Stainless Steel Investment Casting: Why Buyers Bring These Parts to Lantian
Stainless is unforgiving. It shrinks more than carbon steel, it work-hardens under the tool, and every extra machining pass on a 316 part costs real money. That is why so much stainless work ends up in lost wax rather than sand.
What the Process Gives You
A wax replica is built, assembled onto a tree, shelled in ceramic, then melted out. Metal is poured into the hollow shell. Because nothing is withdrawn from the mould, there is no draft angle and no parting line — the part comes out close to finished.
For stainless specifically, three things matter:
- Surface as cast. Ra 3.2–6.3 μm is typical, so cosmetic and flow surfaces often need no finishing at all.
- Thin walls. Sections down to around 2 mm are achievable, which steel casting struggles with in stainless.
- Less machining. Fewer passes on a hard, gummy alloy is where the cost actually comes out.
Grades We Pour
Tell us the service environment rather than the grade if you are unsure — the right choice often differs from the one on the drawing.
Where It Fits
Valve bodies and discs, pump impellers and casings, marine hardware and deck fittings, food-processing components, instrument housings. Common thread: corrosion service plus geometry that would need cores in sand.
When It Is Not the Right Route
Very large or heavy parts — the ceramic shell becomes hard to handle. Simple shapes in low quantity — sand is cheaper. We will say so upfront rather than push a process that does not fit.
Our Side of It
Lantian runs the full route in-house: tooling, wax, shell, pour, heat treatment, and machining. Inspection covers chemistry by spectrometer, dimensional check against your drawing, and NDT (PT, X-ray) where the specification calls for it. Quality system certified to ISO 9001:2015.
Send Us Your Drawing
Share the 2D or 3D file, annual quantity, grade or service conditions, and any pressure or NDT requirement. We will return a manufacturability review, lead time, and price.
Contact us for a free DFM review and quotation.