Lost Wax Casting

Lost Wax Casting

Lost wax casting is a process that uses molds to form liquid metals. During this process, liquid metals are shaped into high quality products that are made of many different types of metals. Because lost wax casting often results in rough finishes, additional procedures may be needed to remove burrs from the end products.

During lost wax casting, a special wax is injected into a metal die, creating patterns that are compiled into a cluster around a wax runner system. After the pattern is coated with layers of refractory material, it is then heated to remove the wax. Once the wax is removed, the hot mold is cast. After cooling, the mold is removed through the use of vibration, high pressure water blasting, impact, grit blasting, or chemical dissolution.

Lost wax casting is used to manufacture many different products for multiple industries. For example, lost wax casting is utilized in the production of single crystal turbine blades in the aerospace and power generation industries. The lost wax casting process is especially useful in the fabrication of high-temperature metals, such as stainless and alloy steels.