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Investment Casting Services

Fathom offers metal casting prototype services in a variety of materials including magnesium, aluminum, zinc, and bronze, which are created with a plaster, sand, investment or permanent molding process. 

The Process

1. A master model is created from the master mold
2. The master molds are used to generate plaster molds
3. The mold is left to dry (typically 3-5 days)
4. The metal is poured into the plaster mold
5. The final product is cleaned and prepped for shipping or machining

Wax is injected into an aluminum die to produce a pattern that is an exact replica of the part to be produced. For every casting, a wax pattern must be manufactured. The patterns are clustered around a coated sprue and repeatedly dipped into an agitated vat of ceramic and allowed to dry. After a shell thickness of approximately 3/16″ has been built, the molds are dewaxed by either flash firing at high heat (1,400° F.) or autoclaving (pressure and steam). The hollow shells are then preheated to 800-2,000° F, depending on the alloy to be poured. The molten metal is immediately cast into the hot shell. After the metal parts have cooled, the ceramic is vibrated, blasted off and discarded. The balance of the cleaning operations (cut off, grind, heat treat, straightening & blast) are straightforward and quite similar to the other casting processes.

 

Low Alloy Steels Investment Castings Martensitic Stainless Steel Investment Castings Austenitic Stainless Steel Investment Castings Duplex Stainless Steel Investment Castings Ferritic Stainless Steel Investment Castings Tool Steel Investment Castings
1020 410 303 ASTM 890 Grade 4A 409 A2
1045 416 304, 304L 430 A6
1050 420 316, 316L 436 D2
1095 431 316 Non-Mag 446 D5
4130 15-5PH CF-8, CF-3 L6
4140 17-4PH CF-8M, CF3M M2
4150 440A 330 M52
4340 440C 347 O1
6150 CA-6NM 20-CB3 S5
8620 Alloy 20, CN-7M S7
8650 CF10-SMnN

 

Copper Base Alloys Investment Castings Nickel Base Alloys Investment Castings Cobalt Base Alloys Investment Castings Aluminum Investment Castings
CDA 872 NI-B CoAlloy 3 356
CDA 875 NI-C CoAlloy 6
CDA 876 NI-X
CDA 903 NI-625
CDA 905 MONEL E
CDA 954 NON-GALLING
Manufacturing Locations Across National Time Zones
Manufacturing Locations Across National Time Zones
The Fathom Advanced Manufacturing Platform
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HEADQUARTERS

1050 Walnut Ridge Drive
Hartland, WI 53029
ISO 9001:2015
AS9100:2016
ITAR

ARIZONA

444 W. 21st St. Ste. 101
Tempe, AZ 85282
ISO 9001:2015
NIST800-171 Compliant
ITAR

COLORADO

7770 Washington St.
Denver, CO 80229
ISO 9001:2015
ITAR

MINNESOTA

13758 Johnson Street NE
Ham Lake, MN 55304

TEXAS

1801 Rowe Lane
Pflugerville, TX 78660
ISO 9001:2015
AS9100:2016

1513 Sam Bass Rd
Round Rock, TX 78681
ISO 9001:2015
ISO 13485:2016

CALIFORNIA

46758 Lakeview Blvd,
Fremont, CA 94538
ISO 9001:2015 Design Certified
NIST 800-171 Compliant
ITAR

FLORIDA

14000 N.W. 58th Court
Miami Lakes, FL 33014

NEW YORK

1920 Slaterville Rd
Ithaca, NY 14850
ITAR

401 W. Shore Blvd.
Newark, NY 14513
AS9100:2016
ISO 9001:2015
ITAR

ILLINOIS

1207 Adams Drive
McHenry, IL 60051
ISO 9001:2015

1401 Brummel Ave
Elk Grove, IL 60007
ISO 9001:2015 Design Certified

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