Investment Casting from the Pyramids to the Present

Investment Casting From the Pyramids to the Present, also referred to as lost-wax casting, has been in use for over 5,000 years, from the pyramids right up to the present. The basic idea behind the process is to create a model out of wax of the object to be cast or created. In the present, other materials that have a low melt temperature may be used in place of the common wax that’s been used for millennia.


As an example, an artisan might sculpt a little statue of a cow out of wax, taking care to detail around the eyes, hooves and horns. The wax model is then covered by the material that will create a mold, as described below.


Investment Casting from the Pyramids to the Present - 1: Once the model is created it is then covered with plaster or sand to create a mold of the model. After the mold has set, it is placed in a kiln or oven and heated to a high enough temperature to melt the wax, which flows out of the mold and is “lost”, thus the reason for the term “lost wax casting.” This leaves a hollow in the exact shape of the original wax model; in this example, the wax cow. Continue...