Cost Reduction: Complex parts in single piece, reducing assembly and machining costs up to 40%
Quick Turnaround: 15-25 days for samples, mass production from 30 days
Low MOQ: Start with just 50 pieces for new product development
One-Stop Solution: From casting to finished parts with surface treatment
Competitive Pricing: Factory-direct pricing with transparent cost breakdown
Stable Supply Chain: Multiple production bases ensuring consistent delivery
Flexible Payment: T/T, L/C, PayPal accepted
Quality Documentation: Full material test reports, inspection certificates
Design Freedom: Create complex internal channels, undercuts, and thin walls
Excellent Surface Finish: As-cast Ra 1.6-3.2μm, reducing secondary operations
Tight Tolerances: Achieve CT5-CT7 dimensional accuracy
Material Variety: 100+ alloy options from stainless steel to superalloys
High Yield Rate: 95%+ first-pass yield reduces material waste
Minimal Machining: Near-net-shape technology cuts post-processing costs
Bulk Discounts: Volume pricing starting from 500 pieces
FX Protection: USD/EUR pricing available for international clients
Investment casting, also known as lost-wax casting, is a precision manufacturing process that creates metal parts with exceptional dimensional accuracy and complex geometries. The process involves creating a wax pattern, coating it with ceramic slurry to form a mold, melting away the wax, and then pouring molten metal into the cavity.
BRM Metal's Investment Casting Capability:
Weight range: 0.01kg - 150kg per piece
Dimension tolerance: Up to ±0.05mm
Surface roughness: Ra 1.6 - 3.2μm (as-cast)
Minimum wall thickness: 0.5mm
Create wax patterns using injection molding or 3D printing
Wax injection: 2-8 hours
3D printed pattern: 1-4 hours
Dip pattern in ceramic slurry and coat with fine sand
6-12 layers coating
Drying time: 2-4 hours per layer
Autoclave dewaxing to remove wax pattern
Steam + pressure dewaxing
Complete wax removal
Pour molten metal into pre-heated ceramic shell
Shell preheat: 900-1100°C
Various pouring methods
Remove shell, cut gates, inspect and treat surfaces
Shot blasting
Heat treatment
Surface finishing
| Feature | Investment Casting | Die Casting | CNC Machining | MIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complexity | Excellent | Good | Limited | Excellent |
| Tolerance | ±0.05mm | ±0.03mm | ±0.01mm | ±0.03mm |
| Surface Finish | Ra 1.6-3.2μm | Ra 0.8-1.6μm | Ra 0.2-3.2μm | Ra 0.8-1.6μm |
| Min Wall Thickness | 0.5mm | 1.0mm | 0.3mm | 0.2mm |
| Material Waste | Low (5-10%) | Very Low | High (30-50%) | Low |
| Cost (Small Volume) | Low | High (tooling) | High | High (tooling) |
| Max Weight | 150kg | 50kg | Unlimited | 0.5kg |
| Best For | Complex, medium-large parts | High-volume production | Tight tolerance parts | Small, complex parts |
| Material | 304 / 304L |
| Tensile Strength | 480-620 MPa |
| Yield Strength | 190-310 MPa |
| Elongation | 30-60% |
| Hardness | 92-150 HB |
Valves, pumps, marine hardware, medical instruments, food processing equipment, architectural fixtures.
| Material | 316 / 316L |
| Tensile Strength | 480-620 MPa |
| Yield Strength | 170-310 MPa |
| Elongation | 40-60% |
| Hardness | 79-150 HB |
Excellent corrosion resistance, good strength at elevated temperatures, excellent ductility and toughness.
| Material | 4130 / 4140 / 4340 |
| Tensile Strength | 560-1100 MPa |
| Yield Strength | 300-700 MPa |
| Elongation | 10-25% |
| Hardness | 180-300 HB |
Gear, shafts, aircraft components, turbine parts, structural parts requiring high strength.
Alloy steels can be heat treated to achieve various combinations of strength, toughness, and wear resistance. Common treatments include annealing, normalizing, quenching, and tempering.
| Low Carbon | 0.10-0.25% C |
| Medium Carbon | 0.25-0.50% C |
| High Carbon | 0.50-1.00% C |
| Tensile Strength | 400-850 MPa |
Railroad parts, pipe fittings, hand tools, machinery parts, agricultural equipment.
Carbon steel castings offer excellent value for applications where corrosion resistance is not critical but good strength and machinability are required.
| Material | Inconel 625/718 |
| Tensile Strength | 760-1300 MPa |
| Yield Strength | 380-900 MPa |
| Service Temp | Up to 700°C |
| Hardness | 150-350 HB |
Turbine blades, aerospace components, chemical processing, nuclear reactors, marine engineering.
