Investment Casting Process
TAKE THE AERO METALS VIRTUAL PROCESS TOUR
  1. Customers send in a print and solid model with the purchase order
  2. Engineers add gates and other cost reducing features to the solid model
  3. Engineers use the finalized solid model to design a tree that is optimal for the investment casting process
  4. Final tree assemblies are tested with our solidification simulation software
  5. The aluminum injection mold is designed from the approved solid model
  6. Our in-house tool deparment then builds a mold based on the solid model
  7. Molds are setup at injection machines and injected with orange wax.
  8. Wax patterns are then seperated from the injection runners and inspected for defects.
  9. Wax assemblers then place parts on wax trees using glue.
  10. Wax assemblers carefully position the wax patterns on the wax trees.
  11. Fully assembled wax trees are then ready for shell.
  12. Trees are dipped in liquid slurries to build a multiple layered ceramic shell.
  13. Trees are sanded after each slurry layer to add strengh.
  14. Trees hang on conveyor lines to dry between layers.
  15. Robots are used to add subsequent layers.
  16. Robots also sand trees after each slurry layer.
  17. Handles are removed from completed trees as they are prepared for wax removal.
  18. Shells are loaded into an autoclave to remove the wax from the shell.
  19. Shells are now empty and ready for the foundry process.
  20. Shells are preheated in ovens before pouring.
  21. Shells are removed from the ovens and filled with molten metal.
  22. Hot trees are placed in sand pits to cool before processing.
  23. Once trees have cooled, the shell material is removed in vibrating cabinet.
  24. Castings are cut from the trees using friction saws.
  25. We have a variety of methods for cleaning shell material from castings.
  26. Gate witnesses are removed using fixtures with automated belt sanders.
  27. We design and build our coin dies to press and straighten parts that have precise size and flatness requirements
  28. We can polish castings to meet customer surface finish requirements.
  29. We design and build machine fixtures to machine castings that require precision tolerances
  30. We use a variety of gauges to monitor feature sizes
  31. Our Layout Lab performs First Article and PPAP layouts, along with production audits and capability studies



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To learn more, feel free to email us at sales@aerometals.com or call us at (219) 326-1976.

Aero Metals, Inc. LaPorte, Indiana
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