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F
E A T U R E S
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| By 2010, about 29% of
aluminum castings and 15% of total iron castings are expected
to be produced using the lost foam casting technology. Read
the status
report of the Lost Foam Consortium on the U.S. DoE website.
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Links
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Investment
Casting Institute -- website includes an extensive list
of publications and videos covering every aspect of the
process.
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F.
A. Q. Text
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What is investment casting?
Molten metal is poured into a form that consists of a "crust"
formed by covering a 3-D wax model of the final part desired.
(In the process, the wax model melts and drains away, hence
the process is also called "lost wax.") The crust must be broken
up to remove the molded metal inside. On the CastingTrade web
site, we also include information relating to another process
known as "lost foam" under the investment casting area. In industry
nomenclature, they are usually separated, but they are conceptually
the same. |
What are some of the
key characteristics of investment casting?
Investment casting lends itself to the production of parts
with articulation in three different planes that prevent the
use of reusable pattern & sand mold creation or permanent mold
casting. A complex or fine internal geometry is also a suitable
application for investment casting. Two major product areas
for investment castings are pumps & valves, and blades & vanes
for turbine engines. |
What makes investment
casting a desirable process?
In applications where it is employed, investment casting is
often the sole option available: it can achieve geometries that
are impossible with other casting methods A secondary benefit
is that investment casting can achieve high finish quality without
post-finishing |
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What are some of the
potential drawbacks of investment casting?
Investment casting is expensive and slow, because of the multiple
steps required to create molds from expendable patterns.
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