Investment casting

Why?
Investment Casting is capable to produce very
thin (0.75mm) or extremely complex features.
Department of Foundry Technology, NIAMT Ranchi

Excellent surface finish (no or minimum

machining required)
Excellent dimensional accuracy
Available for all metals & alloys
Department of Foundry Technology, NIAMT Ranchi
Flexibility of Material & Processes
 History
It is believed, Investment Casting to have its
roots back to 5000 BC to produce earler tools.
Department of Foundry Technology, NIAMT Ranchi

Later used for making art Castings for decades.

 Development in India
Introduced in India around 2500 BC in Mohenjo-
Daro of Indus valley civilization.
Later in 1897 for making Dental Crowns.
During WWII in USA widely used for precision
components with complex geometry like turbine
Department of Foundry Technology, NIAMT Ranchi

blades for aircraft engines etc.

Development in the 20th Century
Solid Mould Investment Casting
Plaster Mould Investment Casting
Mercast process
Ceramic shell Investment Casting
 Solid Mould Investment Casting
Using wax model as a pattern & compacted
moulding sand around wax model & heated to
obtain the mould cavity.

Advantage
Department of Foundry Technology, NIAMT Ranchi

Strong mould
Simple process
Limitation
Poor Permeability
Large consumption of ceramic slurry
Longer setting time
 Plaster Mould Investment Casting
The Wax pattern is placed inside a flask &
Plaster of Paris is poured over pattern, to obtain the
mould cavity.
Advantages
Department of Foundry Technology, NIAMT Ranchi

Very fine surface finish.

Good geometrical accuracy
Limitations
PoP can be used once only
Longer cooling time so difficult for larger castings
For materials & alloys with lower MP only
 Mercast process
Solid Mercury used as pattern material &
Ceramics slurry to obtain mould cavity.
Solid Hg
pattern Ceramic Shell
made shell made hardened Molten Product
Hg Drained metal obtained
Department of Foundry Technology, NIAMT Ranchi

pouring after
finishing

Limitations
Hg patterns are very heavy
Pattern production below -39oC which becomes
difficult & expensive (Hg costly)
NO MORE IN USE
 Ceramic shell Investment Casting
Developed in recent year, which is quite similar
to Mercast Process where Wax is used for pattern
material, dipped in Ceramic Slurry/Stucco to
obtain the mould cavity for metal pattern.
Department of Foundry Technology, NIAMT Ranchi

e.g. Turbine charger rotor

First 3 in fine ceramic slurry
After three coarse ceramic slurry
Stucco for sprinkling is also coarse for good
permeability.
 Advantages
Size (few grams to tons)
Excellent surface finish (1.5-3.2 microns (Ra))
Close Diamentional tolerance (0.08-0.13mm per
25 mm)
Department of Foundry Technology, NIAMT Ranchi

Typical minimum wall thickness of 1.5mm with

thinner section of 1mm possible.
Very fine details can be produced, like jewellery
Complex shapes possible
No or negligible finishing operation needed
 Any alloy can be casted that are immpossible
to forge of difficult to machine.
Casting are free from usual defects

Limitations
Department of Foundry Technology, NIAMT Ranchi

Expensive due to wax pattern used

Slow process, time consuming (even 2-3 days)
Incorporating Cores is difficult
Limitation of size
 Application

1. Art, Jewellery casting

2. Levers & Ratchets to Impeller wheels for
turbochargers, precision components.
Department of Foundry Technology, NIAMT Ranchi

3. Surgical implants(Titanium), dental crowns

4. Turbine blades

5. Pump & Valve components