1. Basic concepts of water glass casting and investment casting
Water glass casting, also known as silicate casting, is a casting process that uses water glass as a binder to bond refractory materials into shape. Its characteristics are that water glass has good bonding and refractory properties and can maintain the shape and strength of the mold at high temperatures.
Investment casting, also known as lost wax casting or precision casting, is a casting method that makes a wax mold that is easy to melt, then immerses it in a refractory material to solidify and shape it, and finally melts the wax mold by heating to obtain the desired casting. Investment casting is known for its high precision, high complexity and high surface quality.
2. Process comparison between water glass casting and investment casting
Water glass casting and investment casting have certain similarities in the process flow. Both require mold making, but the two are different in the selection of mold materials and molding methods. Water glass casting mainly relies on water glass as a binder, and the mold is made through stirring, molding, hardening and other steps. Investment casting uses wax or other materials that are easy to melt to make molds, and then goes through multiple coating, drying and hardening processes, and finally melts the wax mold by heating to form a casting.
3. Characteristics and applications of water glass casting and investment casting
Water glass casting has the advantages of low cost, simple process and short production cycle, and is suitable for the production of large, medium and some small castings. However, due to the relatively low precision and poor surface quality of water glass casting, its application is limited in products with high precision, high complexity and high surface quality requirements.
Investment casting is widely used in aviation, aerospace, automobile, machine tool, shipbuilding, chemical industry and other fields due to its high precision, high complexity and high surface quality. Investment casting can produce castings with complex structure, precise size and smooth surface to meet the needs of the high-end market.