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Investment Casting from Tiffany to NASASteel Investment Castings - Lost Wax Castings - All Popular Metal Casting Alloys |
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Investment Casting from Tiffany to NASA; also referred to as lost-wax casting, has been in use for over 5,000 years right up to the present day. Over the years it has changed from a process for creating jewelry to one that creates the precision items used in space exploration. The basic idea behind the process is to create a model of the object to be cast, and then cover it with a material that can be dried to a firmness that will retain the shape of the model. | |||||||||
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The model is made of wax or some other material that melts at relatively low temperatures. The model is then covered in a durable material, such as plaster or metal, in order to create a mold. The model is destroyed by heating the mold, melting the wax model which leaves a hollow that is the precise shape of the object to be cast. Now the mold can be made to use many copies of the desired object. Today, the beeswax that was used by ancient metalworkers has been replaced by advanced materials that allow a much higher degree of accuracy and complexity in the model. The molds are made of materials that are far more versatile and durable than in the past, and that can be used repeatedly. Though originally used for jewelry-making, since World War II investment casting has become an essential process in a variety of industries. The precision of the process makes it vital to aerospace and automotive manufacturing, firearm fabrication, and the manufacturing of medical and dental devices. The process involves creating a model that is assembled along with other models into a "tree," so that many models can be cast at the same time. The tree is dipped into a slurry of silicates, then into a fine sand, and then allowed to dry. The process is repeated until the molds are of the desired thickness. | |||||||||
For more information about Investment Casting from Tiffany to NASA |
Investment Casting from Tiffany to NASA, cont. Once the molds have been formed around the wax model core, the wax is removed by heating the tree in an autoclave, furnace, or other kiln-type device. The mold is then fired to create a strong, durable shell that can be used for casting parts. A variety of different alloys and pure metals can be poured into the molds. After the metal has cooled, the mold shell is removed. This can be done using jets of water, chemicals, or abrasives. The final pieces may need to be smoothed, hardened, although the new methods and materials have virtually eliminated the need for a lot of post-production processing. The pieces can also be examined for flaws usually by eye or radiography, but other types of testing processes could be used. Lost wax casting is indeed investment casting from Tiffany to NASA. |
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| PO Box 95 · 550 County Highway G · Wild Rose, WI 54984 · Phone: 888-263-3344 |
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