Cast steel is the steel alloys that are used in casting process. It can be classified into cast alloy steel, cast carbon steel, and cast stainless steel, ect. Cast steel is used when cast iron cannot deliver enough strength or shock resistance, and is the primary material type in casting process.
Precision cast steel parts are actually the precision steel castings made in investment casting method. So what is investment casting? Why it can produce precision cast steel parts?
Why Investment Casting for Precision Cast Steel Parts?
Investment casting, also known as precision casting or lost-wax casting, is a manufacturing process in which a wax pattern is used to shape a disposable ceramic mold.
First, a wax pattern is made in the exact shape of the item to be cast. Each wax pattern is coated with a refractory ceramic material. Once the ceramic material is hardened, it is turned upside-down and heated until the wax melts and drains out. The hardened ceramic shell becomes an expendable investment mold; its internal geometry matches the shape to be cast.
Molten metal is then poured into the mold, where it is allowed to solidify. The resulting metal casting is broken out of the spent mold.
The term investment casting is derived from the process of “investing” (surrounding) a pattern with refractory materials. Investment casting is often selected over other molding methods because the resulting castings present fine detail and excellent as-cast surface finishes. They can also be cast with thin walls and complex internal passageways. Unlike sand casting, investment casting does not require a draft.
Therefore, investment casting can provide net shape or near-net shape cast steel parts, which provide customers with significant cost savings in material, and machining.
It can produce most of the precision cast steel parts with the drawing specification, including bucket teeth, valve castings, gears, jewelry, golf club heads, and many other small precision cast steel
parts.
Precision Cast Steel Parts Made in CFS Investment Casting
CFS is the typical investment casting foundry in China. Currently, we can use either water glass casting or silica sol casting method to produce precision cast steel parts. Water glass casting is the lost wax investment casting process that produce precision cast steel parts in low cost with general casting tolerance CT7-CT8 and surface finish Ra12.5. This casting method is the most popular casting technique to creat cast steel parts for its cost saving and better surface quality than sand casting process. In our company, we normally use water glass casting process to make carbon and alloy steel parts below 100kgs.
For cast stainless steel parts, silica sol casting is applied. Besides, silica sol casting is also preferred to produce precision cast steel parts less than 1kg. Main features of silica sol casting are its higher manufacturing cost and better quality. Normally, we can achieve a casting tolerance CT5-CT6 and surface finish Ra6.3. Compared with water glass casting, this investment casting method can help to reduce or even eliminate further machining operation.
In short, CFS is the most ideal supplier for your source in any precision cast steel parts. Contact us if you have such demands, we will be always at your service here!