Vacuum Investment Castıng

          Vacuum investment casting was originally developed for processing of specialised and exotic alloys and is consequently becoming more commonplace as these advanced materials are increasingly employed. It is developed for materials such as superalloys,etc.

          As the name suggests, the process involves melting of a metal under vacuum conditions. Electromagnetic induction is used as the energy source for melting the metal.

Induction melting works by inducing electrical eddy currents in the metal. The source is the induction coil which carries an alternating current. The eddy currents heat and eventually melt the charge.

         The furnace consists of an air-tight water-cooled steel jacket, capable of withstanding the required vacuum for processing. The Metal is melted in a crucible housed in a water-cooled induction coil and the furnace is typically lined with suitable refractories.

The molten metal may be poured/cast either under vacuum or inert gas environments.

         Metals and alloys that have a high affinity for gases, in particular nitrogen and oxygen are often melted/refined in vacuum induction furnaces to prevent contamination/reaction with these gases. Thus, the process is generally used for processing of high purity materials or materials with tight tolerances on chemical composition.

        Typical alloys that can be melted include nickel, cobalt and iron based superalloys such as;

Nimocast alloys
Inconnel alloys
Mar-M range
Stellites
VMA range
Vac melted 17-4PH
And many others....