Investment casting refers to the metalworking manufacturing process that’s widely used in various types of industries. Sometimes called lost-wax casting or precision casting, it involves the use of a wax pattern in shaping a ceramic mold before molten metal gets poured into the ceramic shell to create the desired part. To improve the appearance and quality of an investment casting, manufacturers apply surface treatment methods.
What are the Common Types of Surface Treatment Methods for Investment Castings?
Hot Dip Galvanizing
The application of this method requires the immersion of the carbon steel part in a plating bath of liquefied zinc at 510˚C in order to turn the iron-zinc alloy on the steel component’s surface into passivated zinc. This process is a lot similar to the hot-dip aluminizing method.
Auto-catalytic Plating
Commonly known as chemical plating, this popular surface treatment method is primarily known for being eco-friendly and easy to operate. Its end product is a workpiece that exhibits high resistance to corrosion, as well as good wear.
Vacuum Plating
This encompasses different types of vacuum evaporation, ion plating, and sputtering plating. These are all utilized to facilitate the deposition of various metal as well as non-metal films on the surface of the parts until it reaches the point where a thin coating is obtained. Compared to other surface treatment methods, vacuum plating offers extremely fast adhesion. For this reason, this method is typically used as an internal shield or a functional coating that’s ideal for products of higher-grade.
Paint Finishing
Did you know that various types of coating can be used to complete this surface treatment method? These types include electrophoretic coating, hand coating, and electrostatic coating. Primarily operated according to the manufacturer’s sample or even their color number, the paint finishing surface treatment method is commonly used for both iron and steel castings.
Where to Find Top-Quality Investment Casting
If you’re looking to find top-quality investment casting, get in touch with the leading comprehensive engineered product resource – Ferralloy, Inc.