Investment casting is one of the most precise metal-forming processes, capable of producing complex and high-performance components for aerospace, medical, and industrial applications. However, even the best castings can benefit from an additional step: heat treatment.
By carefully manipulating temperature and cooling rates, metallurgists can dramatically alter a metal’s microstructure—enhancing strength, hardness, ductility, and corrosion resistance. In this article, we’ll explore how heat treatment refines investment castings and the science behind these critical transformations.
Heat treatment isn't just an optional extra—it’s vital for achieving:
✔ Improved mechanical properties (tensile strength, fatigue resistance)
✔ Enhanced wear resistance for longer component life
✔ Relief of internal stresses, reducing warping or cracking
✔ Optimized machinability for post-casting processing
Heats the metal to a critical temperature, then slowly cools it.
Reduces hardness, improving machinability and ductility.
Ideal for stainless steel and tool steel castings.
Quenching: Rapid cooling (in oil, water, or air) locks in a hard microstructure.
Tempering: Reheating at lower temperatures reduces brittleness while retaining strength.
Used for high-performance alloys in automotive and defense applications.
Essential for nickel-based superalloys (e.g., Inconel) in jet engines.
Dissolves secondary phases, improving creep resistance at high temperatures.
Often followed by aging for peak hardness.
Low-temperature heating reduces residual stresses from casting.
Critical for large or complex geometries prone to distortion.
Key factors include:
Contact: Terry Zhang
Phone: +86-13515399527 (Whatsapp/wechat)
E-mail: zhang@senjiagroup.com
Add: No 106 Jinqueshan Road, Linyi, China
