Investment Casting

China Leading OEM Stainless Steel Investment Casting Parts Manufacturer

Our Equipment

Investment Casting Machines:

Injection Wax Machine
Auto Wax TreeAssembly Robotic Arm
Shell-MakingRobotic Arm
Shell Drying Line
Shell Baking & DewaxingFurnace
Middle Frequency Melting Furnace
2 Shot Blasting Machines

CNC Machining Machines:

3 Horizontal Machining Centers, including a double-station horizontal machining center
4 Gantry Machining Centers, 2 of which are equipped with side milling heads
7 CNC Vertical Machining Centers
8 CNC Lathes

Our Investment Casting Capability

Silica Sol Investment Casting
Water Glass Investment Casting

Available Processes

Annual Capacity: 18,000 Tons
Part Weight:
- Silica Sol Process: 0.01 kg to 50 kg
- Water Glass Process: 0.1 kg to 200kg
Part Dimensions: 2000mm x 2000 mm
Wall Thickness: ≥0.5 mm
Tolerance:casting blocks ±0.1mm, ±0.01mm after machining
Over 1000 different structures of parts have been cast

Production Capability

Investment Casting Materials

Stainless steel investment casting is widely used in various industries, particularly in environments where corrosion resistance, high strength, and high-temperature resistance are crucial.

CEX Casting offers a wide range of stainless steel materials to meet diverse industrial needs. Below are the common types and grades of materials used for stainless steel investment casting:

Austenitic Stainless Steel: 304, 304L, 316, 316L, 321, 310S, 201, etc
Ferritic Stainless Steel: 430, 446, 444, etc
Martensitic Stainless Steel: 410, 420, 430F, 440C, etc
Duplex Stainless Steel: 2205, 2507, etc
Precipitation-Hardening Stainless Steel: 17-4PH, 15-5PH, 13-8Mo, etc

Investment Casting Surface Treatment

Shot Blasting, Sand Blasting, Vibratory Polishing: enhancing the surface texture, providing a smooth, uniform finish that prepares for further coatings or treatments
Plating (Nickel, Chrome): offering excellent corrosion resistance and durability, also providing a glossy reflective finish for enhanced aesthetic appeal
Electro Galvanizing & Hot-Dip Galvanizing: providing strong protection against corrosion, especially in harsh environments
Electrophoresis, Phosphating, Passivation, Blackening: improving the corrosion resistance, wear resistance and aesthetics of stainless steel investment casting parts
Electropolishing, Mirror Polishing: providing a high gloss finish, preventing dirt buildup, facilitating cleaning, and ultimately extending the part lifespan

Mold Develpoment

Mold Flow Analysis: predicting potential casting defects and optimizing design for better quality and cost-efficiency before real production
In-house Mold Design and Manufacturing:
- collapsible cores, soluble wax cores, or ceramic cores are available to match intricate designs
- creating separate molds for complex parts, reducing lead time and budget
Free Mold Maintenance: ensuring consistent mold performance, extend lifespan, and minimize production downtime.

Why Choose Us

✔ OEM Service: tailored manufacturing solutions to meet specific needs for investment casting parts.

✔ Quick Response: fast communication and timely updates to keep your project on track.

✔ Expert Team: skilled engineers experienced in optimizing investment casting designs and processes.

✔ Factory Direct Pricing: cost-effective solutions with no intermediaries.

✔ Strict Quality Control: ISO9001 & IATF16949 certified, with rigorous testing to ensure defect-free investment castings.

✔ One-Stop Service: comprehensive services, from mold design to surface treatment, all under one roof.

✔ Reliable Partner: trusted by global industries for high-quality, durable stainless steel investment casting parts.

Our Quality Control

ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 certified manufacturer, demonstrating our commitment to consistent quality, reliability, and excellence in our investment casting processes.

Inspection Instruments

With cutting-edge inspection instruments, we ensure exceptional precision, tight tolerances, and surface quality of our stainless steel investment casting parts.

Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) with a measurement range of 800×1200×600 (mm) and a Maximum Permissible Error (MPE) of 3.0μm
Video Measuring System(VMS)
Spectrometer
Tensile Strength Testing Machine
Hardness Tester
X-Ray Machinefor NDT (Non-Destructive Testing)
Leakage Testing (Water Immersion Testing & Helium Leakage Testing)
Granite Measurement Workbenches, 1200×1000 (mm) / 1000×750 (mm)
Digital Height Gauge, 0-600 (mm)
Full Range Vernier Caliper, 0-100-150-200-300-600-1000 (mm)
External/Internal Micrometers, 0-25-75-100-125-150 (mm) / 12-20-50-100 (mm)
Full Range Pin Gauge/Gauge, 0.5-12 (mm) / 1.0-100 (mm), with a spacing of 0.01mm

