DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR INVESTMENT CASTING

• Max Part Size - 16" Cube
• Max Part Weight - ~30 LB
• Air Melt Capacity 50#
• Vacuum Melt Capacity 50#

Gates are the contacts on a part where the runners of liquid metal
feed into a part cavity within a mold. A goal for good casting
design is a part that can be produced with a single gate contact.
Multiple gates can be used however; less gate contacts will reduce
product finishing costs.

Alloy Group Min Wall
Low Carbon & Low Alloy Steel 0.060”
Stainless Steel – PH & 400 Series 0.060”
Stainless Steel - 300 Series 0.040”
Cobalt & Nickel base Alloys 0.030”

Hole Diameter Max Depth
.0625"-.125" .5 x hole diameter
.125"-.500" 1 x hole diameter

.500" 2 x hole diameter

Hole Diameter ** ** Max Depth
.0625"-.125" 2 x hole diameter
.126"-.250" 3 x hole diameter
.251"-.500" 4 x hole diameter

.500' 6 x hole diameter

Feature Size Tolerance: std/premium
<1" +/- .005" / .003"

1" add .003" per inch

0.030" - .060” min recommended. Low limit of 0.010"

Tolerances of 0.003" to 0.005" / inch

A tolerance of 0.005" per inch of distance between two features is normal.

Angle tolerances of +/- 1/2 degree are normal

Normal finish is 125 RMS, and 90 RMS premium

Since cast surfaces are not perfectly flat and square, dimensional inspection and set-up for secondary operations is best done using target points to establish primary, secondary
and tertiary datums.

Preferred height of .010”-.020” letters. Radii on the font corners is preferred.

After removal of gating system a remnant pad of .015 – .030” is preferred

No draft allowance is needed for investment casting.