Investment Castings
Our experienced team of experts works with a full range of high tech materials and processes for high precision investment castings compliant with military, aerospace, nuclear and commercial standards.
At Ben Machine, we take the millennia-old practice of lost wax castings into the modern age –investment casting. Today this casting process is valued for the same reasons as when developed thousands of years ago – consistent and near-net-shape parts. Ben Machine is skilled in casting a variety of ferrous, non-ferrous, aluminum, and other materials used in precise demanding applications.
Investment casting produces precise components while minimizing material waste, energy, and subsequent machining. It can also ensure the production of very intricate parts.
Leader in Precision Cast Machining
Ben Machine has long partnered with select investment casting foundries to integrate investment casting into our operations. This knowledge accumulation of process and capability makes us the leader in high precision casting.
Our specialty is parts containing thin walls or passages with thin webbing. These parts are not only a challenge to cast, but also required specialized processes and techniques Ben Machine has refined with years of experience.
The SLA Advantage
Investment casting can be an expensive and long lead time option for sourcing parts and is not typically considered for lower quantity parts.
Ben Machine through its long partnerships has developed processes and techniques allowing the utilization of Stereolithography (SLA) to produce high precision castings. For our customers, SLA means investment casting can be cost-effective at a lower volume of parts. SLA is a type of 3-D printing used to generate the mold for a part. This type of mold has greater variance than traditional hard tooling, however, the lead time is reduced in half and the costs of tooling are eliminated.
Ben Machine regularly overcomes these shortcomings, supplying fully machined, tight tolerance investment cast parts.
From Casting to Finished Product
While much of the industry is focused on additive manufacturing, 3D printing with metals, precision investment casting technology is reliable and capable of delivering the advantages of additive manufacturing at a higher rate.
A precision cast part leaves the precision investment casting process near the finished shape and with internal passages formed. The casting process allows multiple castings to be produced at one pour, and as the parts are near their final dimensions, the machining time can be kept to a minimum. This casting method also provides improved surface finish of cast surfaces – no pits and bumps like sand casting – reducing surface preparation time for finishing operations. Our machined cast products are used in high-performance equipment for several industries, from aerospace to defense.
Ben Machine’s focus on being a total solution provider to our customers becomes evident in our investment casting and machined casting service. Our team of engineers can optimize the casting in a variety of ways to meet customer needs. From machining a family of parts from one raw casting to a highly optimized casting having fixturing points and minimal material for machine removal, Ben Machine can reduce the part cost and lead times as a turn-key part provider.
Learn how your business can benefit from Ben Machine’s precision investment casting services.
Learn how your business can benefit from Ben Machine’s precision investment casting services.
