Casting is the method of pouring molten metal into a mold to obtain the desired size. Investment casting and die casting are the two main types of casting. According to the advantages and disadvantages of each process, different types of products are produced. So how does investment casting compare to die casting?

Investment casting is also known as investment casting or lost wax casting. The process begins by creating a wax mold that resembles the shape of the desired component. The wax mold is repeatedly attached to the runner to form an assembled tree. The components are immersed in liquid ceramic to form a protective layer, and the wax is removed by heating in an oven. The caster will then fill the shell with liquid metal and cool it at room temperature. Finally cut the shell to get the solid shaped component.
Investment casting has many advantages. For example, it is suitable for products with complex designs. If you need zero draft angle on the part, then use investment casting, which is not available with die casting. The investment is more suitable for small batches because there are fewer molds, but the price of the parts is higher than that of die castings.

die casting
Die casting works by forcing molten metal into a mold cavity at high pressure. Continuous casters use hardened tool steel to machine the cavity tree into the shape of the desired part. The mold release agent is applied to the mold, then the sleeve is filled with molten metal, and the plunger is used to push the molten metal into the mold cavity. The piston constantly applies pressure to the metal as it fills the mold. When the metal has cooled sufficiently, the caster removes the casting tree from the mold and trims individual parts from the casting tree. Each part is then machined as needed to complete it.
Die casting has many advantages. On the one hand, die casting is great for mass production because you get consistent repeatability. On the other hand, you have less size constraints for die casting because you don't need to worry about holding the mold for larger parts in the runner for repeated dipping, as you would with investment casting wax patterns. Also, investing in casting things tends to cost more because of the more manual labor and precision involved.

The difference between investment casting and die casting
1) Design complexity: Investment casting offers greater design flexibility as we can cast complex shapes into components. After investment casting, we can achieve precise dimensions, complex geometries and thin-walled parts. However, die casting can also provide accurate dimensional results, but not as complex as investment casting.
2) Material selection: The investment casting process allows the use of ferrous and non-ferrous metal alloys, offering a wide range of material choices. In contrast, die casting is mainly suitable for materials such as aluminum, zinc and magnesium alloys.
3) Part Size: In our foundry, we can manufacture investment castings up to 120 lbs. Investment casting is limited to part size because the wax model must be securely glued to the runner and repeatedly dipped into the ceramic slurry. Compared to investment casting, die casting has fewer size constraints and can make larger parts, but for larger products, both the tooling cost and the unit cost increase.
4) Cost: Investment casting is a highly manual process that produces excellent dimensions and a good surface finish. So investment casting costs seem high. Investment casting is also the most likely technique to reduce or avoid secondary machining, which can save time and money. Die casting is more expensive because of its high tooling cost and sometimes a post-processing operation for the finished part. So die casting is more cost effective for large orders.
5) Surface finish: In all casting processes, the surface finish of investment casting is always the best, which can reach precision tolerance IT5-6, A 125 micro-finish. While die casting produces a good surface finish, more machining is usually required to bring the product to its final state. But we can improve the surface finish of investment castings and die castings through secondary machining and other surface treatments.

Whichever process you choose for your project will depend on your specific needs for the product, as each process has its own advantages. Investment casting can be considered when you have small products with complex shapes. The material is steel or iron. If you are looking for a high volume casting method and the material is aluminium or zinc then die casting is the right choice for you.