Lost Wax Metal Casting is known as Cire Perdue in French. It is a process in which an artist’s sculpture is used to cast bronze. The Lost Wax Casting method is also known as  Investment Casting in the modern industrial world. A long time ago in ancient times, this method was used to cast small bronze sculptures but as it has evolved today, it is used to make a lot of different things and each foundry uses the process differently. Today this developed method of Lost Wax Casting is used to make articles like fine jewelery, show pieces, dental restoration, a few specific industrial parts and also some machine tools.

Process of Lost Wax Metal Casting :
 
Rough Sculptor making: A creative artist makes an original sculptor or mold or an artwork by using raw material like wax, plaster of Paris or clay. A mixture of oil based clay and wax is preferred as these materials retain their softness.

When you hear the term Final Mold Making, you will then know that the mold is made as per the original sculptor. Because you have a mold that you need to put back together, you need this mold to be made up of two pieces with a shim placed between the two pieces. Molds are generally made using plaster or fiberglass or any other material that may be suitable. An inner mold of latex or vinyl or silicone is put pup preserve the details of the original art work. Generally, the original art work made of plaster mold cracks and breaks during the initial phase of deconstruction. Many a times, numerable molds are required to get the exact replica of the original art work.

Filling up the mold: Once the latex and plaster mold is complete and finished, molten wax is poured into the mold till it gets an even coating all around the mold. The thickness of the wax coating is around 1/8 inch. This process is then repeated until the desired thickness is achieved.

Removal of wax replica: The hollow wax replica of the original art work is then removed from the mold. It would be nice if you could reuse the mold a variety of times but becausee there is significant wear and tear it really can only be used one time.

Softening: Each wax mold is then chased or softened using heated metal tools. The metal tools are rubbed around portions that show cracks or the joining line of the mold, where the pieces have come together. Separately molded wax pieces are then heated and attached. All of the imperfections will now be dressed since the mold is finished. The final piece then looks like a bronze sculpture.

Making paths for molten bronze: It is also known as “spuring”, in short the wax copy is then branched with treelike wax, so that the molten bronze reaches the right parts and also it helps the air to escape. The critical and careful spuring begins from the top of the wax copy. The top of the copy is attached to by wax cylinders to different points on the wax copy.

Slurry, burnout, testing, pouring, release, metal-chasing, and painting are the final steps in the process of Lost Wax Metal Casting .

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Die casting is the method used for forcing molten metal into mold cavities under high pressure. Die Casting is very versatile and hence, is the widest used method for casting a metal. Die casting is same as permanent mold casting the only difference is that the metal is injected into the mould at very high pressure of 10-210 Mpa. This results in a more uniform part, usually good dimensional accuracy and also good surface finish.

The different metals and alloys that can be used in die casting are zinc, aluminum, copper, magnesium, tin and lead. Ferrous metals can also be used for die casting, die casting method is generally used for applications in which a large quantity is medium or small sized parts are required with detail, good dimension and fine surface finish.

There are namely two equipments used for die casting cold chamber and hot chamber process.

Cold Chamber process: In the cold chamber category of die casting, a cold chamber of each module is filled with molten metal. The time exposure provided for the molten metal to plunge the walls of the mold is less. This clod chamber process method is very useful for metals like aluminum, copper and metals that easily alloy with iron at high temperatures.

Hot Chamber process: In the hot chamber process method of Metal Casting , the pressure that is connected to the die cavity is forever and permanently in molten metal. As the plunger moves towards the open position that is towards the non - pressurized area, the inlet port connected to the pressurizing cylinder is uncovered.

The die casting molds which are used in this method are expensive and take usually take long production time. These die casting modules are also called as “dies’

Advantages of Die Casting: The method of die casting gives excellent dimensional accuracy. The dimensional accuracy is as good as 0.1mm for the first 2.5cms and 0.005 for the first inch. Die casting also provides with smooth cast surfaces. Small and thin walls and can be made using the method of die casting walls as tiny as 0.75mm approximately can be casted. Inserts like thread insert, high strength bearing surfaces and heating elements can also be inserted using the Die Casting method. Die Casting also helps in reducing or even completely eliminating the use of secondary machining operations. The use of Die Casting method also helps to reduce the production time and a huge number of articles can be produced in a very short time. Die casting method also helps to retain as well as increase the tensile strength of the metal. It offers tensile strength as high as 415 MPa that is 60ksi.
 
Disadvantages of Die Casting: The casting weight is very less hardly between 30 grams and 10 kgs. Also the size of the material that needs to be casted using the Die Casting method needs to small say around 600mm. the process of Die Casting requires high budget and can pile up high initial cost. Die Casting method makes the metal porous up to some extent. In the Die Casting method the thickest section needs to be less than 13mm or 0.5 inches.

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