We have picked a few examples of our services that best demonstrate the possibilities of an investment casting. These customer cases presents situations we encounter, special characteristics of investment casting, and the opportunities offered by it. These are presented below.
Customer case: Vane attenuator
In discussions with the customer, it emerged that they had encountered challenges in production of vane attenuators. The production process included sheet cutting, drilling, welding, and machining. Complicating things further, they were using a wide range of materials.
Investment casting offers a possibility to simplify the production process and reduce the consumption of materials and supplies. With this component our design department worked closely with the customer to achieve excellent performance for the assembly.
After prototypes and 0-series, production was expanded further, to vane attenuators of several sizes. Most of the product family could be completed by casting without machining. Two of the largest sizes are machined from castings.
By switching production method, the customer reduced the parts requirements for the vane attenuators, simplified the phases of production, and reduced the consumption of materials and supplies.
Customer case: Valve housing
This valve housing case presents investment casting possibilities with an new product range.
From beginning, our engineering office were in close contact with the customer engaging in extensive co-operation to ensure that the valve housing assembly had good performance qualities and excellent manufacturability. The customer performed test runs with the sample castings. On the basis of the test-run results, we determined the correct steps to take for meeting the targets referred to above.
After the test castings, industrial production was launched and it has continued to this day. Currently, 47 distinct versions can be produced from a single casting billet. The versions differ from each other in their machining and the material used.
The final product is a component designed for highly demanding conditions, and it must pass several inspections and tests.
Customer case: Lock components
Investment casting gives an possibility to modernize and develop old production methods. This is an example of that.
Customer had produced the components using different production method, but after a training about investment casting provided by us, the customer’s confidence in the investment casting possibilities strengthened. Thus we entered the design phase and worked in close co-operation with the customer in planning which parts could be cast.
After the planning, the prototype of lock components manufactured with investment casting were produced.
The prototype was produced by means of rapid prototyping. Rapid prototyping refers to a pattern produced via 3D printing that can be used in the standard investment-casting process. The purpose of this technology is to produce the first prototypes without traditional production tooling. This gives the customer’s design staff more freedom to modify the assembly before the industrial-production phase begins.
After testing the prototypes, the customer ordered the 0-series in autumn. For the 0-series, we manufactured production tooling that allows us to meet future needs in a flexible manner.
