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!
Impro Industries USA, Inc.
Diamond Bar, CA | 877-484-6776At Impro, we have top-of-the-line equipment for the most demanding investment casting requirements. Our equipment and automation process controls allow us to work with different ferrous and non-ferrous alloys, and maintain consistent and repeatable tolerances as close as ± 0.1 mm. Our investment castings are dimensionally and geometrically complex and produced to net shape, minimizing the need for secondary machining. Contact us today to learn more!
Lodestar Quality LLC
Lafayette, IN | 765-463-7455Founded in 2011, Lodestar Quality LLC is a knowledge-driven custom manufacturing solutions provider that provides manufacturers of products a full range of services from innovative design and engineering, to sourcing and production using best in class quality control methods in a cost efficient manner. Focus areas include fabrications, castings, machining and forging, plastic products, and mechatronics.
Aero Metals, Inc.
LaPorte, IN | 219-326-1976As one of the leading privately-owned metal investment cast foundries in the US, Aero Metals, Inc. provides complex cast metal parts to the world with precision investment castings. Since 1962, we’ve been helping customers in various industries achieve their goals by providing cast metal pre-production prototypes through fully finished part production and assembly of finished products.
Wisconsin Precision Casting Corporation
Lake Geneva, WI | 866-642-7307Wisconsin Precision Casting Corporation offers a broad range of advantages from engineering support, to alloy selection and to part size. Starting with your initial design through to your final product, Wisconsin Precision engineers will work with you to consistently exceed your requirements for service, quality, cost, and on-time delivery. Our alloy selection is one of the broadest in the industry that includes most non-ferrous and ferrous alloys. The size range for the components we make, range from of a couple ounces to 20x22x24” to fit most of your product needs.
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.