
metal will be poured into the
ceramic mold. The pouring step is
represented in Figure 8A. This is a
most dangerous part of the
investment casting process and can
cause serious injury if not
performed correctly. Due to the
extreme temperatures, workers are
required to wear heat suits to
protect them from the high
temperatures and fumes that are
given off in the process. When the
Figure 8: Pouring and Breaking the Ceramic Mold metal is poured into the ceramic
Source: http://www.wtec.org/loyola/rp/10_01.htm mold, it can cause fires. A metal
barrel is often placed over the
ceramic mold to prevent the fire from spreading and to contain the molten metal if the mold
spills. The metal is then allowed to cool. Cooling rates will depend on the desired material
properties. While the metal cools, it also shrinks. This is the reason for adding thickness to the
part in the first part.
Once the metal has solidified, the ceramic mold must be removed. In order to do this, a vibrating
machine is often used to crack the ceramic mold. Ceramics are very brittle and the ceramic mold
will crack easily under this vibration. Once the ceramic pieces have been cracked sufficiently,
they can be brushed away. Similar to Figure 8B, only the metal delivery system and the part are
the only remains.

Finishing Touches
Once the ceramic mold has been removed, it is
time to separate each piece from the tree. Every
piece is now cut away from the delivery system
and the remaining metal is melted down and
reused. The parts now require a small amount of Producing a Complex Part | 4/6/2010
machining to remove excess material from the
locations where the tree was attached. After the
parts are machined, the parts are then ready for
inspection. If the part passes inspection, then it
will be sent to the designer; however, if the part
fails inspection then it will be melted down and
reused. A final part can be seen on the right in
Figure 9. Figure 9: Completed Investment Cast Part
Source: Bob Knowlton

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 Process Review
The investment casting process is very complex and dangerous process to create a complex part.
This process starts by creating a wax part from a metal die or stereolithography. Next, the part is
assembled in a metal delivery system and covered in ceramic slurry to create a ceramic mold.
After the wax is melted out and the ceramic mold preheated, the molten metal is poured into the
ceramic mold. When the part has hardened, the ceramic mold is removed and the metal part is
separated from the metal delivery system. The part is then machined down and sent to the
designer.

Resources
[1] "Investment Casting." eFunda. eFunda Inc, 2010. Web. 29 Mar 2010.
<http://www.efunda.com/processes/metal_processing/invest_casting.cfm>.
[2] Atwood, Clinton L. "OVERVIEW OF THE INVESTMENT CASTING PROCESS." METAL
CASTING APPLICATIONS. WTEC Hyper-Librarian, Mar 1997. Web. 19 Mar 2010.
<http://www.wtec.org/loyola/rp/10_01.htm>.
Producing a Complex Part | 4/6/2010