West 1 Castings Ltd.
EXAMPLE OF LOST WAX CASTING PROCESS
STEP 1: MASTER PREPARATION
Instead of working directly in metal, the design can be fabricated in wax. This wax master can be either cast straight away or turned into a cold-cure mould.
STEP 2: SETTING UP MOULD FRAME
Based on the master size we estimate the size of the mould frame. These calculations ensure the highest quality of wax models at the lowest material waste.
STEP 3: PREPARING COLD-CURE MOULD
Once mixed together, the cold-cure compound is placed in the vacuum chamber (to evacuate air bubbles) and then poured into the mould frame.
STEP 4: MOULD CUTTING
After the mould is cured, it's time to cut it open and release the master.
STEP 5: CREATING WAX COPIES
Wax copies are formed by injecting wax into the cavity in the mould. Once the mould is filled, the wax is allowed to cool and then the mould is opened to reveal a wax pattern identical to the original master.
STEP 6: TREEING-UP WAX COPIES
While treeing it up, it’s important to provide an adequate number of sprues to ensure easy and sufficient flow of metal.
STEP 7: INVESTING FLASKS
Once the rubber base is securely attached to the metal flask, it's placed in the vacuum chamber (to evacuate air bubbles) and filled up with investment.
STEP 8: BURNING OUT FLASKS
Dry flasks are placed in the furnace and left there for the overnight burnt-out cycle.
STEP 9: CASTING BURNT-OUT FLASKS
The hot flask is placed onto the vacuum base (or in one of our casting machines) and molten metal is poured into its cavity.
STEP 10: REMOVING INVESTMENT
After initial cooling the flask is being quenched to release the casting.
STEP 11: DE-SPRUING FRESHLY CAST OBJECT
Raw casting is being cut or sawn off the metal tree and feeding sprues are trimmed.