10 Advantages of Investment Casting

There are many advantages to investment casting which will lead to better design and a lower cost product.

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The investment casting process offers many benefits including cost savings, design and material freedom, close tolerances, better finishes, savings in machining time, reproducibility, and overall – they just look better!  Read about the 10 advantages of investment casting.

1. Superior Surface Finish

The investment casting process provides far superior surface finish as compared to forgings and sand castings. This can be important at times to avoid machining or other finishing operations.

2. Variety of Materials

Investment cast parts can be cast in a range of alloys including stainless steel, brass, bronze, cobalt, nickel and custom alloys. Franklin Precision Castings casts alloys for many applications in a broad range of industries.

3. Closer to Finished Part Designs

Investment castings provide near net shapes for manufactured parts, thus eliminating or reducing machining costs. An added benefit of near net shape is the savings on material, especially with more expensive alloys like nickel and cobalt alloys.

4. Intricate Design

Holes, undercuts, slots and other difficult detail that cannot be had with other processes can often be provided through investment casting – thus reducing the amount of machining.  Logos, numbers or names can be incorporated on parts as markings.

5. Difficult Thin Wall Castings

The investment casting process is capable of more reliable castings with much thinner walls than sand castings. Advantages include substantially less scrap rates and castings that weigh less due to the thinner wall capability.

6. Tight Tolerances

Due to the nature of the process, investment castings can be held to much tighter tolerances than sand castings or forgings. Tolerances down to + – 0.1mm can be achieved – resulting in a highly accurate cast part.

7. Competitive Tooling Costs

With Franklin Precision Castingss’ own in-house tool manufacturing, initial charges for the investment casting tooling are often less expensive than those for die castings and forgings.

8. Minimal Casting Defects

Being a cleaner process than sand moulds, investment castings in general, provide a much higher percentage of defect free-castings.

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9. Rapid Prototyping for New Product Development

Rapid prototyping can get products to market faster.  Franklin Precision Castings uses 3-D Wax Modeling for efficiency and speed in design and production.  Using 3-D Modeling, Franklin Precision Castings can move faster from the development phase to the production phase.  3-D Modeling can be especially beneficial for those with requiring quick, small order prototyping as there is no need for wax model tooling.  This speed to market helps customers compete in the marketplace.

10. And…they just look better!

Whether or not appearance is critical, investment castings have the appearance of high quality. Minimal to no discernible parting lines are the norm. Also, most outside surfaces do not require draft.

In the world of precision manufacturing, investment casting has earned a reputation as one of the most versatile and reliable casting methods available today. When fine detail, tight tolerances, and superior surface finish are non-negotiable, investment casting delivers. At Alcon Industries, we combine this proven technique with cutting-edge induction melting technology to create high-integrity castings for mission-critical applications.

From aerospace components to defense hardware and high-performance industrial parts, Alcon’s investment casting process offers unparalleled consistency, efficiency, and design flexibility.

What Is Investment Casting?

Investment casting, also known as lost-wax casting, is a manufacturing process that allows for the creation of complex metal parts with minimal machining. The process begins by creating a wax model of the final part. This wax pattern is then “invested” in a ceramic slurry to build a shell around it. Once the ceramic shell hardens, the wax is melted out—leaving a hollow mold ready to receive molten metal.

The result? A near-net-shape metal component that accurately replicates the original wax model with fine surface details and minimal post-processing.

Key Advantages of Investment Casting

1. Design Flexibility for Complex Parts

One of the most significant advantages of investment casting is its ability to produce parts with intricate geometries. Internal cavities, undercuts, thin walls, and sophisticated contours are easily achievable. This makes the process ideal for parts that would be difficult—or even impossible—to manufacture with traditional machining or sand casting techniques.

2. Exceptional Surface Finish

The smooth ceramic mold used in investment casting results in a naturally clean surface finish. Typical parts achieve finishes in the 125 RMS range or better, reducing or eliminating the need for secondary finishing operations. This is a key differentiator for industries like aerospace and medical, where surface quality directly affects performance and reliability.

3. Tight Dimensional Tolerances

Investment casting achieves outstanding accuracy, often holding tolerances within ±0.005 inches per inch. This precision minimizes the need for costly machining, while also ensuring that parts consistently meet design specifications—critical in regulated industries such as defense and energy.

4. Material Versatility

Another major advantage is the ability to cast a wide range of alloys. Alcon Industries specializes in pouring stainless steels, cobalt and nickel-based superalloys, aluminum, and specialty metals. This flexibility allows customers to select materials based on performance criteria such as heat resistance, corrosion resistance, wear properties, and mechanical strength.

5. Reduced Material Waste and Cost Savings

By producing near-net-shape parts, investment casting significantly reduces raw material waste. This is especially important when working with high-cost alloys, where every ounce saved matters. Less waste and minimal machining also lead to lower overall production costs and shorter lead times.

Alcon Industries’ Investment Casting Capabilities

Alcon Industries brings more than 50 years of experience to every casting project. Our fully integrated facility in Cleveland, Ohio is equipped with:

• State-of-the-art Induction Furnaces: These advanced melting systems allow for precise temperature control and clean, consistent melts—critical for metallurgical integrity.
• On-site Tooling and Shell Room: We manage every aspect of the casting process in-house, from wax pattern creation to ceramic shell building.
• Versatile Casting Capacity: We produce parts ranging from a few ounces to 100 pounds, in both prototype and full production volumes.
• Advanced Quality Control: Our process includes rigorous inspection at every stage, including dimensional verification, X-ray, and non-destructive testing when required.
• Engineering Expertise: Our team collaborates with clients during the design phase to ensure castability and optimal performance. Design for manufacturability (DFM) is at the core of every project.

Bringing Innovation to Life with Alcon

At Alcon Industries, investment casting is more than just a manufacturing process—it’s a collaborative partnership built around precision, reliability, and performance. Our clients trust us to deliver mission-critical components that perform in the harshest environments—from jet engines and turbine housings to medical equipment and military hardware.

We also utilize simulation software during the design and engineering phase to model fluid flow, solidification, and shrinkage. This advanced capability allows us to identify potential defects before a single part is poured, reducing risk and accelerating time-to-market.

Let’s Build Something Great Together

When you choose Alcon Industries, you gain a dedicated partner with the technology, expertise, and commitment to bring your most complex designs to life—flawlessly, efficiently, and on time.

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