Cire-perdue aka lost wax casting is a type of metal casting in which a liquid form of metal is poured into a specific mold (created by means of the wax model). After obtaining the mold, the prepared model of wax is liquified again and exhausted away from the mold. Lost wax casting is further divided into two categories.
- Silica sol casting
- Water glass casting
Silica sol casting: The technique of silica sol casting is used for manufacturing those products that require highly precise dimensions along with high-level corrosion resistance. The products that are made by this type of casting also have great surface quality. Silica sol casting is divided into four major steps. The essential steps involved in silica sol casting are given below:
- Making of wax
- Making of shell
- Preparation of casting
- Post-processing
One of the disadvantages of silica sol casting is that it is a little bit expensive as compared to water glass casting.
Water glass casting: Sodium silicate casting aka water glass casting is an advanced casting method in which water is used as a binder for the shell to cast. This type of casting is usually used for obtaining large complex shapes with high accuracy. The parts that are obtained from this type of casting are used in various industries including agricultural machinery, overseas industries, and more.
One of the greatest edges of water glass casting is that it is cheap as compared to water glass casting.