investment casting advantages and disadvantages from jiachuancasting's blog

Advantages of investment casting

This method is ideal for making small complex geometries with complex features from one mold.

Investment casting is widely used. Because you can combine multiple wax patterns to create a unique mold, you can configure parts that cannot be made with machines or tools, making it a valuable alternative to weldments.

Dimensional accuracy and finish are other advantages of this casting method. The casters form a ceramic shell around an even pattern that leaves no parting lines because only one mold makes the casting, not two. The result is a smooth finish with an average finish of about 125 microns, but post-processing smoothing can achieve a finer finish if necessary.

Other advantages of investment casting include:

Reusable material: Design engineers can reuse melted wax for another pattern. Because of the strength of the mold, they can also reuse the mold.

Tight tolerances: Investment casting has a tolerance of 0.003 inches, which is tighter than most casting processes such as die casting.

Design Capability: Investment casting allows design engineers to incorporate identifying marks such as numbers, logos and product IDs into castings.

Disadvantages of investment casting

Despite its beneficial properties, lost wax casting does have its drawbacks. The biggest downside is the size limit. Since few design engineers can use this technique to produce large parts, it may not be the best option for customers who need to manufacture bulky assemblies.

This process is best suited for casting small complex parts. Parts over 75 lbs are better suited for other casting methods.

Investment casting shells are also limited in size and depth. They cannot be smaller than 1.6 mm or deeper than 1.5 times the diameter. If your casting design requires a core and cannot meet these requirements, you may need to seek other processes.

This technique is more complex than other casting processes and requires extensive preparation work and specialized equipment. Therefore, the upfront cost of investment casting may be higher than sand casting or die casting, but the unit production cost will decrease as the order increases.