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Precision Investment Casting Services
Investment casting reproduces a wax pattern in metal, so a part with thin walls, fine detail and cored passages can come out of the mold close to its finished shape. Kormax supplies precision investment castings from 0.2 to 330 lb (0.1 to 150 kg) in stainless, carbon and low-alloy steel for the US, cast in a vetted foundry network and machined to print where the drawing calls for it.
STAINLESS · CARBON · LOW-ALLOY STEEL · 0.2 TO 330 LB (0.1 TO 150 KG)
How Investment Casting Works
Investment casting, also known as lost wax casting, builds a ceramic shell around a wax replica of the part. The wax is melted out and molten metal is poured into the cavity it leaves. Because the shell forms against every surface of the pattern, the casting carries detail a sand mold cannot hold, and typically needs less machining as a result.
The pattern comes from a metal tooling die. That die is a one-off cost spread across repeat orders, so unit cost falls as annual volume rises. For larger or heavier parts, sand casting covers castings to over 110,000 lb (50,000 kg).
The Investment Casting Process
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01 Tooling
A metal die is machined to the part geometry, with allowance for the shrinkage of wax and metal as each cools.
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02 Wax injection
Wax is injected into the die to form a pattern of the part. Patterns are assembled on a wax runner system, the tree, so several parts are cast in one pour.
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03 Shell building
The tree is dipped in ceramic slurry, coated in refractory sand and dried. Repeating the cycle builds the shell to the thickness the part needs.
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04 Dewaxing
Once the shell has dried, typically for 24 to 36 hours, the wax is melted out in a steam autoclave, leaving a hollow ceramic mold.
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05 Firing and pouring
The shell is fired in a furnace to cure it and burn out residual wax, then filled with molten metal.
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06 Knockout and finishing
Once the metal has solidified and cooled, the shell is broken away, the parts are cut from the tree and the gates ground back, ahead of heat treatment, machining and inspection as specified.
A step-by-step guide with diagrams is in the investment casting process steps resource.
Kormax Investment Casting Foundries
Kormax partners with specialized foundries globally to deliver sand casting solutions for large, heavy, and high-volume components. Each foundry is vetted for capacity, material capability, and process reliability. By matching your requirements to the most suitable foundry, we ensure the right fit for demanding industrial applications while reducing supply risk.
Facility 1
Capacity:
Approx. 18,000 MT annual casting capacity
Single-piece weight range: 25 kg to 6,000 kg
Multi-site operation with 400+ employees
Specializations:
High-integrity alloy and stainless steel castings
Carbon steel, alloy steel, duplex, and nickel-based alloys
Medium to large cast components
Raw and fully machined castings
Proven capability in critical applications
Relevant certifications:
ISO 9001
TUV Nord
Ideal for:
Oil and gas, energy, and heavy industry
Marine and offshore applications
Power generation and mining
Critical infrastructure and OEM equipment
Facility 2
Capacity:
Approx. 6,000 MT annual casting capacity
Single-piece weight range: 30 kg to 850 kg
Specializations:
Alloy, carbon, and manganese steel castings
Valve, pump, and general engineering components
In-house metal and sand testing laboratories
Non-destructive testing (NDT) capability
Engineering support for custom casting development
Relevant certifications:
ISO 9001
Ideal for:
Valve and pump components
General industrial applications
OEM machinery and equipment
Quality-controlled casting projects
Kormax aligns your casting requirements with the right foundry partner, managing sourcing, production, and delivery end-to-end. This approach reduces variability and ensures reliable, high-quality outcomes.
Investment Casting Advantages
Design review and MAGMASOFT® simulation are available for parts Kormax will cast (Casting Design (DFM)), and machining is carried out on the castings Kormax supplies (Casting Machining).
Stainless and Steel Investment Castings
Investment castings for the US are supplied in two alloy families. Stainless steel investment casting covers corrosion-resistant parts for pumps, valves and marine hardware. Steel investment casting, in carbon and low-alloy grades, covers load-bearing parts where strength and hardenability matter more than corrosion resistance.
| Alloy family | Grade types | Typical parts |
|---|---|---|
| Stainless steels | Austenitic (CF8, CF8M, CF3M), martensitic (CA15, CB7Cu-1), duplex | Pump and valve bodies, impellers, marine hardware, hydraulic components |
| Carbon and low-alloy steels | Carbon steel (ASTM A216 WCB) and low-alloy grades | Couplings, crankshafts, fasteners and bolts, shafts, rods, pins |
Cast stainless grades are specified to ASTM A351, A743, A744 and A747, depending on grade and service.
What We Investment Cast, and Who For
The components below are the ones most often investment cast, with the alloys each is typically specified in. Parts from 0.2 to 330 lb (0.1 to 150 kg) that are not listed are often still within range.
Pumps, Valves & Fluid Power
Impellers, wear plates, back covers, valve bodies and manifold blocks for pump and valve OEMs and hydraulic equipment builders. Cast in carbon steel to ASTM A216 WCB and in CF8M and CF3M stainless, then machined and finished to the drawing, with pressure testing on request.
Water & Wastewater Equipment
Pump volutes and impellers, and valve and hydrant components, for the OEMs who build municipal and industrial water equipment. Corrosion-resistant stainless grades for wetted parts.
Oil, Gas & Power Generation
Surface and balance-of-plant castings: valve and pump bodies, compressor components, heat exchanger components and pressure-containing parts. Carbon steel to ASTM A216 WCB, low-alloy grades for elevated temperature, and duplex and super-duplex stainless for sour and produced-water service.
Machine Shops & Industrial OEMs
Contract machine shops and industrial equipment builders source castings from Kormax to feed their own machining capacity: rail, material handling, compressor, gearbox and general industrial components. Supplied as raw castings for finishing in-house, or fully machined to print, from prototype through production quantities.
Marine & Workboat
Seawater pump and valve components, rudder and stern gear parts, and deck equipment housings. CF8M, the cast equivalent of 316 stainless, plus duplex and super-duplex grades where seawater corrosion and cavitation set the specification rather than load.
Medical & Laboratory Capital Equipment
Sterilizer and autoclave components and centrifuge housings for laboratory and medical capital equipment, supplied under the Kormax ISO 9001 quality management system. Capital equipment only: implants and devices requiring ISO 13485 are not supplied.
Request a Quote
Kormax supplies precision investment castings in stainless, carbon and low-alloy steel from 0.2 to 330 lb (0.1 to 150 kg) for the US. Send the drawing or 3D model, the alloy and the annual volume to request a quote.