Aluminum and aluminum alloys are among the most commonly used metals for investment casting; almost any castable metal may be used such as copper, brass or steel. The main disadvantage is that investment castings tend to be more expensive per unit. However, the equipment cost is generally lower and the parts require little machining or finishing after they are cast. Read More…
Leading Manufacturers
Ferralloy Inc.
Cleveland, OH | 440-250-1900For over 30 years, we have provided metal forged products for a wide variety of industries, including the aerospace, military, food service, medical, and automotive industries. Our customers know they can trust our forgings for quality and affordability. We will never try to make you pay more than you should for our products. Contact us by phone or email to find out more!
Rimer Enterprises, Inc.
Waterville, OH | 419-878-8156Since 1944 we have been driven to remain a cut above the competition in investment castings and everything we do. We have our own tooling shop filled with state-of-the-art testing machines. We ensure perfect results every time. It is our goal to establish lifelong relationships with our customers that benefit us both. Contact us for more info today!
Craft Pattern & Mold, Inc.
Montrose, MN | 763-675-3169Established in 1983, Craft Pattern & Mold's foundry uses investment casting, sand casting, rubber plaster casting and spin casting to produce high-quality prototypes or do short-run production. For our customers' castings, we use aluminum, ductile iron, gray iron, zinc or stainless steel.
K&H Precision Products, Inc.
Honeoye Falls, NY | 585-624-4894Here at K&H, we use a fine sand mold process and use fine sand and a urethane binder to produce a broad range of products. We are able to prototype permanent mold applications and produce thicker and irregular wall thicknesses. We offer short lead times for prototypes and low volume production castings as well as other in house value added services. For more information, visit our website or call us today! Our design team looks forward to working with you!
Alloy Cast Products, Inc.
Kenilworth, NJ | 908-245-2255Alloy Cast Products, Inc. was incorporated April 3, 1959. Our focus has always been castings and machine finished parts made from exotic cobalt based alloys, primarily our trademark REXALLOY materials. Extending our four decades of COBALT BASED alloy experience to all companies who are seeking solutions to their wear and corrosion problems has made us known throughout the world.
Aluminum Investment Castings - Ferralloy Inc.Investment casting is generally used for small precision parts that would be very difficult to produce through any other method. Aluminum castings can have walls as thin as half a millimeter. They range from a fraction of an ounce to over 1,000 pounds though most castings are 15 pounds or less.
Investment castings have been used in jewelry making for centuries but are now finding many more uses including precision instruments, engine parts, and medical equipment. Because of the wide application of manufactured metal parts, aluminum investment castings are found in the aerospace, automotive, military, dental, mining, food processing, sports, and telecommunication industries.
Aluminum Investment Castings - Ferralloy Inc.The process begins by creating a wax pattern called the master die by carving or by injection molding. The wax pattern may be assembled with other wax patterns and is then attached to a wax sprue, or rod, so they can all be cast at once. As many as several hundred patterns may be assembled around the sprue.
Once firmly attached, a ceramic slurry called the investment is applied through two main methods. In the first, the cluster of patterns is dipped into the investment multiple times and removed to achieve a uniform surface and thickness. The other method is to place the cluster in a flask and fill it with the investment, vibrating it to allow pockets of air to escape and to ensure that all the spaces inside are filled with the investment.
Drying is the next step and can be accelerated by placing the assembly in a vacuum or by a fan. Once dry, the assembly is turned upside down and placed in a furnace or oven. The wax melts and drips out or is vaporized. The mold is heated further to remove any moisture or wax residue; this step in the process is called the burnout. Liquid aluminum is poured into the space where the wax used to be, drawn in by gravity, vacuum, positive air pressure, or centrifugal casting methods. Once cooled, the hardened investment shell is hammered, vibrated, dissolved or sand- or water-blasted off, releasing the aluminum part inside.