Investment Casting
Leading UK manufacturers of precision investment casting.
Providing high-quality casting solutions for a variety of industries, including aerospace, automotive, medical, and industrial sectors. Our expertise, combined with state-of-the-art facilities, ensures that we deliver components that meet and exceed customer expectations by focusing on precision, quality, and reliability. This commitment enables us to serve a wide range of industries with bespoke investment casting solutions tailored to unique project requirements.
What is Investment Casting?
Investment casting, also known as precision casting or lost wax casting, is a manufacturing process designed to produce complex metal parts with exceptional accuracy and surface finish.
Investment casting is a versatile process that involves creating a wax pattern, coating it with a ceramic shell, and then melting the wax away to form a mould. Molten metal is poured into the mould to create a precise duplicate of the original pattern. This method allows for the mass production of intricate and detailed components with high precision, efficiency, and consistency.
The process offers numerous advantages, including exceptional accuracy, the ability to work with a wide variety of materials, and cost-effectiveness. Investment casting achieves tight tolerances and intricate geometries, significantly reducing the need for extensive post-production work. It is compatible with metals like stainless steel, carbon steel, Superalloys, aluminum, Brass and Bronze, which makes it a versatile solution for even the most demanding applications.
Why Investment Casting
Our In-House Manufacturing Process
Exceptional Repeatability
Our process ensures consistent results across large production runs, maintaining tight tolerances and uniform quality. This repeatability makes it ideal for producing identical components in high volumes.
Ability to Achieve Intricate Designs
Investment casting allows for the creation of complex shapes and fine details that are difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional machining or other manufacturing methods.
Cost-Effectiveness
Investment casting can minimise material waste by closely approximating the final machined shape and significantly reducing the need for extensive machining. This leads to lower production costs, especially for complex geometries.
Investment Casting
We specialise in investment casting for diverse industries, leveraging our expertise and ISO 9001 accreditation to deliver precision-engineered components.
Stage 1: Tooling
A production tool is made in house using our CNC machines. The tool has a void that is the opposite of the end part.
Stage 2: Wax Injection
Wax is injected into the tooling to create the part in wax form, this process is then repeated to create parts that are identical very quickly.
Stage 3: Assembly
These parts are assembled into a tree-like structure, which allows for efficient batch processing during casting.
Stage 4: Shell Building
A ceramic shell is built around the wax patterns using a series of dips and coatings to create a strong and heat-resistant mould.
Stage 5: Wax Removal
The wax is melted out, leaving a hollow ceramic mould ready for metal pouring.
Stage 6: Casting
Molten metal is poured into the prepared mould, ensuring precise replication of the original part.
Stage 7: Cooling & Solidification
As the metal cools and solidifies, it takes on the intricate details of the mold.
Stage 8: Finishing
The ceramic shell is broken away, and the casting undergoes finishing processes such as grinding, polishing, heat treatment and inspection.Industries We Serve
Investment casting is renowned for its precision and adaptability, making it the go-to manufacturing method for industries that require high-quality components.
Automotive
Engine components, brackets, and suspension systems benefit from the superior accuracy and performance of investment casting.
Medical
Precision is critical in the medical industry, and investment casting meets the stringent demands of surgical tools, hoist parts, and diagnostic devices.
Industrial Applications
Custom parts for machinery, robotics, and energy sectors are made with precision and reliability to meet diverse industrial needs.
Transport
Serving various sectors within the transportation industry.
Defence
Supplying precision castings for defence applications.
Hand Tools
Producing durable and high-quality components for professional tradespeople.
Why Investment Casting Is the Future of Manufacturing
Investment casting has become an indispensable process for modern manufacturing due to its unmatched ability to produce complex and high-performance components.
As industries push for tighter tolerances, improved material properties, and faster production times, investment casting offers a proven and reliable solution. With advancements such as 3D printing for rapid prototyping, the potential for innovation in this field is limitless.
The ability to produce near-net-shape components reduces waste, enhances efficiency, and ensures that manufacturers can meet the demands of even the most intricate designs. Investment casting continues to shape the future of manufacturing by enabling innovation and delivering consistent results.
FAQs About Investment Casting
Nearly all metals and alloys are suitable, including stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminium, superalloys, brass and bronze.
Investment casting can achieve tolerances as tight as ±0.15 per 25mm, making it perfect for intricate and detailed designs.
Yes, the process minimises waste and utilises recyclable materials, making it a sustainable manufacturing option.
Depending on complexity and order size, lead times typically range from a few weeks to several months.
Rapid Prototyping with 3D Printed Wax for Investment Casting
At Investment Castings Congleton, we embrace the latest advancements in manufacturing to offer our clients cutting-edge solutions, including the use of 3D-printed wax for rapid prototyping.
This innovative approach enables us to create highly accurate and intricate prototypes in a fraction of the time traditionally required. By utilising 3D printing technology, we can produce wax patterns directly from digital models, eliminating the need for time-consuming tooling. This significantly reduces lead times and allows for quick iterations, ensuring that designs can be tested and refined before committing to full-scale production.
The benefits of rapid prototyping with 3D printed wax extend beyond speed. The process offers exceptional precision, capturing even the most complex geometries with ease. It also provides cost savings, as clients can avoid the high upfront costs of tooling while still achieving the same level of detail and quality in their final product. This approach is ideal for industries where design optimisation is critical, and where the ability to quickly evaluate and modify prototypes can make a significant difference in the development process.
Contact us now to learn how Investment Castings (Congleton) Ltd can help with your next project.