Investment Casting

a presentation by
Cheryl Feldman and Dan Marioni
Engineering 45 Materials
Santa Rosa Junior College
Instructor: Younes Attiayan
Fall 2007
 Casting
 Casting is a process by which a molten metal or material in its liquid
state is poured into a mold and allowed to become solid in the shape of
the mold. The mold is then broken from around the solidified part or
complex shape.
 Casting is used to create more complex or detailed parts that would be
difficult to manufacture using other methods.
 The cast is built so that the inside is the shape
of the part that is being manufactured, then the
molten metal or liquid material is poured into the
space provided.
 The History of Casting
 Metal Casting has been dated back to the Neolithic period (6000-1800
BC).
 Castings were made in order to create necessary tools and equipment
used in the newly born establishment of village settlements and
agriculture.
 By 4000 BC, earrings, hairclips, and needles were being made and
demonstrate advanced techniques of copper casting.
 The techniques that are being used today in industrial casting were
developed two thousand years ago.
 Sand Casting
 For hundreds of years it was the most popular of all casting
methods. It still plays an important role in the production of
large metal forms, and can offer the advantages of low cost,
quick results and ease of duplication to those goldsmiths who
take the time to master it. Though sometimes thought of as
coarse, sand casting can yield results that are as fine and true
to detail as any other casting method.
 Melting the Metal
 Common ways to melt certain metals
 Large forges either arc or gas fueled (C3H8)
 Can be purchased small scale
 Most popularly, home made.
 Graphite pots, coffee cans, BBQs
 Basic Diagram:

Air duct
Coal
(bottom)

Crucible
 Lost Foam (LFC)
Fabricated Foam Patterns
has the ability to
overcome many of the
problems associated with
the other prototyping
processes.
Styrofoam commonly used
(expandable Polystyrene)
The advantages lie in the

http://www.holisticforgeworks.com/gallery/foundry/
 LFC
Error…
Dimensions (in.) Tolerance (in.)
<1 +/- .007
1 to 3 +/- .010
3 to 5 +/- .012
5 to 7 +/- .017
7 to 10 +/- (in. x .003)
>10 +/- (in. x .002)
Rough Estimate: <7 in. +/- .015
>7 in. +/- .003 in./in.

http://web.umr.edu/~foundry/
 Investment Casting
 Commonly referred to as “lost wax”
 Longest known form of casting approx.
6 millennia for sculpting and jewelry
 Mold is made from wax (b/c of low
melting temperature)
 Slurry is applied to the wax
 Wax melted out
 Result: perfect cast for pouring metal
 For max. profit, many are designed
together in what’s known as a “wax
tree” http://newhorizonco.com/products.html
 For example, New Horizon Inc. states the
minimum casting lineal dimension tolerance
can be under 0.10mm, and surface
roughness can achieve Ra1.6-12.5um.
 Also commonly preformed at home…
 Casting Today…
 Used in many industrial situations
 Individual jobs which require a high degree of precision
 A look into the Industrial World of Casting:
 http://www.milwaukeeprec.com/video.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k5rgMBwpFU
 Investment etc.
3D PRINTING
 Some types of investment casting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkPWnZWo2cc&NR=1
are also Centrifugal, and Vacuum
assist
 New molding:
 What about intense molds?
 High accuracy and can’t have room
for error??…..
 zp 14 Investment Casting Material can be
used to quickly fabricate parts that can be QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
dipped in wax to produce investment are needed to see this picture.

casting patterns. The material consists of

a mix of cellulose, specialty fibers, and
other additives that combine to provide an
accurate part while maximizing the
absorption of wax and minimizing residue
during the burn-out process
 In addition:
Youtube!
There’s a plethora
of information at
our finger tips
In other words:
VISIT YOUTUBE!
Hundreds of
casting videos of
all shapes and
sizes.
Our Project
Preparing our molds
Melt
wax
out
of
mold
Last step was to mount the Plaque on another
Plate of plaster for a “cleaner” look.
 Sources

 http://web.umr.edu/~foundry/
 http://www.holisticforgeworks.com/gallery/foundry/
 http://impudent.blognation.us/blog/Photos/_archives/2005/12/14/1449621.html
 http://www.milwaukeeprec.com/video.htm
 http://www.nyu.edu/its/pubs/connect/fall06/gibbons_printing.html
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkPWnZWo2cc&NR=1
 http://www.nyu.edu/its/pubs/connect/fall06/gibbons_printing.html
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k5rgMBwpFU
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Investment_casting