Ⅰ: Overview
1. What is investment casting?
Investment casting melts a mold (usually a wax or resin mold) by heating it, and then fills its exterior with casting material to ultimately obtain a casting.
2. What is vanishing mold casting?
Vanishing mold casting is a casting process that utilizes a soluble mold, which is consumed during the casting process to form the desired casting.
Ⅱ. Vanishing mold casting
1. Principle, Manufacturing Process and Procedure of Vanishing Mold Casting
The process of disappearing mold casting includes the following steps:
- Mold Manufacturing: Materials are used to make the disappearing mold.
- Filling the casting material: pouring molten metal or alloy into the mold.
- Heating and consuming the mold: the mold is ablated by heating, leaving the casting.
2. What materials can be cast by vanishing mold casting?
- Cast iron
- Aluminum alloy
- Copper alloys
- Steel
- Magnesium alloy
3 What are the advantages of vanishing mold casting?
- High precision
- Excellent surface quality
- Flexible design capability
- Ability to handle complex shapes
4. What casting tolerance can be achieved by vanishing mold casting?
Tolerances of ±0.5% to ±1.0% can usually be achieved.
5. What industries is vanishing mold casting suitable for?
- Automotive industry: engine components, suspension parts
- Aerospace: airframe structural parts, turbine blades
- Machinery manufacturing: gears, valves
- Construction industry: structural supports, decorative castings
Ⅲ. Investment casting
1. The principle, manufacturing process and procedure of investment casting
The process of investment casting mainly includes:
- Manufacture of molds: molds are made using wax or resin.
- Heating the mold: The mold is melted by heating.
- Filling the casting material: Fill the outside of the mold with metal or alloy.
- Cooling the mold: After the casting material has cooled and solidified, the mold is removed.
2. what materials can be cast by investment casting?
- Steel
- Aluminum alloys
- Copper alloys
- Nickel-based alloys
- Titanium alloys
3. what are the advantages of investment casting?
- Realization of complex shapes
- High precision and good surface smoothness
- Ability to meet strict industry standards
4. Mold casting can achieve what casting tolerance?
Tolerances of ±0.1mm to ±0.5mm can usually be achieved.
5. Investment casting for what industries?
- Aerospace: engine parts, structural components
- Medical devices: surgical instruments, implants
- High-end manufacturing: precision components
- Automotive: high performance parts
Ⅳ. The difference between lost foam casting and investment casting.
Name | Mold Material | Applicable Range | Casting Quality | Production Efficiency | Material Consumption | Casting Equipment | Cost Analysis |
Lost Foam Casting | Foam Material | General Castings | High | Relatively High | Relatively Low | Simple | Low to Medium |
Investment Casting | Wax or Meltable Material | High-Precision Complex Castings | Higher | Relatively Low | Relatively High | Complex | Medium to High |
V. Common casting materials
Name | Characteristics | Common Grade | Composition |
Cast Iron | High strength, good wear resistance | HT200 | Fe, C, Si |
Aluminum Alloy | Lightweight, strong corrosion resistance | ADC12 | Al, Si, Mg |
Copper Alloy | Good conductivity, oxidation-resistant | C11000 | Cu, O |
Steel | High strength, good toughness | Q235 | Fe, C, Mn |
Magnesium Alloy | Lightweight, high strength | AZ31B | Mg, Al, Zn |
Stainless Steel | Strong corrosion resistance, high strength | 304 | Fe, C, Cr, Ni |
Bronze | Good castability, wear resistance | C83600 | Cu, Sn, Zn |
Titanium Alloy | Lightweight, high temperature resistance, corrosion-resistant | Ti-6Al-4V | Ti, Al, V |
Ⅵ. Common casting defects and solutions
- Cause: Gases are trapped during the casting process.
- Solution: The formation of porosity can be reduced by optimizing the pouring rate, lowering the pouring temperature, using vacuum casting or employing an exhaust system.
- Cause: Mixing of foreign objects or metal impurities during the casting process.
- Solution: Ensure the cleanliness of the raw material, use filtration devices or refine before melting.
- Cause: Volume shrinkage of the casting during cooling.
- Solution: Flow can be improved through proper pouring system design, addition of alloying elements, and optimization of cooling paths.
- Cause: Uneven stress on castings during cooling or post-treatment.
- Solution: Reasonable design of casting thickness, use of stress relieving treatments (e.g., heat treatments) and control of cooling rate.
- Cause: Improper mold design or unreasonable pouring process.
- Solution: Improve the mold design, ensure the surface of the mold is smooth, and optimize the pouring process parameters (e.g., pouring speed and pouring temperature).