Sand Casting

The heart of the sand casting process is a mold made from resin sand or green sand, which is used only once. This casting process is ideal for cast iron and other metal materials. With or without cavities, large or small – sand casting gives you maximum flexibility.

The advantages of the process:

Design freedom

Not size-dependent

Moderate pattern or setup costs

Investment Casting

We are not talking about financial investments here, but rather the old name of the word, which means to cover or put on clothing. This is the origin of investment casting, which dates back to the Bronze Age, but it is still a popular technique today if you want to make a wide variety of products, including MRI machines, jewelry, and gas turbines. It is also a good choice if you want to make nearly identical replicas on a large scale. Investment casting works by using wax patterns that are encased in ceramic. The ceramic takes on the surface and shape of the wax pattern (adding the characteristics of the material or tree). After that, they are pushed into a sand and mud mixture. At this point the wax has done its job and will be evaporated by heat, and then molten metal is poured in to create the finished product. Like sand casting, investment casting can use a variety of materials.

In prototyping or low-volume production, investment patterns can be made using 3D printed wax or low-ash polymers. Low ash is important because any ash left in the cavity can cause flaws or defects in the cast part. In production, injection molding is used to quickly create wax patterns that can be combined to build multiple components at once. As with other metal casting processes, parts undergo secondary trimming and finishing before they are completed.

Pressure die casting

Pressure die casting is based on a metal mold that can be reused many times. In low-pressure and high-pressure die casting, molten metal is forced into a metal mold under pressure. The process is particularly effective in mass production of thin-walled aluminum parts.

Advantages of this process:

Quickly

High casting quality

Thin-walled parts can be made

Low-pressure casting

Low-pressure casting uses lower pressure to cast and cool the molten metal compared to high-pressure casting. It is ideal for making stronger, more durable parts, and it can maintain accurate shape and uniform filling due to the continuous flow of material. If complexity, smoothness, and sharp edges and contours are important to you, this can be a useful option. But if you need thin walls and a fast product time, low pressure casting may not be the best choice. That being said, it is still capable of producing many types of parts, whether you need kitchen pressure cookies, wheels, or cylinder heads.

Lost Foam Casting

Foam and molten metal may sound like they don't mix, but this relatively new process shows that they can, to a certain extent. With lost foam casting, you inject molten metal into a foam mold, which is surrounded by supporting sand. The polystyrene foam burns and the gas is dispersed through the sand, forming a shape that cools and forms. This is an excellent choice if you need a thin-walled product or an item with a more complex shape. You are not limited by industry, as this method is suitable for creating everything from art sculptures to automotive parts and circuit boards.