Want to know the difference between investment casting and die casting?
Should you choose investment casting or die casting to manufacture your product?
Through this article, you can see the answer you want, please read this article patiently!
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What is Investment Casting?
Creating a part using the investment casting or “lost wax” process is typically a more time-consuming process where a wax prototype of your part is made and then repeatedly dipped into liquid ceramic. The ceramic hardens and then the wax is melted out leaving you with a ceramic mold. Molten metal is then poured into the ceramic cavity where the wax once was. Once the metal solidifies, the ceramic mold is broken and removed leaving the metal casting. The mold used to create the wax pattern can be used many times however the ceramic mold is broken and discarded with each part.
However, Besserhas automated every aspect of the investment casting process making one week lead times possible where the industry average is 7-15 weeks.
Advantages and disadvantages of investment casting
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Advantages of Investment casting |
Disadvantages of Investment casting |
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Common Investment Casting Applications
Investment casting is highly versatile, accommodating a wide range of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. As such, it is used to manufacture numerous high-precision, high-accuracy components, such as those for aircraft systems, automobile engines and brake systems, industrial assemblies, and dental and medical devices.
What is Die Casting?
The die casting process consists of red hot liquid metal forced into a die under extreme pressure. In this scenario, the “die” is simply the steel mold which is created to shape the actual product that is being manufactured. Once the liquid metal is poured and injected into the mold, it solidifies, and then is removed from the mold. As soon as the liquid metal cools down, the gating material which is used as a protection source for the liquid metal, is removed and the product is finished.
Advantages and disadvantages of die casting
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Advantages of Die Casting |
Disadvantages of Die Casting |
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Common Die Casting Applications
Die casting is often used for the production of small and thin metal components. These parts find application in many industrial and commercial products, such as automobiles and consumer electronics.
Differences Between Investment Casting & Die Casting
While investment casting and die casting employ similar manufacturing principles to produce parts and products, there are clear distinctions between the two processes. For example:
- Investment casting employs disposable molds for each new casting, while die casting uses reusable molds.
- Investment casting accommodates both ferrous and non-ferrous metals, while die casting is only suitable for non-ferrous casting metals.
- Investment casting is ideal for low and medium-volume production runs, while die casting is more appropriate for high-volume production runs.
- Investment cast parts generally require little to no secondary processing, while die cast parts may need post-processing to achieve the desired dimensions and finishes.
Investment casting and die casting have unique benefits and limitations that make them suitable for different manufacturing needs. For projects that involve small volumes of highly precise, intricate, or complex parts, investment casting serves as an ideal solution.
Choose Die Casting or Investment Casting
No two casting projects are the same and with different projects, there are different solutions. Here are a few things to consider before you start your next project to help you choose which process is right for your component.
When you choose to die casting
1–You need a volume of orders
The mold cost for die casting is too expensive and takes a lot of work. But, this mold using life can reach up to a million produced parts.
If your order’s quantity can be at this magnitude, the unit cost per piece of die-casting becomes very low.
2–You need quick turnaround times
Once the die casting mold was ready, the part production and output becomes a simple and repetitive process.
It is perfectly suitable for automation, such as in JC casting. Now, a large-scale die casting facility is still very common. And its production effect is also fast for finished parts.
3–You need large parts
Die casting products size is larger than investment castings. Although it needs more complex and expensive machining, it is possible to make any part size with die casting. This is not easy for investment casting. It has to consider the wax lost technic and pouring process request.
When you choose investment casting
1–You need net shape products
Design freedom and strict tolerance are the core areas of investment casting excels. When you’re working with a wax master pattern, it is easy to incorporate subtle design elements. If you need to recreate a model with complex patterns and net shape features. It is the best choice to go into investment casting.
2–When you need ferrous and non-ferrous metals
The die casting limitation is that its mold cannot be exposed to temperatures higher than the melting point of the mold material. This limits the materials for die casting are mainly non-ferrous metals.
But Investment casting has no such restrictions. The refractory materials of investment casting can be both ferrous and non-ferrous materials.
Besser's Investment Casting Services
Besser is a leading investment casting foundry in China. Since 2002, we have started to provide investment casting services to overseas markets such as the United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, etc.
After years of hard work, we have now become one of the best investment casting manufacturers in China. Through the automated lost wax investment casting process, we can customize investment castings for various industries such as agricultural castings, construction castings, railway castings, valve castings, food machinery castings and other industrial applications.
Feel free to contact us when you need investment casting solutions.
Bibliography
https://www.investmentcastingpci.com/blog/investment-casting-vs-die-casting/
https://www.improprecision.com/investment-casting-vs-die-casting/