Процесс литья нержавеющей стали: пошаговое руководство

2026 Stainless Steel Casting Process Step by Step Guide

Stainless steel investment casting—also called lost-wax casting or точном литье—is a near-net-shape process we use to produce complex, high-accuracy stainless steel parts with excellent surface finish and tight tolerances.

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1. Inject a wax pattern of the part into a precision metal mold (tooling).
2. Assemble multiple wax patterns onto a central wax runner to form a “tree.”
3. Build a ceramic shell around the wax tree by repeated dipping and stucco coating.
4. Dewax the shell in an autoclave (the wax melts out, leaving a hollow ceramic mold).
5. Melt stainless steel in an induction furnace and pour the molten metal into the preheated ceramic shell.
6. Cool and solidify, break the ceramic shell, cut off individual castings, then finish and machine as required.

That is the lost-wax casting process in a nutshell: start with wax, end with precision stainless steel components very close to final shape.

Why Stainless Steel for Investment Casting?

We focus heavily on stainless steel investment casting because stainless alloys offer a combination that many industries demand:

• Коррозионная стойкость – ideal for marine, food, medical, chemical, and outdoor environments.
• Высокая прочность и ударная вязкость – especially with grades like 17-4PH and duplex stainless.
• Clean, attractive surface – perfect for visible, cosmetic, or sanitary parts.
• Stable properties – stainless microstructure and performance can be tightly controlled with proper melting and heat treatment.

The investment casting process itself supports thin walls, intricate passages, sharp detail, and smooth surfaces, which matches extremely well with what stainless steel users typically need.

Stainless Steel Casting vs Carbon Steel Casting

We cast both stainless and carbon steels, but there are key differences buyers should understand:

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Тип сплава	cURL Too many subrequests.	cURL Too many subrequests.	Ключевые особенности
cURL Too many subrequests.	cURL Too many subrequests.	304	cURL Too many subrequests.
cURL Too many subrequests.	cURL Too many subrequests.	316	cURL Too many subrequests.
cURL Too many subrequests.	cURL Too many subrequests.	316L	cURL Too many subrequests.
cURL Too many subrequests.	17-4PH	17-4PH	cURL Too many subrequests.
Дуплекс	2205	cURL Too many subrequests.	cURL Too many subrequests.
cURL Too many subrequests.	2507	cURL Too many subrequests.	Extreme corrosion + high strength
Duplex Cast Alloy	CD4MCu	Similar to 25Cr duplex	Excellent corrosion, especially in pumps/valves

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Austenitic Stainless Steel Casting (CF8, CF8M, CF3M)

These are the workhorses of stainless steel investment casting.

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  • Good for: general industrial parts, brackets, housings, non-aggressive environments
  • Pros: most economical stainless, easy to cast, good formability
  • Limit: not ideal for high chlorides or marine exposure
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  • Good for: food equipment, marine fittings, pumps, valves, chemical equipment
  • Pros: molybdenum improves pitting and crevice corrosion; better in seawater and chemicals
  • Cost: slightly higher than CF8 but often worth it for longer life
• CF3M (316L)
  • Good for: welded structures, hygienic and sanitary parts, medical and food-grade products
  • Pros: low carbon, avoids carbide precipitation at welds, keeps corrosion resistance in heat-affected zones
  • Common in: dairy fittings, sanitary valves, pharma components

If you’re comparing stainless vs alloy steel for corrosion and strength, we often point customers to our own stainless and alloy steel overview to decide what makes sense for their application.

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Precipitation Hardening Stainless (17-4PH)

• 17-4PH stainless steel investment casting is our go-to when you need:
  • High strength + good toughness
  • Stable dimensions after heat treatment
  • Moderate to good corrosion resistance
• Типичные применения:
  • Aerospace components
  • Precision mechanical parts
  • High-strength shafts, levers, and arms

Key point: 17-4PH can reach very high mechanical properties after aging, so you often save weight by reducing section thickness.

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Duplex and Super Duplex Stainless (2205, 2507, CD4MCu)

For aggressive environments and high pressure, duplex and super duplex are the smart choice.