Exceptional creep rupture strength, oxidation resistance, and thermal fatigue resistance at elevated temperatures.
| Application Requirement | Recommended Material | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Corrosion Resistance | 304, 316, 316L | Excellent chromium content for oxidation resistance |
| High Temperature | Inconel 625/718, Hastelloy | Superior creep resistance at elevated temps |
| High Strength | 4340, 4140, 17-4 PH | Heat treatable for maximum mechanical properties |
| Cost Sensitive | Carbon steel, Low alloy steel | Lower raw material and processing costs |
| Magnetic | 409, 430, 440C | Ferritic/martensitic stainless options |
Wax pattern can reach 0.3mm, metal filling needs attention for thin sections
Ceramic cores can achieve complex internal holes
Ceramic cores enable complex undercuts - adds mold cost
Ceramic cores can create complex internal chambers
Cast threads have limited accuracy - usually machine after casting
Gear teeth can be cast but usually need post machining
Wax patterns have some flexibility but mold release needs draft
CT5-CT7 dimensional accuracy achievable
As-cast surface finish, reduces secondary operations
Liquid metal cannot form precise lattice structures
High temperature casting would damage embedded parts
Ceramic cores can achieve deep internal features
Keep wall thickness uniform to avoid shrinkage defects
Add generous fillets (R0.3-0.5mm minimum) to reduce stress concentrations
Design gating system friendly - our engineers will optimize
Consider post-machining allowances for critical features
| Surface Treatment | 304/316 SS | Carbon Steel | Alloy Steel | TC4 Titanium | Inconel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passivation | Excellent | Good | Good | Excellent | Good |
| Electroplating | With pore sealing | Excellent | Good | Difficult | Special process |
| ED Coating | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | With pretreatment | Limited |
| PVD Coating | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Spray Painting | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Polishing | Ra 0.2μm | Ra 0.2μm | Ra 0.2μm | Difficult | Difficult |
| Shot Blasting | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Blackening | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Special process | Limited |
| Mirror Polish | Can achieve | Can achieve | Can achieve | Difficult | Difficult |
Investment casting 304/316 achieves Ra 0.2μm with proper polishing - excellent for decorative parts
316L + passivation provides best corrosion protection for stainless steel castings
Passivation → Shot blasting → Blackening are cost-effective options
$7,000-28,000 USD
Pattern making: wax or 3D printed
Shell building: 6-12 layers
Multiple cavities possible
$0.3-4 USD per piece
Material dependent (304, 316, alloy)
Part complexity affects price
Weight range: 0.01-150kg
Standard alloys
Low MOQ for new product development
Flexible for prototyping
Custom alloys may vary
Pattern + shell + first casting
After sample approval
By sea or air to your location
Unit price decreases significantly with volume. Contact us for exact quotes.
Investment casting most cost-effective among traditional methods
Best value - mold cost spread over reasonable volume
Consider die casting for aluminum parts if tolerance allows
Investment cast parts for vehicle systems
Engine brackets and housings
Turbocharger components
Suspension parts
Steering system components
Exhaust system parts
Surgical and diagnostic equipment parts
Surgical instrument handles
Implant trial components
Dental equipment parts
Diagnostic device components
Hospital furniture hardware
Heavy-duty equipment components
Valve bodies and housings
Pump impellers
Gearbox components
Pipe fittings
Structural brackets
High-performance aerospace components
Turbine blade fixtures
Hydraulic system parts
Landing gear components
Structural brackets
Satellite components
Hand tools and hardware
Wrench bodies
Pliers handles
Fasteners and fittings
Locksmith hardware
Marine hardware
Sanitary processing equipment
Fittings and valves
Pump housings
Food processing machinery
Beverage dispensing parts
Kitchen equipment
IATF 16949, ISO 13485, ISO 9001 certified facilities ensuring consistent quality for automotive and medical applications.
50+ engineers with expertise in metallurgy, casting simulation, and process optimization. Proprietary simulation software for defect prevention.
Full inspection capabilities: CMM, X-ray, magnetic particle, liquid penetrant, tensile testing, chemical analysis.
Automated wax injection, robotic shell coating, advanced melting furnaces, and precision heat treatment equipment.
24-hour quotation turnaround. Sample lead time 15-25 days. DFM feedback provided free to optimize your design.
From casting to finished parts: machining, surface treatment (plating, polishing, coating), assembly, and packaging.
Our standard MOQ is 50 pieces per order for standard alloys. For custom alloys or special requirements, MOQ may vary. We offer competitive pricing for quantities starting from 500+ pieces.
As-cast surface finish typically ranges from Ra 1.6-3.2μm (N5-N6). Additional finishing options include polishing (Ra 0.2μm), electroplating, powder coating, and electropolishing.
Sample tooling: 15-25 days
Production tooling: 30-45 days
Mass production: 30-45 days after approval
Rush service available with premium pricing
Yes, we can produce pre-production samples for your approval. We offer 3-5 pieces for fit/function testing. Sample costs are typically deducted from mass production orders.
We provide material test reports (MTR), dimensional inspection reports, CMM reports, and certificates of conformance. PPAP documentation available for automotive customers.
Yes, our engineering team provides complimentary DFM analysis with every quote. We'll identify potential issues and suggest optimizations to reduce costs and improve quality.
Get a free quote within 24 hours. Our team is ready to help with your next precision casting project.
Contact: Cindy | Phone: +86 021 5512 8901 | Email: sales1@brm-metal.com
Explore our precision investment cast components across various industries
Material: 316 Stainless Steel
Weight: 2.5 kg
Tolerance: ±0.08mm
Material: 8630 Steel
Heat Treated
Surface: Machined
Material: CF3M (316L Cast)
Complex Geometry
Balanced: Dynamic