The History of Precision Casting

There are a lot of different methods used in part production, but one industrial process has stood the test of time: precision casting.

This technique dates back to ancient Mesopotamia, where it was used for casting art statues. It is used to create precision tools that require intricate, small-sized metal parts.

Origins

Do you know the history of precision casting? This ancient metal crafting technique was used in Mesopotamia, Egypt, China and Africa by the artisans of the Han Dynasty and Benin civilizations to create intricate artwork in gold, copper, and bronze for precision casting.

Today, precision investment casting is used for high-precision mechanical and engineering parts, automotive engine parts, medical equipment, braces, and a wide range of other applications. It allows for near net shape manufacturing with specialized alloys that would otherwise require secondary processes to adjoin and remove part lines, flashing and other features.

Precision casting is particularly useful for near net shape processing and applications where a low roughness value is required, such as for components that operate in harsh environments, are subject to large temperature changes or that need to be extremely tough, strong or light. CIREX has a lot of experience in producing these types of components and delivers them to the top manufacturers in the process sector.

Technology

Precision casting, also known by investment casting, lost wax casting, and cire perdue has been around for millennia. It is one of the oldest and most advanced metal-shaping technologies. It is still being developed to meet today's manufacturing challenges.

This process can produce net-shaped parts with excellent surface finish, dimensional accuracy, and high dimensional accuracy. It can produce products made from many materials and alloys.

It can be used in a wide range of industries from aerospace to jewelry, automotive and medical equipment. It can be used for complex geometries that cannot easily be manufactured by machining.

The casting process involves melting, cooling, and pouring. To achieve clean and repeatable results, a precise vacuum/pressure profile is followed during both the melting and casting stages. This eliminates miscasting and shrinkage porosity.

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Applications

Precision casting is used in a variety of industries. It is used to make complex metal components. It also produces specialized alloys that cannot be shaped by other methods with hydraulic cylinder patrs.

The engineering and production of a casting mold, also known by a wax tool, begins the manufacturing process. The mould is used as a 'negative of' the final casting.

Once the pattern has been poured, molten metal is poured into a mold. The mold is then taken out of the mold and the metal is cooled.

Precision casting can minimize the machining stage and the cost for machining, material lost and labor work. This is because the as-cast product shape is already near net-shape, and so there is little need for machining before retrieving the metal.

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Certifications

Many parts that are produced through precision casting require specialized certifications to ensure they are made correctly. This can be as simple ASME certification or Nadcap. However, there are many other types of testing that can be done to ensure the safety and quality of the part for Train Parts.

A good precision casting company should be able to provide you with all the certifications you need for your specific application. This will save you time and money over the long-term.

At R2 Quality Castings, we offer chemistry certification and testing to ensure that your investment casting products are made to the exact chemical composition you need for maximum performance and durability. This service is available to all of our customers.