The Affordable Stainless Steel Solution
Stainless steel investment castings can achieve high levels of corrosion and abrasion resistance without machining or plating, making it one of the most investment casting-friendly metals available. The stainless steel casting process produces very little waste and is often the preferred method for avoiding the high costs of stainless steel
PCT offers stainless steel investment castings in a wide variety of alloys, including 300, 400, cobalt and nickel investment castings base. We specialize in turnkey designs of stainless steel investment castings in the 0 to 20 lbs range and are equipped to produce castings up to 100+ lbs. Our design capabilities include:
- Intricate, near-net shape parts without secondary machining
- Easily convert multiple parts into single assemblies
- Thin walls for weight reduction opportunities
- Surface texture of 125 rms or better
- Tolerances within +/- .005 inches per linear inch
- Highly complex dimensional geometry
From concept to completion, PCT can help you meet the form, fit, and function of your design.
FORM – UNIQUE STAINLESS STEEL PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Stainless steel is aesthetically pleasing, and can meet any surface finishing requirement without the need for plating. Stainless steel investment castings can be polished to a mirror finish for the ultimate in corrosion resistance -- even in salty marine conditions.
FIT – HOW WE MAKE STAINLESS STEEL WORK FOR YOU
Stainless steel is very receptive to the investment casting process. When poured, stainless steel completely fills the wax pattern mold to virtually eliminate voids and surface pitting. Parts that originally required multiple assemblies can be converted into stronger, single parts. The simplicity of our casting process allows for high production rates and consistent dimensional accuracy.
Stainless steels, especially precipitating hardening grades, can undergo heat treating to achieve the same mechanical properties as alloy steel while retaining native corrosion resistance. Secondary annealing is also available for applications requiring softer metals.
Additional stainless steel heating techniques include solution annealing, induction hardening, quenching, tempering, normalizing, aging, carbonizing, carbon restoring, and case hardening.
FUNCTION – REAL-WORLD STAINLESS STEEL CASTING EXAMPLES
Austenitic's low magnetic permeability and versatile mechanical properties makes it ideal for sensors and electronics. Austenitic is ideal for food processing as it does not absorb the acid wash used on or near food processing machinery.
The military and optical instrumentation industries commonly employ Martensitic steel due to its ability to retain hardness, shape, and precision under extreme temperatures and conditions. Martensitic loses a portion of austenitic's corrosion resistance but outperforms austenitic in strength. Martensitic stainless steel can be precipitation hardened for addition tensile and yield strength.
Contact PCT's Stainless Steel Investment Castings Division for more information on the benefits of the investment casting process.
Stainless Steel Investment Casting Inventory
302 IC CF20, AMS 5358B, ASTM A-743, MIL-S-81591
303 IC CF-16F, AMS 5341B, ASTM A-743, MIL-S-81591
304 IC CF-8, AMS 5370B, ASTM A-351, MIL-S-81591
304L IC CF-3, AMS 5317C, ASTM A-351, MIL-S-81591
310 IC CK-20, ASTM A-351, MIL-S-81591, UNS S3100
316 IC CF8M, AMS 5360D, ASTM A-351, MIL-S-81591
316L IC CF3M, AMS 5361D, ASTM A-351, MIL-S-81591
347 IC CF-8C, AMS 5362G, ASTM A-351, MIL-S-81591
CN7M ASTM A-351, ASTM A-743
CA6NM ASTM A-352
410 IC CA-15, AMS 5350 G, ASTM A-487, MIL-S-81591
416 IC 416, AMS 5349B, MIL-S-81591
420 IC CA-40, MIL-S-81591
440C IC 440C, AMS 5352C, MIL-S-51891
442 ASTM A-743 GR CB30