Investment casting comes from the method’s use of refractory material to surround the pattern and create a mold, which is then used to cast a molten substance. Glass, carbon steel, brass, aluminium, and stainless steel alloys are among the materials that can be cast. The hollow inside the refractory mold is a nearly perfect replica of the intended part, albeit somewhat enlarged. The outstanding surface characteristics produced by investment casting can lessen the requirement for further machine processes because of the refractory materials’ hardness.

The two most popular investment casting manufacturer techniques are silica sol and water glass. The primary distinctions are the casting cost and surface roughness. The ceramic mold is formed of water glass quartz sand, and the water glass process dewaxes into the hot water. The ceramic mold is made of silica sol zircon sand, and the flash fire is dewaxed using this approach. The silica sol process is more expensive than the water glass approach but yields a superior surface.

Both tiny castings weighing a few ounces and massive castings weighing several hundred pounds can be made using this procedure. While initially more expensive than sand casting or die casting, the unit cost decreases with increased production. Complex shapes that might be challenging or impossible to create with other casting techniques can be produced with investment casting. Additionally, it can make goods with low tolerances and remarkable surface characteristics with little need for surface finishing or machining.

Various techniques of investment casting were used by ancient Egyptians between 4000 and 3000 B.C. However, the increased need for components for aeroplane engines and the airframe industry during World War II boosted its economic relevance and appeal. Lost wax casting has evolved from its first iteration, which involved stuffing clay into a beeswax mold, to the use of ceramic molds and the development of specialized dewaxing furnaces, etc.

Historically, investment casting has only been possible in large production volumes due to the expensive expense of master die manufacturing. However, the cost of die production has been minimised, and shorter die-run times have been made possible by the recent development of 3D printing of wax patterns. Investment casting allows for the one-piece production of components with extremely intricate designs and geometries. Short length or shallow depth features allow for casting of thin sections as small as 0.40 mm (0.015 in) without cold shut problems. Tolerances of 0.075 mm (0.003 in) or better can be easily achieved using low wax casting.