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Lost Foam Casting

Lost Foam casting improves surface finish and lead times.

As the years roll on so too does technology and what we have the ability to do. Recently we have implemented a new lost foam casting process to the long list of services that we offer.

Lost Foam is an innovative process that produces castings with a better surface finish, it reduces the time needed to create the molds and faster molding means shorter lead times.

Lost-foam casting (LFC) is a type of evaporative-pattern casting process; it’s a fast, accurate and cost effective way to make cast parts and will help us to fulfil our orders faster.

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The LFC Process

  • The molding process can be done in a single box, with sand packed around a polystyrene pattern. Previously we would have to make the 2 halves of the mold individually and then join them together.
  • The mold is put under vacuum and the molten steel poured into the polystyrene
  • The heat from the steel vapourises the polystyrene and fills the space left by the polystyrene pattern.
  • The vacuum removes the gases to a scrubber
    The cast part is removed from the flask and cooled

Here are a few facts about LFC

  • No draft is required as the pattern is vapourised in the pouring process
  • The process is dimensionally accurate requiring less machining
  • LFC maintains an excellent surface finish (so less finishing is required)
  • Lost Foam is also an environmentally friendly process as emissions are low and the sand is reused
  • In a nutshell the LFC process is more efficient, meaning we can make more castings with better lead times

Although Lost-foam casting was invented in the early fifties by Canadian sculptor Armand Vaillancourt, the technology available to us today allows us to deliver better more accurate castings utilising age old techniques.

We love the efficiencies it creates and the drastic reduction in lead-time it offers us.

Ask us if we can use the Lost Foam Process on your orders.