If your project needs to manufacture metal parts with corrosion resistance, high precision, smooth surfaces, and complex shape. Then stainless steel lost wax casting is your best choice. This article will explain to you what stainless steel lost wax casting is, and you have a full understanding before you choose stainless steel casting services!
What is Stainless Steel Lost Wax Casting?
Stainless steel lost wax casting is an investment casting process for custom stainless steel components. It works by making a wax pattern to the exact shape of the item to be cast. This pattern is coated with refractory ceramic material.
After the ceramic material has hardened, it is heated upside down until the wax melts and flows out. The hardened ceramic shell becomes a one-time investment mold. Molten stainless steel is poured into molds and allowed to cool. The stainless steel casting is then removed from the used mold.
Compared with other investment casting processes, stainless steel lost wax casting provides a highly precise tolerance without secondary operations, so it can save assembly time and cost.
What Materials Are Used for Stainless Steel Lost Wax Casting?
Stainless steel has excellent corrosion resistance. This makes stainless steel castings ideal for military, medical and industrial applications. Common stainless steel alloys mainly include the following categories.
Martensitic Stainless Steel
An alloy of chromium, trace carbon, and other elements, this SS is well-suited to hardening/tempering to improve mechanical properties. Ideal for applications needing corrosion/oxidation resistance creeps resistance at high temp or high strength at low temp. (Wikipedia: martensitic stainless steel)
Ferritic Stainless Steel
This particular alloy boasts a chromium content of over 12% and a minimal carbon content. Its molecular grain structure and chemical composition set it apart from other forms of stainless steel, and it cannot be strengthened through heat treatment. (Wikipedia: Ferritic stainless steel)
Austenitic Stainless Steel
Most commonly used SS alloy (300 series) is nonmagnetic chromium-nickel. High corrosion resistance but not heat-treatable. 304 alloy is known for high cleanliness. 304-L and 316-L are low-carbon for softer, more corrosion-resistant materials that can handle high-temp finishing. (Wikipedia: austenitic stainless steel)
Duplex Stainless Steel
This type of stainless steel merges the qualities of both ferritic and austenitic alloys, making it ideal for use in settings prone to pitting and corrosion, particularly in cold work environments. Its features include improved strength, exceptional toughness, impressive ductility, and remarkable resistance to corrosion. (Wikipedia: duplex stainless steel)
Precipitation Hardening Stainless Steel
A steel containing chromium and nickel, this variety of stainless steel offers the optimal combination of properties found in both martensitic and austenitic grades. Similar to martensitic stainless steel, it can attain high strength through heat treatment, while also showcasing the corrosion resistance characteristic of austenitic stainless steel. Used for parts that cannot bend.
What Are the Main Applications of Stainless Steel Lost Wax Casting?
- Food Industry
- Aerospace
- Medical Industry
- Automobile Industry
- Agricultural Industry
- Energy Application
- Marine Application
- Military Application
What Are the Common Stainless Steel Lost Wax Castings?
Stainless steel lost wax casting is suitable for the production of the following metal parts:
- Used in engine components such as turbocharger housings, cylinder heads, and fuel injectors.
- For aerospace components such as turbine blades, impellers, and structural components.
- Used in the manufacture of orthopedic implants, surgical instruments, and other high-precision medical devices.
- Used in the production of automotive components such as suspension components, transmission components, and brake components.
- Used to produce high-precision water pump parts, such as impellers, pump casings, volutes, etc.
- For the production of heat exchanger components such as tubes, headers, and connectors.
That's just part of it, anything with complex geometry can benefit from this technology.
What Are the Advantages of Stainless Steel Lost Wax Casting?
The stainless steel lost wax casting process has many advantages. Compared with other metal castings, you can get the following benefits from it:
- Excellent Corrosion Resistance: Chromium is used as an alloying element in stainless steel to help improve its corrosion resistance.
- Superior Surface Finish: No secondary operations required, as good or better than machined parts
- High production efficiency: Stainless steel lost wax casting is a fast and repeatable process that produces castings in batches.
- Close Tolerances: ±.005 inches per inch achievable
- Affordable Tooling: Compared to other forming processes, stainless steel tooling is relatively inexpensive.
- Flexible design: stainless steel lost wax casting can cast stainless steel products of different sizes and weights, so the design of stainless steel castings is very flexible.
- Cost-effective: Stainless steel lost-wax casting reduces waste and allows for near-net-shape casting, which reduces the need for machining and post-processing, resulting in cost savings.
- Suitable for a wide range of applications: stainless steel can be cast into a variety of alloys, and almost all industries can use stainless steel lost wax casting.
What Are the Best Stainless Steel Lost Wax Casting Companies?
Below are some of the more popular stainless steel lost wax casting companies.
Advanced Prototype Molding Inc
Advanced Prototype Molding is a professional lost wax investment casting company. They provide one-stop lost wax investment casting and various other mold making and production services.
Their additional services include stamping, CNC machining, 3D printing, and prototyping, among others.
Firebird Bronze Ltd
Firebird Bronze Ltd is a lost wax casting company from the United States. Firebird Bronze offers a variety of casting services, some of which include mold making, bronze restoration, bronze artwork crating and packaging, and of course lost wax casting.
Lost Wax Development Ltd
lost wax development ltd is the UK's leading lost wax casting company. At LWD, they can provide professional casting services according to customers' needs. Their design process gives you the freedom to create castings that meet your exact requirements.
Milwaukee Precision Casting, Inc.
Milwaukee Precision Casting, Inc. is committed to providing the highest quality stainless steel investment castings. They have experience pouring a wide variety of stainless steel investment castings. They cast stainless steel from miniature to 50 lbs.
Barron Industries
Barron Industries is a global full-service manufacturer of precision cast parts, machined components, and complete assemblies. Barron offers complete turnkey product manufacturing of components for Aerospace, Defense, Automotive, Oil and Gas, Nuclear, Medical, and other commercial industries.
Precautions when Using Stainless Steel Lost Wax Casting
Not suitable for small batch production of castings
Stainless steel lost wax casting can produce castings in small batches, but the initial cost of lost wax casting can be higher for metal parts produced in small quantities. Generally, the more castings produced, the lower the cost of a single casting.
Casting time too long
Lost wax casting is very time-consuming compared to other processes. If you need to order a batch of parts on short notice, then you need to consider other casting processes.
Custom Stainless Steel Castings for Your Project
Besser is a top lost wax investment casting company from China, we have been providing customers with a full range of services and cost-effective solutions. We design and customize high-quality castings for each client. Request a quote for more information on how our casting services can meet your project requirements.
Related content recommendation
- What You Need to Know About Stainless Steel Casting Grades
- Stainless Steel Foundry Near Me (China, US, UK)
- What is Lost Wax Investment Casting
- Detailed Introduction of Lost Wax Casting Process