• 2205 duplex (duplex 2205 stainless casting)
  • High strength (about 2x austenitic)
  • Very good resistance to stress corrosion cracking
  • Used in: offshore, structural supports, process equipment
• 2507 super duplex (super duplex 2507 casting)
  • Designed for very aggressive chloride environments
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Класс	Коррозионная стойкость	cURL Too many subrequests.	Относительная стоимость	Типичный пример использования
cURL Too many subrequests.	Хорошая	cURL Too many subrequests.	$	cURL Too many subrequests.
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17-4PH	Хорошая	Высокая	$$–$$$	cURL Too many subrequests.
2205	cURL Too many subrequests.	Высокая	$$–$$$	cURL Too many subrequests.
2507	Отличная	cURL Too many subrequests.	$$$	cURL Too many subrequests.
CD4MCu	Отличная	Высокая	$$$	cURL Too many subrequests.

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• 17-4PH stainless steel investment casting
  • Aerospace components, firearm parts, high-precision mechanisms
• Duplex 2205, super duplex 2507, CD4MCu
  • Desalination systems, offshore components, seawater pumps and impellers, high-pressure valves

If you share your operating environment, pressure, temperature, and target cost, we can usually recommend the best stainless steel casting grade in one pass and help you avoid over-specifying (and overpaying) for material you don’t really need.

Stainless Steel Casting Process Overview

Stainless steel investment casting (lost-wax casting) follows a clear, repeatable flow. Here’s the high-level process we run in our stainless steel foundry:

1. Tooling & Wax Patterns
   • Inject wax into precision metal dies to form the part shape.
   • Inspect, repair, and assemble patterns into wax “trees” for efficient pouring.
2. Ceramic Shell Building
   • Repeatedly dip the wax tree into a ceramic slurry, then coat with fine and coarse stucco.
   • Build up 6–10 layers to create a strong, heat-resistant shell around the wax.
3. Dewaxing & Shell Firing
   • Use an autoclave dewaxing process to melt and drain wax without cracking the shell.
   • Fire shells in a kiln to sinter the ceramic, burn off residues, and preheat for pouring.
4. Melting & Pouring Stainless Steel
   • Melt stainless steel in an induction furnace, tightly controlling alloy chemistry.
   • Pour the molten metal into the hot shells at the correct stainless steel pouring temperature for each grade.
5. Cooling, Knockout & Cut-Off
   • Let castings cool under controlled conditions to manage grain structure and distortion.
   • Break the ceramic shell, cut parts off the tree, then grind gates and risers.
6. Heat Treatment & Finishing
   • Heat treat to unlock the full mechanical properties of each stainless grade.
   • Blast, grind, straighten, and machine to final dimensions and surface finish.

Where Investment Casting Fits in the Foundry Workflow

Investment casting sits in the middle of the stainless steel foundry process:

• Upstream: material selection, tooling design, and wax pattern engineering.
• Core: wax injection, shell building, melting, pouring, heat treatment.
• Downstream: machining, surface treatment, and inspection before shipping.

For projects needing corrosion-resistant alloys like austenitic, duplex, and super duplex, we pair this process with our dedicated stainless steel casting materials and controlled melting practice.

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We select tooling material based on volume and part complexity:

• Aluminum tooling
  • Lower cost, faster to build
  • Ideal for prototypes and low–medium volume
  • Slightly less durable, but enough for many OEM and custom projects
• Steel tooling
  • Higher upfront cost, very long life
  • Best for high volume, tight tolerance stainless steel castings
  • Better stability under higher injection pressures and temperatures

If you are not sure which way to go, we balance your annual volume and budget to pick the right option.

How Part Design Affects Tooling Cost and Complexity

Your part geometry directly drives tooling time and cost. Key factors:

• Complex undercuts → need side actions or collapsible cores
• Deep pockets and thin walls → more difficult die machining and wax flow control
• Multiple critical surfaces → more precision machining on the die

Simple, uniform designs usually mean:

• Cheaper tooling
• Faster lead times
• Better process capability and yield

Draft Angles, Radii, and Features That Work Best in Investment Casting

We design for castability from day one. For stainless steel investment casting, good practice is:

• Draft angles
  • 1–2° on external surfaces
  • 2–3° on internal walls where possible
• Radii and fillets
  • Avoid sharp corners; use fillets ≥ 0.5–1.0 mm
  • Smooth transitions between wall thicknesses to reduce stress and hot spots
• Feature design
  • Avoid extremely thin, isolated fins or knife edges
  • Keep wall thickness consistent to reduce distortion and shrinkage defects

Before we cut any tooling, we run a DFM review and, where needed, casting simulation to tune these details. This keeps your stainless steel casting tooling investment efficient and stable over the full product life.

