Capabilities
Investment Castings
Investment Castings with MetSource
Investment casting (or lost wax) is a process that delivers castings of very high detail, tight tolerances, and thin walls. Investment castings are often used to reduce or eliminate the need for machining or in the place of fabrications to reduce cost.

How It Works:
In the investment casting process, a wax pattern of the desired finished part is created (Figure A) and mounted onto a wax tree or pattern (Figure B). The wax tree is alternatively dipped into a ceramic slurry and sprinkled with stucco material in a controlled atmosphere and allowed to dry (Figure C). This process is repeated until a thick shell is created over the wax pattern. The wax is melted out leaving a cavity in the shape of the pattern (Figure D). The cavity is subsequently poured with molten metal and allowed to solidify (Figure E). After solidification, the shell is broken away, gating material removed and the finished part remains (Figure F).
Investment Casting Capabilities:
- Weight up to 850 lbs finished
- Volume envelope up to 40” diameter x 34” Tall
- NDT such as visual inspection, liquid penetrant, magnetic particle, fluorescent penetrant, radiography
- Secondary operations such as finish machining, polishing, electro-plating and hot isostatic pressing (HIP)
- Rapid prototyping by use of 3D printing or stereolithography (SLA)
- Solidification modeling
- Tolerances: +/- 0.010” to 0.040” as-cast
- Surface Finish: 90 – 200 RMS as-cast

Materials:
Carbon and Low Alloy
- 4140
- 4340
- 8630
- ASTM A217 WC1
- ASTM A217 WC6
- ASTM A217 WC9
- ASTM A217 WCB
- ASTM A217 WCC
Tool Steels
- CA2
- A6
- CD2
- CD5
- CH13
Austenitic Stainless
- CF3
- CF8
- CF8C
- CF8M
- CH20
- CK20
- CF10SMnN
- CG6MMN
Super Austenitic
- CK3MCuN
- CN7M
- CN3MN
Duplex
- Ferralium® 255
- CD3MN (4A)
- CE3MN (5A)
- CD4MCu (1A)
- CD4MCuN (1B)
- CD3MWCuN (6A)
Precipitation Hardening
- 14-4PH
- 15-5PH (CB7CU-2)
- 17-4PH (CB7CU-1)
Martensitic
- C12
- CA15
- CA40
- 440A
- 440B
- 440C
- CA6NM
Heat Resistant Stainless
and Heat
- ASTM A297 H-series
- 50Cr-50Ni-Nb
- Specialty Heat Resistant alloys formulated by application
Severe Corrosion and Heat
- Inconel® 617
- Inconel® 625
- ASTM A494 C-series
Ferralium® is a registered trademark of Langely Alloys for a super duplex stainless steel alloy
Inconel® is a registered trademark of Special Metals Corporation for a family of austenitic nickel-chromium based superalloys
Solving Problems
Check out our case studies to see how we solve real-life problems.
Typical Investment Casting Products:
- Aerospace turbine blades
- Nuclear pump and valve components
- Flow meter bodies
- Flow nozzles
- Food processing components
- Military components

When to use Investment Castings:
- Parts requiring fine detail and surface finish
- Parts requiring difficult internal structures
- Parts with thin walls
- Parts with tight tolerances
Solving Problems
Check out the case study below to see how we’ve use centrifugal casting to solve real-life problems.
Solving Problems
Check out the case study below to see how we’ve use centrifugal casting to solve real-life problems.
Solving Problems
Check out the case study below to see how we’ve use centrifugal casting to solve real-life problems.
Investment Casting Quality Standards

ISO 9001:2015
(QMS)

AS9100D
(Aerospace, QMS)

MIL-I-45208

NADCAP
We also strictly adhere to customer-specific standards or requirements
Additional Services:
Conversion Assistance
Do you have a complicated machined hog-out or fabrication that may lend itself to converting to an investment casting? Give a MetSource engineer a call to discuss the ability to investment cast your product to improve quality, cost and/or lead-time.
Material Process Selection
Do you have a part design but want a solutions expert to advise optimal process to produce your part? Subtle changes in part design can optimize process manufacturability to reduce cost, increase part quality and / or increase throughput.


Metallurgical Assistance
Do you want to speak to a metallurgist regarding a part and environment to help with material selection? Alloy selection can greatly affect overall cost and part manufacturability.
On-Site Visit and/or Phone Consultation
Do you wish to have a MetSource engineer call or visit you to discuss a particular application?