Investment Casting

Investment cast components are accurate castings which can incorporate high levels of detail, and reduce the amount of machining required, compared to a sand cast component. There are a wide variety of materials that can be investment cast, For example; High strength steels, stainless steels, aluminium bronze, high tensile brass and aluminium.

There are several in the process of making an investment cast component.

1. Laser scan – the component is scanned, this gives a 3D point cloud that accurately represents the size and shape of the part
2. Casting CAD model – CAD geometry is drawn incorporating machining allowance and casting contraction/shrinkage including wax shrinkage
3. Finished machined CAD model – another CAD model is created to represent the finished machined part this incorporates all machining, drilling, tapping, boring features
4. Engineering drawing – from the CAD model engineering drawings are produced to provide to the machine shop who then machine the casting
5. Tool design – wax injection dies are designed from the casting model and then machined from billet aluminium
6. Castings – the wax injection dies are used by the foundry to produce castings
7. Machining – the castings are then machined to produce the finished component

We can supply a finished product at any stage of the process above.

1. If you are a CAD designer - we can supply the scan data

2. If you are a tool maker – we can supply the CAD model

3. If you are a machine shop – we can supply the machining drawings

4. If you are a foundry – we can supply the patterns

5. If you just want a finished part – we can do the whole job!

Examples of parts we have made are: rocker arms, water pump impellors, steering arms, brake adjusters, clutch arms, brake pedals, clutch pedals, and bonnet finishers.