What is investment casting used for

[Wendy Hannry]

Investment casting is typically used to create intricately formed components that call for tighter tolerances, thinner walls, and superior surface finishes than sand casting can provide. The process used to create the mold is what makes investment casting unique. Wax is used to create a pattern for the component, which is dipped into a fine ceramic slurry including colloidal silica and alumina. The wax is removed from the mold by heating it in an oven while it dries, leaving a ceramic shell mold that can be used for casting. Precision casting of aerospace parts like gas turbine blades is done using the investment casting technique, often known as the lost wax process. Although investment casting of aluminum alloys gives tighter tolerances, greater quality, and lower strength than sand casting

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