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zh What are some of the attractive features of investment casting？
2025-01-08 09:52:40 hits：0
Investment casting, also known as precision casting, is a unique casting process that achieves high precision and surface quality of castings through a series of complex procedures. In another article, Tiegu introduced what is investment casting， and what are the process flows of molten film casting.
In this article, Tiegu will delve into the advantages and disadvantages of investment casting and tell you which scenarios are suitable for its use. Through data and case studies, we will showcase its unique charm in practical applications.
What are the advantages of investment casting？
There are many benefits of investment casting.
High Precision and Low Roughness
Investment castings exhibit high dimensional accuracy and low surface roughness. The dimensional accuracy typically ranges from IT4 to IT6, and even IT5 to IT7, while the surface roughness can reach Ra0.4 to Ra3.2μm. In the aerospace industry, for instance, engine blades require extremely high manufacturing standards, necessitating precise dimensional control and a smooth surface to minimize air resistance. Investment casting easily meets these requirements, significantly enhancing manufacturing efficiency and quality of the blades.
Capability to Produce Complex Shapes
Investment casting can produce castings with complex shapes that are difficult to manufacture using other methods. The contour dimensions of castings can range from a few millimeters to over a thousand millimeters, with wall thicknesses as thin as 0.5mm and minimum hole diameters below 1.0mm. In the medical device sector, such as the manufacture of artificial joints, investment casting technology ensures the precision and complex structure of joint components, thereby improving product comfort and durability.
Wide Applicability of Alloy Materials
Investment casting has minimal restrictions on alloy materials and can be applied to almost all types of alloys, including carbon steel, stainless steel, alloy steel, copper alloys, aluminum alloys, as well as high-temperature alloys, titanium alloys, and precious metals. For example, in the aerospace industry, the manufacture of high-temperature alloys is crucial for engine reliability and performance. why is investment casting better？ Investment casting technology can produce high-temperature alloy components with complex shapes and precise dimensions, such as turbine blades and combustion chamber components, meeting the demand for high-performance components in this field.
High Production Flexibility
Investment casting offers high production flexibility, suitable for both large-scale production and small-scale or even single-piece production. In the field of art casting, for instance, investment casting technology can accurately replicate complex and intricate details of artworks, such as sculptures and jewelry. This allows artists and designers to transform their creativity into high-precision, high-quality castings.
Low Production Costs
Due to the high precision and low roughness of castings achieved through investment casting, the subsequent machining allowance is greatly reduced, thereby lowering production costs. Taking an automotive engine component as an example, components manufactured through investment casting technology can reduce processing time and material costs by approximately 30%, while improving component reliability and durability.
Disadvantages
Despite its many advantages, investment casting also has some limitations. Its main disadvantages include a complex process, a long production cycle, and its unsuitability for manufacturing castings with very large contour dimensions. Additionally, since investment casting involves multiple delicate procedures, such as pressure injection molding, extrusion molding, and shell making, a high level of technical expertise and strict quality control are required to ensure casting quality.
Conclusion
Investment casting stands out among various casting processes due to its high precision, low roughness, capability to produce complex shapes, wide applicability of alloy materials, and high production flexibility. Through case studies in fields such as aerospace engine blades, medical device artificial joints, art casting, and automotive engine components, we can see the widespread application and unique value of investment casting technology in different sectors. Despite its complex process and longer production cycle, its exceptional performance in the field of precision manufacturing still makes it an indispensable process. With the continuous advancement of technology and the development of the market, investment casting technology is expected to be widely applied and developed in the future due to its numerous advantages.
Tiegu has a complete set of casting technologies: sand casting, lost foam casting, investment casting, etc. The casting products cover automotive parts, pipeline castings, engineering machinery castings, agricultural machinery castings and other fields! Welcome global buyers to inquire.
