Titanium investment casting is a manufacturing process that creates parts through the metallic replication of wax models. The produced titanium parts have a smooth finish that requires little finishing after the process. This casting process is ideal for producing complex and detailed parts that other methods cannot. 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.
MetalTek International
Waukesha, WI | 262-544-7777MetalTek International manufactures metal components that power, protect, and connect people and businesses worldwide. Our sand, investment, and centrifugal castings are used in heat, wear, and corrosion environments from the depths of the ocean to the surface of Mars. With our diverse capabilities and depth of experience, we will help you overcome obstacles and push the limits of what is possible. Contact MetalTek today and together we will Make A Lasting Difference in people’s lives.
IQE, LLC
Indianapolis, IN | 866-585-2578IQE, LLC has been a leading manufacturer of investment castings since 2004. Manufacturing services include Investment Casting, Aluminum Die Casting, Steel Forging, and Iron Sand Casting. IQE, LLC also has manufacturing facilities in China to ensure that our product is cost-effective to give our consumers the best price possible. Quality and customer satisfaction is the goal of our service.
Modern Aluminum Castings Co., Inc.
Terre Haute, IN | 800-467-6252We act as a single-source aluminum investment casting partner for all our customers. We also act as a domestic and global supplier for all our products. We create products for industries including appliance, HVAC, electrical, construction, medical, and automotive. No matter what industry you are in, we can help you find the right solution. Contact us for more info!
Designed Precision Castings Inc
Brampton, ON | 514-748-7511Designed Precision Castigns Inc. has been a leader in the investment castings industry for over 50 years. We pride ourselves on our high quality and competitive pricing. Industries we serve include aerospace, industrial, and nuclear.
SGR Precision Components
Binghamton, NY | 518-284-2910For over 40 years, SGR Precision Components has been a leading machine and contract parts manufacturer. Our many capabilities include fabrication, injection molding, vacuum forming, and many more. We can provide high-quality products with our ISO 9001:2008, ITAR Compliance, and AS9100 certifications.
The part is made as one whole piece resulting in the absence of joints or flash lines. Titanium castings are very strong and lightweight. They are used for turbocharger components, industrial tools and instruments, and other applications in the defense, aerospace, transportation, power generation, marine, and medical industries. However, this investment casting is expensive compared to other methods such as die casting.
Nevertheless, titanium investment casting has lower equipment costs and requires less finishing. Investment casting can be carried out by hand in single or small batches, resulting in hundreds of parts at once.
How Titanium Investment Casting Functions
The process of investment casting starts with a wax replica of the part that has been hand or machine carved through injection molding. The wax pattern is connected to a sprue. Numerous patterns can be connected to the same sprue, resulting in an assembly called a tree. This connection depends on the side and shape of the part used. The tree is placed in a ceramic slurry called the investment. Then, it is dipped several times in increasingly coarse mixtures.
The tree is left to dry when the investment is thick enough on the wax pattern. Another method is to insert the tree in a flask and pour investment into the container until the tree is completely covered. Molten titanium is poured into the space and can be supplied through a vacuum. The investment is removed using numerous ways, such as vibrations or hammers, once the titanium part is cooled and hardened.
Types of Titanium Investment Casting
Different types of titanium investment casting are made to advance the method for developing the pattern. The materials used to create the pattern and their production differ significantly in these types.
Lost Foam Casting
Lost foam casting is now being used regularly due to its ability to fit into mass production and automated processes. This process was developed to enable polystyrene foam to be placed in casting sand. An aluminum die is used to create the pattern, and polystyrene beads are injected into the mold for heating. This process results in the beads melting and attaining the shape of the mold.
As the heating continues, the beads expand to replicate the dimensions and contours of the die. Finally, singular patterns are connected to a sprue and sprayed using a refractory coating of ceramic material. This type of investment casting can be used to create ornate, decorative, and complex metal configurations.
Direct Investment Casting
Direct investment casting is different from traditional investment casting because of how the pattern is created. Traditional casting creates the pattern in a die to form a wax representation. Wax duplicates are connected to a sprue and then dipped in a ceramic solution. Wax is later removed for the pattern to be filled with molten metal.
Direct casting is unique in the way the pattern is formed with various techniques. The first technique is carving the pattern by hand or machine to create a one-up version. This version is processed using the lost wax method. This process involves prototype production and assessment of dimensions for finished parts. Then, with CAD, a three-dimensional representation of the workpiece is created and designed. In relation to this, STL is a method for fabricating a solid shape using a photosensitive liquid polymer and a directed laser beam.
Water Glass Investment Casting
In this process, a water glass is used as the binding agent for the shell. Water glass investment casting has the advantages of material costs and production cycle. In addition, the surface finishes from water glass investment casting avoid defects found in traditional shell technology.
This type has processes that are less complicated and can be carried out by untrained workers. This factor results in improved production and efficiency.
Applications and Uses
The resulting titanium from titanium investment casting is used in the airline industry for assembling engine parts. In the biomedical field, titanium is used for dental implants because of its high strength-to-weight ratio. Finally, for military purposes, titanium invested casting parts are used for naval ships.
