Why choose investment casting for stainless steel parts manufacturing?

Why choose lost wax casting for stainless steel parts manufacturing?
For stainless steel parts requiring complex shapes, dimensional accuracy, and material integrity, lost wax casting (investment casting) is the optimal choice. Compared to machining or welded structures, it offers an excellent balance of cost and quality.
■ Overview
When manufacturing industrial parts from stainless steel, designers and production managers compare and consider either lost wax casting (investment casting), machining, or assembly by welding.
While each has its advantages, lost wax casting is the most efficient method when complex shapes are required, and optimization of material strength, dimensional accuracy, and mass production costs is sought.
■ Cases where lost wax casting should be chosen
✔ When complex shapes or hollow structures are required
Complex shapes and hollow sections that are impossible or too costly to achieve with machining can be accurately integrally formed using a wax model.
✔ When material integrity and structural strength are prioritized
Lost wax casting allows for seamless integral forming, eliminating stress concentration and leak risks associated with welding, thereby enhancing structural reliability.
✔ When aiming to reduce costs in medium to large-volume production
While initial mold costs are incurred, the subsequent per-unit cost is significantly reduced compared to welding or individual machining. This is particularly advantageous for medium-to-large lot mass production.
✔ When strict dimensional tolerances and surface roughness are required
A tolerance of ±0.2mm can be expected at the casting stage, and Kobayashi Casting can achieve an accuracy of ±0.01mm through subsequent finishing processes. The smooth surface also reduces the man-hours for additional processing.
■ Typical applications suitable for lost wax casting
・Hollow and thin-walled stainless steel fittings and pump parts
・Precision fluid components that do not tolerate leaks (medical, semiconductor)
・Food and chemical equipment parts requiring chemical and corrosion resistance
・High-quality parts for export (traceability, 100% inspection compatible)
Lost wax casting is a highly suitable technology for mass-producing complex stainless steel parts with high quality, high precision, and low cost. For challenges that cannot be fully addressed by machining or welding, integral forming through casting enables the coexistence of functionality and reliability.
At Kobayashi Casting, leveraging Japanese technology, we are providing high-precision lost wax casting at our Vietnam factory. We achieve a finishing accuracy of ±0.01mm and support a wide range of stainless steel materials such as SCS13, SCS14, CF8, CF8M, CF3, CF3M, and 17-4PH. We offer integrated services from casting to machining, 3D measurement, and material analysis.
■ For details, please download the PDF or feel free to contact us.