Inspection Process

Wax Pattern Inspection: ensures the wax patterns used in investmentcasting are free from defects and dimensionally accurate
Shell Thickness Inspection: monitors ceramic shell uniformity to guarantee consistent casting quality
First and Last Article Inspection: focus on maintaining tight tolerances and complex geometrical accuracy throughoutthe whole production
On-site Inspection: regular checks during shell preparation, metal pouring, and cooling stages to ensure process stability
Pre-shipment Inspection: ensures investment casting parts meet surface finish and dimensional requirements
100% Full Inspection: available for critical components to ensure defect-free parts for demanding applications
Dimensional Inspection Reports: comprehensive measurement data providedto verify casting accuracy and meet customer requirements

Our Cases

Part Name: Valve Body

Material: 316 Stainless Steel

Industry: Oil & Gas

Feature: Excellent Corrosion Resistance

Part Name: Gearbox Housing

Material: 17-4PH Stainless Steel

Industry: Agricultural Machinery

Feature: High Strength and Wear Resistance

Part Name: Exhaust Manifold

Material: 304L Stainless Steel

Industry: Automotive

Feature: High Temperature and Corrosion Resistance

Part Name: Pipe Connector

Material: 201 Stainless Steel

Industry: Construction

Feature: Corrosion Resistance

Part Name: Hydraulic Cylinder Gland

Material: 316 Stainless Steel

Industry: Automotive

Feature: High Toughness and Corrosion Resistance

Part Name: Pump Housing

Material: 316 Stainless Steel

Industry: Industrial Machinery

Feature: Corrosion Resistance

Related Knowledge

The Production Flow of Investment Casting

Investment casting, also known as lost-wax casting, is a highly versatile method for producing complex metal parts with excellent dimensional accuracy and surface finish. Below are the key steps involved:

Wax Injection: molten wax is injected into precision molds to create wax patterns that are exact replicas of the final part.

Pattern Assembly: multiple wax patterns are assembled onto a wax tree to create a cluster for casting.

Shell Building: the wax assembly is repeatedly dipped into a ceramic slurry and coated with fine sand to build a strong, heat-resistant shell.

Dewaxing: the ceramic-coated wax assembly is heated to melt and remove the wax, leaving a hollow mold.

Mold Firing: the hollow ceramic mold is fired at high temperatures to increase strength and eliminate any residual wax.

Metal Pouring: molten metal is poured into the preheated ceramic mold, filling the hollow cavity.

Cooling and Solidification: the molten metal cools and hardens into the desired shape.

Shell Removal: the ceramic shell is broken off to reveal the metal casting.

Finishing: the casting is cleaned, inspected, and subjected to secondary processes such as machining or polishing if needed.

Advantages of Stainless Steel Investment Casting

Stainless steel investment casting stands out for its exceptional ability to produce high-quality, intricate parts. These advantages are rooted in the precision of the process and the properties of the materials:

Complex Shapes: wax patterns and ceramic molds enable detailed internal features, eliminating extra machining or assembly.

High Dimensional Accuracy: tight control of molds ensures tolerances within ±0.1 mm, reducing finishing work.

Superior Surface Quality: ceramic molds produce smooth surfaces, minimizing post-casting polishing needs.

Material Versatility: compatible with a wide range of stainless steel grades, offering excellent corrosion resistance and mechanical strength.

Enhanced Mechanical Properties: slow cooling creates low porosity and uniform structures, resulting in durable and reliable parts.

Cost Efficiency: reduces material waste and machining time, ideal for small to medium production runs.

Comparison of Silica Sol and Water Glass Investment Casting

Feature	Silica Sol Process	Water Glass Process
Surface Finish	very smooth (ideal for polished parts)	smooth but less refined
Dimensional Accuracy	high (suitable for tight tolerances)	moderate (suitable for standard tolerances)
Part Weight Range	0.01 kg to 50 kg	0.1 kg to 200 kg
Material Compatibility	ideal for stainless steels (304, 316, 316L, 17-4PH, etc) and exotic alloys	suitable for standard materials like carbon steel, alloy steel, and low-grade stainless steels
Mechanical Properties	superior due to lower porosity and uniform structure	good but slightly reduced due to higher porosity
Cost	higher	lower
Applications	aerospace, medical, automotive (precision critical)	industrial machinery, large parts (cost efficiency critical)

Silica Sol Process: preferred for high-precision, small to medium-sized parts requiring smooth finishes, excellent dimensional accuracy, and compatibility with high-grade stainless steels and specialty alloys.

Water Glass Process: more economical and suitable for larger components where moderate mechanical properties and cost-effectiveness are prioritized, typically using standard carbon and alloy steels.