Ceramic Shell Building in Stainless Steel Investment Casting

What the Ceramic Shell Is & Why It Matters

In stainless steel investment casting, the ceramic shell is the “temporary mold” that takes the shape of the wax patterns. Once the wax is removed, this shell has to handle:

• High pouring temperatures of stainless steel
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В качестве правила:

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We engineer the ceramic shell around three key properties:

• Прочность
  • Use appropriate backup materials and enough coats.
  • Control binder content and drying to avoid brittleness or weak bonding.
• Permeability
  • Adjust stucco size and coat sequence so gases can escape during pouring.
  • Avoid over‑thick shells that trap gas and cause porosity.
• Отделка поверхности
  • High‑quality wax patterns + clean primary slurry + fine stucco = smoother as‑cast stainless steel surface.
  • Stable slurry rheology and clean shell room keep surface defects down.

This is what allows us to deliver corrosion‑resistant, high‑precision stainless parts that often need minimal machining and polishing.

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Typical Ceramic Shell Defects & How We Prevent Them

Common ceramic shell issues in stainless steel investment casting include:

• Cracking
  • Causes: fast drying, uneven thickness, sharp geometry, thermal shock.
  • Prevention: controlled drying, balanced coat thickness, proper support during handling and firing.
• Lamination / peel‑off
  • Causes: poor wax cleaning, low green strength, contaminated slurry.
  • Prevention: strict wax cleaning, slurry maintenance, and correct dip times.
• Blisters / runs / sags
  • Causes: slurry too thin/thick, poor draining, humidity problems.
  • Prevention: tight control of viscosity, drain time, and shell room environment.
• Rough surface
  • Causes: contaminated primary slurry, oversized primary stucco, shell erosion.
  • Prevention: maintain clean primary systems, use fine stucco, and limit mechanical damage to shells.

By locking down ceramic shell building, we stabilize the entire stainless steel casting process and support consistent quality on complex precision parts.

Dewaxing and Shell Firing in Stainless Steel Investment Casting

Dewaxing and shell firing are the “make or break” steps in the stainless steel investment casting process. If we get these wrong, we’ll see shell cracks, fins, gas defects, and rough surfaces later. We treat this stage as critical process control, not just a formality.

Autoclave Dewaxing: Key Parameters

For stainless steel investment casting, we mainly use autoclave dewaxing (steam dewaxing) because it protects the ceramic shell and keeps dimensional accuracy tight.

Typical autoclave parameters we work with:

• Temperature: ~150–180 °C (302–356 °F)
• Pressure: ~0.6–1.2 MPa (6–12 bar), depending on shell and wax type
• Time: 5–20 minutes per batch, adjusted to tree size and wax volume

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• A stable, clean surface for a good as-cast surface finish

Why Firing Temperature Is Critical for Stainless Steel Casting Quality

Stainless steel alloys are sensitive to mold reaction, gas pickup, and cooling behavior. The shell firing regime has a direct impact on quality:

• Too low firing temperature:
  • Weak shells → distortion, erosion, or mold breakage during pouring
  • Poor burnout → gas porosity and inclusions
  • Rougher surface finish
• Too high firing temperature:
  • Over-sintered shells → reduced permeability, higher risk of gas defects
  • Possible chemical reaction between shell and stainless steel → discoloration, surface defects, difficult cleaning

We monitor furnace temperature and time with strict records similar to what we use for testing and quality assurance, so every batch of shells is fired within a tight window. This is how we keep consistency, surface quality, and mechanical properties stable across stainless steel investment casting projects.

Melting and Pouring Stainless Steel Casting Process

In our stainless steel investment casting line, melting and pouring is where we lock in the final mechanical properties and surface quality. If this step is not tightly controlled, no amount of finishing can fix it.

