Casting has evolved over the years as one of the most common manufacturing methods. A process that involves liquid metal poured into a mold and then hardened to get the desired shape is known as the casting process.
Once done, various finishing and coating treatments are done to complete the production. Though casting has advanced over the years, the two significant types of casting are die casting and investment casting for different applications.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INVESTMENT CASTING AND DIE CASTING?
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INVESTMENT CASTING PROCESS
Also known as a lost wax casting method, investment casting is a process in which a disposable wax pattern is made, gated onto a sprue, and dipped into a liquid ceramic slurry. Once the ceramic gets hard, the internal material takes the shape of the casting. Next, the wax is melted and poured into the cavity to create another wax pattern. To understand in simple words, investment casting is a process where casting is done with a disposable mold that is used for a single application.
DIE CASTING PROCESS
Die casting is the most common manufacturing process for metal accessories, pouring molten metal into a cavity under high pressure and hardening it to achieve the desired shape. The position keeps forcing the metal as it fills the die, and once cooled, the caster eliminates the part from the die and trims the individual components of the casting tree.
PRODUCTION VOLUME
Investment casting is based on single-time used molds, which make it appropriate for low to medium-level production runs, and takes more time than the die casting process.
On the other hand, die cast manufacturing is ideal for large production and high volumes as the consistent process within the same mold makes it easier to get the results within a few hours.
TIME & COST
While investment casting takes time due to one-time usable wax molds, die casting can quickly produce batches within a day. In addition, investment casting needs labor to complete the process and finish consuming hours, whereas, die casting does not require additional operations in most applications. This makes it easy to get the job done within a few hours.
As mentioned above, investment die takes time and hours of labor; it is no surprise that the cost is more than die casting. Die casting is a cost-effective approach as it needs a one-time investment to create the casting molds.
FINAL WORDS
Investment and die casting have unique benefits and limitations that make them ideal for different applications and manufacturing processes. While selecting the suitable method for your requirements, you must consider material, design complexity, size, and budget. Now you know the difference between investment casting and die casting to pick the correct method for high-quality production.