Investment casting can produce a wide variety of products and prototypes, but it is important to choose the correct investment casting material for your application. The right material helps you get the desired functionality, save on the cost of materials, eliminate unwanted casting defects, and limit the need for secondary processes after the casting is complete.
Final parts can display smooth surfaces and dimensional precision while allowing for lower weight, thin walls, or other beneficial properties. Determining which properties can be successfully incorporated into your part largely depends on material choice.
There is a large selection of alloys to choose from during the material selection process for These include:
Stainless steels feature superior durability in comparison with many other materials. The potential of the material has led to increased use in investment casting by designers and engineers. Applications for stainless steel include gearbox parts in automotive applications, various gears, camp components, and golf club heads.
Low alloy steels are among the most frequently used steels in the mechanical world due to their affordability and beneficial mechanical properties. Specialized heat-treating processes make it possible to engineer parts that have differing properties in different areas of the same workpiece. For example, varying heat treatments can be used to make one surface tough and impact-resistant, while another surface becomes wear-resistant.
Aluminum alloy is the most used material in investment casting. Industries that use it most frequently include aerospace, avionics, electronics, and military.
Castings are now offered for demanding applications like airframe components thanks to the material’s improved strength and the availability of quality castings made from aluminum-silicon-magnesium alloy.
Carbon steel is a common low-cost material that comes in a variety of grades, with the classifications varying based on the amount of carbon content. The strength, ductility, and performance of carbon steel can be improved in industrial applications through heat treatment. Its ferromagnetic properties make carbon steel useful in motors and electrical appliances. It is safe, durable, and has a high structural integrity, making it one of world’s most frequently used alloys.