Organic fibre modified ceramic shell moulding for investment casting

Investment casting research is being carried out by the University of Birmingham sponsored by the EPSRC and a consortium of industrial companies. The programme is aimed at developing a fundamental understanding of the process, with a view to routinely producing sound, net shape castings. The casting of liquid metals to produce solid objects is a manufacturing process, which has been practised for over five thousand years, with investment casting being one of the oldest known metal shaping methods. The technique itself has tremendous advantages in the production of quality components and key benefits of accuracy, versatility and integrity. As a result the process is one of the most economic methods of forming a wide range of metal components. Environmental and economic pressures have, however, resulted in a need for the industry to improve current casting quality, reduce manufacturing costs and explore new markets for the process. Optimisation of the mechanical and physical properties of the ceramic shell will be fundamental to achieving these aims. This paper reports on the work carried out to determine the applicability of the use of fibres as reinforcement media for investment shells and to explore methods by which the use of organic fibres can improve ceramic shell performance.