Stainless Steel Investment Casting Parts Manufacturer

Advantages of Stainless Steel Investment Casting

• Excellent Corrosion Resistance Perfect for use in harsh environments, including marine, chemical, and food processing systems.

• Superior Surface Finish As-cast Ra typically ≤ 6.3 μm, reducing machining requirements.

• Tight Dimensional Tolerances ±0.1 mm accuracy without the need for secondary operations.

• Design Freedom Allows intricate shapes, internal channels, and weight-optimized geometries.

• Material Versatility Available in a wide range of stainless steel grades, including heat- and wear-resistant variants.

Typical Applications

• Pump and Valve Components Valve bodies, impellers, seats, and pump housings for chemical and fluid systems.

• Automotive Hardware Turbocharger brackets, exhaust flanges, and engine mounting parts.

• Aerospace Mounts and Housings Lightweight, corrosion-resistant castings for high-temperature, high-load environments.

• Food and Medical Equipment Stainless parts used in hygienic or sterile processing environments.

• Architectural Hardware Custom handles, fittings, and brackets for stainless architectural assemblies.

Stainless Steel Grades Offered

Manufacturing Process

1. Wax Pattern Creation Injection-molded wax models are produced using precision aluminum dies or rapid prototyping for low-volume or complex shapes.

2. Ceramic Shell Construction Slurry coating and stuccoing are repeated to build a 6–8 mm shell mold, ensuring dimensional fidelity and thermal shock resistance.

3. Dewaxing and Shell Firing Wax is removed in an autoclave; the shell is then fired at ~1000°C to prepare for metal pouring.

4. Melting and Pouring Stainless steel is melted in air or vacuum induction furnaces and poured into preheated molds under gravity or vacuum.

5. Shell Removal and Cleaning Shells are removed mechanically and chemically, and parts are cleaned via blasting and pickling.

6. Heat Treatment Solution annealing, hardening, or aging is applied depending on material and application.

7. CNC Machining and Finishing Critical features are finished via CNC machining and EDM, followed by polishing, passivation, or coating.

8. Quality Control and NDT CMM, X-ray, and pressure testing ensure dimensional and structural integrity.

Case Study: 316L Valve Body Casting for Offshore Fluid System

Neway AeroTech supplied a series of 316L stainless steel valve bodies for an offshore desalination plant. The client required corrosion resistance in chloride-rich water, zero porosity, and tight tolerance in threaded ports. Our investment casting process achieved ±0.03 mm flatness and passed 100% NDT and hydrostatic testing.

FAQs

1. What tolerances can be achieved with stainless steel investment casting?

2. Which stainless grades are suitable for marine and chemical applications?

3. What is the surface finish of as-cast stainless steel parts?

4. Can you produce low-volume or prototype castings?

5. What testing and certifications are available for stainless steel castings?