How An Investment Casting Foundry Works

The foundation of any investment casting company is its investment casting foundry, which is where the investment casting process takes place. This refers to the process of “investing” a pattern with refractory materials, molding from among many different types of metals to create shape castings.

For each investment cast made by a metal casting company, there is a general process that is followed to ensure quality, cost-effectiveness, and consistency. This process should be watched over by an experienced staff to ensure that all processes are strictly followed. First, the pattern is produced and a mold (also known as the metal die or master die) is created. This is an intricate process, as it involved the consideration of expected shrinkage of the wax pattern, the ceramic material, and the steel casting itself.

After the mold has been created comes the wax pattern production and assembly. As each cast requires its own wax pattern, the number of wax patterns produces depends on the number of castings that will be required. During this process, hot wax is injected into the mold and solidifies, eventually creating an exact replica of that part that will be made.

Once the mold is created, it goes through a heating process to increase the strength of the mold and eliminate any leftover wax. Then, molten metal is poured into the mold while it is still hot, with the liquid metal flowing through into each mold cavity. After a cooling process comes the shakeout, or divesting process, where the casting gets removed from the molding pattern. Finally, the finishing of the cast involves grinding or sandblasting the cast to smooth it out and remove any imperfections.

At Intercast, our investment casting foundry is located in Mexico, approximately 10 miles south of the U.S. border. It is located in a modern industrial park with a state-of-the-art infrastructure, including security and safety equal to the United States. Set up as a Maquiladora, this allows us to offer world-class pricing with a secure and stable logistics process.

Our staff at the foundry has a lot of experience, education, and is bi-lingual, allowing for a close overseeing of the investment casting process from start to finish. Its location in the Central time zone allows for real-time collaboration with our offices, giving us sustainability and the ability to adjust as quickly as possible to the needs of our customers.

To learn more about our investment casting foundry or to let us know how we can help your business, contact us today, either online or by telephone at 956.688.6406. We are happy to share more about our processes or what sets us apart from other investment casting companies.