Melting Stainless Steel in an Induction Furnace

We melt stainless steel in modern medium-frequency induction furnaces for fast, clean, and controllable heating. Key points:

• Точный контроль temperature, slag, and melt superheat
• Clean charge materials to reduce inclusions and gas pickup
• Real-time monitoring to keep the melt stable and homogeneous

This level of process control is critical for demanding markets like cURL Too many subrequests. и turbomachinery, where we also support high-performance alloys similar to those used in gas turbine components.

Charge Preparation and Chemical Control

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• Correct superheat so metal stays fluid but not overheated
• Proper shell preheat so the metal doesn’t freeze too early

This is what enables us to cast thin wall stainless parts with near-net-shape geometry and minimal machining.

Common Metallurgical Defects and How We Prevent Them

We design the process to avoid the classic stainless steel casting defects:

• Газовая пористость – controlled melt chemistry, degassing, calm pouring
• Shrinkage porosity / cavities – optimized risers, gating, and feeding simulation
• Hot tearing and cracking – proper alloy selection, gating design, and cooling control
• Inclusions and oxide films – clean charge, slag control, low-turbulence pouring

By tackling these at the melting and pouring stage, we deliver stainless steel investment castings that are stable, consistent, and ready for critical machining and assembly.

Cooling, Knockout, and Cut-Off in the Stainless Steel Casting Process

In stainless steel investment casting, cooling, shell knockout, and cut-off are where we lock in final properties and shape. If we rush this stage, we pay for it later in distortion, cracking, and extra machining.

Cooling and Solidification of Stainless Steel Castings

After pouring, we control cooling to balance mechanical properties, microstructure, and dimensional stability:

• Controlled cooling curves prevent hot tearing and excessive residual stress.
• Thin-wall stainless steel castings cool faster, so we adjust tree design and shell thickness to avoid hardness variations across the part.
• For higher alloy grades (17-4PH, duplex, super duplex), we pay close attention to cooling to avoid unwanted phases and loss of toughness.

How Cooling Rate Affects Grain Structure

Cooling rate directly shapes the grain structure and final performance:

• Faster cooling → finer grains, higher strength, better toughness, but higher stress risk.
• Slower cooling → coarser grains, better stress relief, but lower strength and possible shrinkage defects.
• We tune tree layout, shell thickness, and pour temperature to hit the sweet spot for each stainless grade.

Shell Knockout Methods

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Austenitic Stainless (CF8 / 304, CF8M / 316, CF3M / 316L)

For austenitic stainless steel castings (the common 304 / 316 / 316

Finishing Operations and Surface Preparation for Stainless Steel Casting Process

Finishing is where stainless steel investment castings move from “raw cast” to “ready-to-install”. We focus on controlled, repeatable stainless steel casting process steps to get the surface and dimensions exactly where you need them.

Grinding, Cutting, and Fettling

After shell knockout, we remove all gates, runners, and excess metal:

• Обрезка: Band saw or abrasive cut-off to separate parts from the tree.
• Fettling & gate grinding: Precision grinding to remove gate stubs and parting lines without undercutting critical areas.
• Blend-in: Smooth transitions so the casting looks and behaves like a near-net-shape machined part.

We keep heat input low to avoid warping thin-wall stainless steel castings.

Shot Blasting, Sand Blasting, Vibratory Finishing

To clean and unify the surface, we combine different finishing methods:

• Shot blasting / sand blasting: Removes ceramic residue and scale, gives a uniform matte finish.
• Vibratory finishing: Uses media to smooth edges and even out micro-peaks, ideal before polishing or coating.

Media and pressure are tuned to the alloy and geometry, which is key for corrosion‑resistant stainless steel castings used in demanding sectors like компоненты морского машиностроения and OEM equipment.

Straightening and Dimensional Correction

If a part moves slightly during cooling or finishing, we correct it:

• Cold or warm straightening fixtures to pull dimensions back into tolerance.
• Controlled press and jig systems to protect critical sealing faces and bores.

This is especially important for long, thin, or asymmetrical stainless steel investment castings.

Deburring and Edge Smoothing

For safety and function, no sharp edges:

• Manual deburring and edge breaking on all handling and assembly areas.
• Targeted chamfers and radii where gaskets, O‑rings, or operators contact the part.

Smooth edges also reduce crack initiation points and improve fatigue life.

How Finishing Affects Surface Roughness and Appearance

Finishing operations directly control your final surface:

• As‑blasted surfaces: good for industrial use, paint, or powder coat.
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Over time, we refine compensation using actual measurement data from production parts.

