Investment Casting
What is Investment Casting?
Investment casting, also known as lost wax casting or precision casting, is a process that has been around for thousands of years, with the lost wax process being one of the oldest known metal forming techniques.
Due to the complex dimensions and geometries, precision casting produces an excellent as-cast surface finish and near net shape, minimizing the need for secondary processes such as turning or other CNC machining processes. When you need to replicate large quantities of complex, precision parts or assemblies, no other manufacturing technology can match the cost-effectiveness of metal investment casting. Lost wax investment casting produces high-quality metal parts to the exact specifications of your project.
Investment casting is a manufacturing process that dates back more than 5,000 years. From the days of beeswax patterns to today’s use of high-tech waxes, refractory materials and special alloys, lost wax casting ensures the production of high-quality parts with the advantages of accuracy, repeatability and integrity.
Investment casting gets its name from the fact that the pattern is invested or surrounded by a layer of refractory material. Wax patterns require extreme care as they are not strong enough to withstand the forces encountered during the mold making process.
Casting Service
Lost Wax Precision Casting Steps
Investment casting is a multi-step process that produces near-net-shape precision cast parts. The process begins by injecting wax into a mold to create a finished pattern. The pattern is then secured to a wax runner rod to create the clusters.
During the investment casting process, specialized machines repeatedly dip the clusters into a slurry to form a ceramic shell. The wax is then removed in a steam autoclave, and after the wax is removed, the ceramic shell is fired and then filled with molten metal to create the part. One advantage of investment casting is that the wax can be reused.
Investment casting (lost wax casting process) requires a metal mold (usually aluminum), wax, ceramic slurry, furnace, molten metal, and other machines required for wax injection, sandblasting, vibration tumbling, cutting, and grinding. The investment casting process primarily involves the following steps:
Why Choose Nbcastings for Investment Casting?
Quality Standards
Our quality standards have ISO certification, which means our components meet high standards, allowing us to optimize your costs and reduce risks.
Short Lead Times
Although production of parts through investment casting tends to be lower volume and slower than other manufacturing methods, we understand that delays have a significant impact on your business. Therefore, we are committed to on-time delivery, and our lead times are among the fastest in the industry.
A Comprehensive Approach
The investment casting process is a start-to-finish process, starting with our design advice to ensure parts are produced to the correct standard. Throughout the project we ensure quality, consistency and streamlined supplier management.
Investment Casting Capabilities
Nbcastings is an industry-leading manufacturer of premium investment castings, committed to providing superior quality, superior value and an excellent customer experience. Nbcastings has extensive experience, technical expertise and quality assurance processes to continuously and reliably provide a wide range of castings and further processed products.
| Investment (Lost Wax) | |
| Size Range | 0.1 – 200 kg |
| Cost | High |
| Design Freedom | Good |
| Casting Soundness | Average |
| Surface Finish | Excellent (125 Ra surface finish, ~0.15 mm tolerance) |
| Development Time | 3 weeks + |
| Production Time | 3 – 8 weeks |
| Foundry Locations | Ningbo and Chizhou |
How We Test Investment Castings
Spectroscopic and manual quantitative analysis
Metallographic analysis
Dimensional testing
Coordinate measuring machine
Brinell, Rockwell and Vickers hardness testing
Mechanical property analysis
Low temperature and environmental impact testing
Cleanliness testing
UT, MT and RT testing
Static and dynamic balancing
Seal and pressure testing
Casting Alloys Available
The investment casting process can be performed using a wide range of metals, depending on the nature of the desired product. As a leading investment foundry, Nbcastings has experience in manufacturing a large number of investment casting products using a wide range of metals.
| Metals | Related Market |
| Stainless Steels | Martensitic, Austenitic, Duplex Marine, Pump, Valve bodies, Hydraulic components |
| Carbon Steel & Low Alloy Steel | Couplings, Crankshafts, Fasteners, Bolts, Shafts, Rods, Pins |
| Ductile Iron & Gray Iron | Automotive, Pipe Fittings, Valves, Hydraulic Components, Bearings |
| Bronzes | Bearings, Gears, Sliding Components, Pump Impellers, Valve Bodies, Architecture |
Industries We Serve
Nbcastings is the trusted casting supplier of businesses across a wide variety of industries. Our precise metal casting moulds and supply of high-quality materials mean we are the ideal partner for projects that require intricate products, engineered to tight tolerances.
Nbcastings produces near net shape, high quality, durable investment castings for pumps and valves.
Agricultural applications often require looser tolerances, and investment castings have been a major market for this industry for decades.
Our role in automotive precision casting is primarily focused on the aftermarket, or replacement parts that are not produced by the original manufacturer (OEM).
Nbcastings has been producing quality investment castings for companies in the medical industry.
Investment castings used in the oil and gas industry require the highest quality, durability, and corrosion resistance.
Nbcastings has the capabilities and technical expertise to meet the needs of the food processing industry.
Have Questions Left Unanswered?
Nbcastings has many years of expertise in the casting field and can support your project from start to finish. Our team of experts can help you with everything from selecting the right alloy to ensuring the most efficient casting process to meet your specific needs.