In investment casting, the coating is done by dipping a wax or suitable polymer pattern into a refractory slurry. Once the refractory coating has hardened, this dipping process is repeated several times to increase coating thickness and strength. Once the final coating has hardened, the wax is melted and the molten metal is poured into the cavity formed by the wax pattern. Once the metal has solidified within the mold, the metal casting is removed by breaking the refractory mold.

Investment casting, also known as lost wax casting, is a precision metal casting process that produces castings with high precision and intricate detail compared to similar manufacturing processes such as sand casting.
Typical parts include turbine rotors, gears, electronics housings, valves, jewelry and dental fixtures. In the past, this process has successfully cast parts up to 1.5 meters in diameter and weighing up to 1140 kilograms, but typical parts have an average size of less than 100 millimeters and a weight of less than 500 grams.

History of Investment Casting
Although investment casting has been used in various forms since it was first used by the ancient Egyptians between 4000 and 3000 BC, it was not until after World War II that the growing demand for aircraft engine and airframe components Its industrial importance and popularity have only increased.
Lost wax casting has changed from the past of bees wax molds wrapped in clay to the use of ceramic shells and the introduction of special dewaxing furnaces.
High manufacturing costs of master patterns have traditionally limited investment casting to high-volume production. Nonetheless, the introduction of 3D printing of wax patterns in recent years has eliminated the cost of manufacturing molds and enabled them to be used for shorter runs.

Investment Casting Casting and 3D Printing
The investment casting method benefits from additive manufacturing in several ways. The most obvious benefit is that there is no need for a mold, and this method can print very detailed patterns in no time.
Combining the latest manufacturing technology 3D printing with the oldest metal forming technology investment casting reduces development time and tooling costs during engineered product development.
By skipping the most common methods of making master patterns, molds and wax patterns, the investment casting process can be reduced to fewer steps. As a result, production time is greatly reduced, from weeks to days.

Benefits of 3d Printing Investment Casting Models
Reduce tooling costs by making just the right amount of casting from a CAD model in 24-48 hours.
Reduce the time required to create tools.
Reduce the amount spent and the amount of space required for tool storage.
Delivery of non-formable goods