When and Why to Specify Tighter Tolerances

You should only tighten tolerances where they add real value, for example:

• Sealing faces и mating fits
• Bearing bores and shaft interfaces
• Locating features that control assembly position

For these areas we often design a “cast + finish machine” approach: keep the casting close, then remove minimal stock in machining to hit very tight limits. Over-tolerancing non-critical areas only increases cost with no benefit.

Measurement Methods and Inspection Tools

To keep dimensional tolerances under control, we use:

• КММ (координатно-измерительная машина) for complex 3D profiles and tight features.
• Оптические и визуальные системы for small and intricate details.
• Digital calipers, micrometers, bore gauges, height gauges for routine checks.
• Индивидуальные калибры и приспособления for fast production inspection.

For new parts, we provide full Первоначальный контрольный осмотр (FAI) reports tied to drawings and material heat numbers so you have a complete traceable package.

Surface Finish Quality and Roughness in Stainless Steel Casting

Standard As-Cast Surface Finish

For stainless steel investment casting, the as-cast surface finish is already quite smooth compared with sand casting or fabrication.

• Типичный как-отливка Ra: 3.2–6.3 μm (125–250 μin)
• With optimized tooling and process: 1.6–3.2 μm (63–125 μin)
• This level is usually good enough for many structural and industrial stainless steel castings without full machining.

We control the lost-wax casting process tightly so you get near-net-shape stainless parts with a clean, uniform appearance right out of the shell.

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How Wax and Ceramic Shell Affect Surface Roughness

Surface quality in stainless steel investment casting is driven by two things: the wax pattern and the ceramic shell.

Wax pattern quality:

• Smooth, dense wax patterns = smoother stainless steel casting surface
• Контролируемый wax injection parameters (temperature, pressure, cooling) reduce sink marks and distortion
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The goal is simple: hit your surface finish spec with the minimum number of extra operations, keeping cost under control.

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As-Cast vs Machining and Other Processes

Here’s how investment casting stainless steel compares to other methods:

• As-cast investment casting
  • Best combination of surface finish and cost for complex shapes
  • Usually reduces machining time versus sand castings or welded fabrications
• Fully machined from bar/forging
  • Can reach tighter Ra easily, but material waste and machine time are much higher
  • Makes sense only for low volume or very high precision sealing surfaces
• Песочное литье
  • Much rougher surface, needs heavy machining for cosmetic or sealing surfaces
  • Better suited for very large parts where surface finish is not critical
• Metal injection molding (MIM)
  • Very fine surface finish on small, high-volume parts
  • Limited part size and often higher tooling cost

For most global OEM customers, stainless steel investment casting sits in the sweet spot: good as-cast finish, complex geometry, and lower total cost than full machining.

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When Mirror Polishing or Cosmetic Finishing Makes Sense

We often get requests for mirror polishing stainless steel castings. It’s great in the right situation but overkill in others.

Mirror or high cosmetic finishing makes sense when:

• You’re in food, dairy, pharmaceutical or medical and need hygiene and easy cleaning
• Parts are visible to end-users (handles, marine hardware, architectural fittings)
• You need a strong brand / premium look with high visual impact
• Corrosion resistance needs a boost in aggressive or marine environments (paired with cURL Too many subrequests. or cURL Too many subrequests.)

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• Mechanical testing:
  • Tensile, yield, elongation
  • Hardness (HB/HRC)
  • Impact (Charpy) when required
• Material Test Reports (MTR):
  Heat‑lot based certificates with chemical composition, mechanical properties, and heat treatment records.
• PMI (Positive Material Identification):
  Handheld spectrometer checks on stainless steel castings to confirm the exact alloy grade (e.g. CF8, CF8M, 17‑4PH, duplex 2205).

With this combination of NDT, mechanical testing, and full traceability, we keep our custom stainless steel casting service reliable for long‑term, repeat orders. If you need project‑specific control plans or PPAP/FAI packages, just share your requirements when you contact our stainless steel casting team.

Stainless Steel Investment Casting vs Other Processes

Choosing the right manufacturing method for stainless steel parts depends on geometry, volume, tolerance needs, and cost targets. The table below summarizes how investment casting compares with CNC machining, sand casting, die casting, and MIM to help you quickly identify the best-fit process.

