Both sand casting and investment casting refined through the ages, though the a considerable difference between sand casting and investment casting. Both methods are used to create metal parts by pouring molten metal into three-dimensional molds.
Sand casting and investment casting are thousands of years old. The best company for both sand and investment casting is dawangcasting.
There is a considerable difference between sand casting and investment casting in the making of metal parts. Here we will discuss investment casting vs. sand casting, sand casting materials, investment casting mold, sand casting cost, investment casting cost, lost wax sand casting, and the difference between die casting and investment casting.
Sand-Casting Basics:
Sand casting uses different types of Molten metal, for example.
- usually iron,
- steel,
- bronze,
- brass,
- aluminum,
- magnesium,
- and some other non-ferrous alloys.
Investment-Casting Basics:
- Investment casting, also known as;
- lost-wax casting,
- brass,
- aluminum,
- makes parts from molten metal,
- usually stainless-steel alloys,
- and carbon steel.
In investment casting first step is to build a wax version of the final product. You can complete this step in one of three ways:
- First, form a gelatin mold around a solid part to get a 3D model of the final product.
- Make a metal mold of the final 3D product; after that, fill it with hot wax.
- The final step is to machine a replica of the product out of wax.
If you want to cast multiple parts simultaneously, you must assemble several wax patterns into a tree. After that, the tree continuously dipped into the slurry that makes it hard when it gets cold. After repeatedly dipping, several layers of slur harden, and then the tree with its pattern is heated to remove the wax. This process melts the wax, and it leaves tubes and pipelines for molten metal and fills the mold. At last, molten metal is poured into an empty mold to solidify.
Investment casting vs. sand casting:
Investment casting requires complex preparation, and it is much more expensive than sand casting. Sand casting cannot make small parts like investment casting. Investment casting makes parts of an ounce. In sand casting, there is a limitation in terms of size and weight.
Weight limit:The weight limit of investment castings directly depends upon the mold-handling equipment at the casting plant. If we can talk about investment casting vs. sand casting, investment castings can weigh a fraction of an ounce. For heavy casting, often individual trees used, and for small casting, they can be cast at hundreds per tree. For example;
- dental braces
- complex aircraft engine parts ( more than 1,000 lb)
Sand casting: With sand casting, the mold has to be removed to get the final product, and at the end, you get finished parts with the parting lines in the mold. As sand is rough, it leaves a rough surface on cast parts. In many cases, this roughness is then smoothed with the help of machines.
Investment casting: Investment casting uses hard ceramic molds. Unlike sand casting, it exhibits a smooth surface with minimum tolerances and allows to have thin walls. Investment casting does not require secondary processing.
The material used in Investment casting: It uses slur to form molds and give different shapes. It gives variety to the engineers to choose the best design from multiple shapes and allows them to add extraordinary features and complex shapes.
Advantage: Sand casting allows to change mold by changing the pattern or core made up of wood. Investment casting experts need to change the solid metal pattern.
Final thought:
This article is related to investment casting vs. sand casting. Here we also discussed sand casting materials,steel casting, investment casting mold, sand casting cost, investment casting cost, investment precision casting, lost wax sand casting, and the difference between die casting and investment casting.