Investment Casting a presentation by Cheryl Feldman and

Investment Casting a presentation by Cheryl Feldman and Dan Marioni Engineering 45 Materials Santa Rosa Junior College Instructor: Younes Attiayan Fall 2007

Casting is a process by which a molten metal or material in its liquid state is poured into a mold and allowed to become solid in the shape of the mold. The mold is then broken from around the solidified part or complex shape. Casting is used to create more complex or detailed parts that would be difficult to manufacture using other methods. The cast is built so that the inside is the shape of the part that is being manufactured, then the molten metal or liquid material is poured into the space provided.

The History of Casting Metal Casting has been dated back to the Neolithic period (6000 -1800 BC). Castings were made in order to create necessary tools and equipment used in the newly born establishment of village settlements and agriculture. By 4000 BC, earrings, hairclips, and needles were being made and demonstrate advanced techniques of copper casting. The techniques that are being used today in industrial casting were developed two thousand years ago.

Sand Casting For hundreds of years it was the most popular of all casting methods. It still plays an important role in the production of large metal forms, and can offer the advantages of low cost, quick results and ease of duplication to those goldsmiths who take the time to master it. Though sometimes thought of as coarse, sand casting can yield results that are as fine and true to detail as any other casting method.

Melting the Metal Common ways to melt certain metals Large forges either arc or gas fueled (C 3 H 8) Can be purchased small scale Most popularly, home made. Graphite pots, coffee cans, BBQs Basic Diagram: Air duct (bottom) Coal Crucible

Lost Foam (LFC) Fabricated Foam Patterns has the ability to overcome many of the problems associated with the other prototyping processes. Styrofoam commonly used (expandable Polystyrene) The advantages lie in the ability to make larger parts, to make iron castings and to make prototypes in a production facility with production techniques. 
 http: //www. holisticforgeworks. com/gallery/foundry/

LFC Error… http: //web. umr. edu/~foundry/

Investment Casting Commonly referred to as “lost wax” Longest known form of casting approx. 6 millennia for sculpting and jewelry Mold is made from wax (b/c of low melting temperature) Slurry is applied to the wax Wax melted out Result: perfect cast for pouring metal For max. profit, many are designed together in what’s known as a “wax tree” For example, New Horizon Inc. states the minimum casting lineal dimension tolerance can be under 0. 10 mm, and surface roughness can achieve Ra 1. 6 -12. 5 um. Also commonly preformed at home… http: //newhorizonco. com/products. html

Casting Today… Used in many industrial situations Individual jobs which require a high degree of precision A look into the Industrial World of Casting: http: //www. milwaukeeprec. com/video. htm http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=3 k 5 rg. MBwp. FU

Investment etc. 3 D PRINTING Some types of investment casting are also Centrifugal, and Vacuum assist New molding: What about intense molds? High accuracy and can’t have room for error? ? …. . zp 14 Investment Casting Material can be used to quickly fabricate parts that can be dipped in wax to produce investment casting patterns. The material consists of a mix of cellulose, specialty fibers, and other additives that combine to provide an accurate part while maximizing the absorption of wax and minimizing residue during the burn-out process http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=hk. PWn. ZWo 2 cc&NR=1

In addition: Youtube! There’s a plethora of information at our finger tips In other words: VISIT YOUTUBE! Hundreds of casting videos of all shapes and sizes.

Our Project

Preparing our molds

Melt wax out of mold

Last step was to mount the Plaque on another Plate of plaster for a “cleaner” look.

Sources http: //web. umr. edu/~foundry/ http: //www. holisticforgeworks. com/gallery/foundry/ http: //impudent. blognation. us/blog/Photos/_archives/2005/12/14/1449621. html http: //www. milwaukeeprec. com/video. htm http: //www. nyu. edu/its/pubs/connect/fall 06/gibbons_printing. html http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=hk. PWn. ZWo 2 cc&NR=1 http: //www. nyu. edu/its/pubs/connect/fall 06/gibbons_printing. html http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=3 k 5 rg. MBwp. FU http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Investment_casting