Stainless Steel Investment Casting vs Other Processes — Summary Table

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• High repeatability for medium to high volume production runs

This is why many global OEMs use investment casting for standard valve bodies, pump housings, marine hardware, and precision industrial components.

Lightweight Design Support

Because we can combine тонкими стенками, optimized geometry, и strong stainless alloys, investment casting is perfect for lightweighting:

• Remove unnecessary mass with ribs, pockets, and topology-optimized shapes
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• Improve ergonomics and reduce shipping costs

Вы получаете high strength, corrosion resistance, and lower weight in one process – ideal for aerospace, medical, marine, and high-end industrial applications.

Limitations and Challenges of Stainless Steel Casting

Stainless steel investment casting is powerful, but it’s not always the perfect fit. Here’s where the process can bite if we don’t plan it right.

Tooling Cost and Lead Time

• High upfront tooling (NRE) cost – Injection dies and fixtures are custom-made, so low-volume or one-off projects may not justify the spend.
• Tooling lead time – A new stainless steel casting tool typically takes 3–6 weeks to design, machine, and debug, depending on complexity.
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Part Size and Weight Limits

• Investment casting works best for small to medium parts. Very large or very heavy parts are better done by песочное литье or fabrication.
• Extremely thick sections can cause shrinkage defects, while ultra-thin walls beyond process limits can cause misruns or incomplete fill.

From Tooling to First Samples

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For medical devices, stainless steel investment casting delivers clean, precise, and reliable parts:

• Surgical instruments, grips, and handles
• Orthopedic components and brackets
• Robotic surgery hardware and housings

We use high‑grade stainless alloys with excellent corrosion resistance and clean surface finish to support strict medical hygiene and regulatory requirements.

Food & Dairy Processing Parts

Food and dairy systems demand sanitary, easy‑to-clean parts:

• Hygienic valve bodies and pump housings
• Fittings, couplings, and connectors
• Spray nozzles and flow control components

Smooth surfaces, tight tolerances, and food‑grade stainless steels (like 316/316L) help reduce bacterial traps and simplify CIP (clean‑in‑place) routines. Many of these products also overlap with our broader process and OEM industries experience.

Marine & Desalination Hardware

Marine and desalination environments are harsh, so corrosion resistance is critical:

• Deck hardware, hinges, cleats, and brackets
• Desalination plant components and fittings
• Corrosion‑resistant pump and valve parts

We typically use 316/316L, duplex, and super duplex stainless for long life in saltwater and high‑chloride conditions.

Pump, Valve Bodies & Impellers

Pump and valve manufacturers rely heavily on investment casting for:

• Complex pump bodies and impellers
• High‑pressure valve bodies and bonnets
• Flow control internals and trim components

Casting near‑net‑shape reduces machining, improves flow paths, and keeps performance consistent batch to batch.

Aerospace & Defense Parts

Where weight, strength, and reliability are key, stainless steel investment casting fits well:

• Структурные кронштейны и корпуса
• Engine and exhaust components
• Weapon system and defense hardware components

We support strict material traceability, documentation, and quality control for aerospace and defense applications.

General Industrial & OEM Uses

Stainless steel investment casting shows up everywhere in industrial and OEM products:

• Automation and robotic components
• Power tools and hand tool hardware
• Agricultural, construction, and mining equipment parts

The combination of design freedom, repeatability, and good mechanical properties makes stainless steel investment casting a smart choice for OEMs scaling from samples to mass production.

Choosing a Stainless Steel Casting Supplier

What to look for in a stainless steel investment casting foundry

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  • Duplex 2205, super duplex 2507, CD4MCu
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My approach is: we show you what’s happening in the foundry so you’re not guessing. Photos, videos, and open discussion are standard.

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Communication and responsiveness

Most casting problems are communication problems that showed up late. For global programs, I focus on:

• Fast, clear responses to RFQs, technical questions, and design changes
• A single project owner on our side who follows your job from RFQ to mass production
• Regular updates on:
  • Tooling status
  • Sample timing
  • Process issues and countermeasures (if anything goes off-track)

Good stainless steel investment casting is not just about pouring metal. It’s about how quickly we react when something needs to change. That’s usually what decides if your project hits the launch date or not.