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At Austin Alloy Cast, we do not simply cast your parts we become your technical consultant and assist you in your choices of processes to provide the most economical and sound technical solution for the intended use of your component.

What sets us apart is that we are one of the few foundry groups in Western India with both steel investment casting and sand casting capabilities in house, both are backed by our group company Metflow, which specializes in sand castings of high quality.

Getting to Know the Two Casting Methods

Investment Casting i.e Redefined Precision

Investment casting also known as the lost wax process. A wax pattern is created and then coated with a ceramic material. The ceramic will harden, and then the wax is melted out, and molten metal is poured into that cavity. Once cooled, the shell is broken away revealing a near net shape metal part.

The investment casting process is a good option for:

• Intricate shapes and complex geometrics
• Tight dimensional tolerances
• Smooth surface finishes
• Thin walled and lightweight parts

At Austin Alloy Cast we manufacture stainless steel casting, alloy steel casting, duplex and super duplex steel castings, for parts requiring precision, reliability, and performance.

Sand Casting — Strong and Affordable

In sand casting, a pattern is pressed into sand to form a mold. Afterward, molten metal is poured into the cavity of the mold, allowed to solidify, and the sand mold is broken to retrieve the casting.

This method is favoured for:

• Large castings
• Low tooling costs
• Moderate tolerances
• Low to moderate annual volumes

Metflow, our group company, has years of experience producing sand castings in steel. Metflow has modern molding lines, induction melting furnaces, and finishing capabilities. Together, Austin Alloy Cast and Metflow provide customers with the ultimate flexibility in choosing from fine detail investment castings or large, heavy duty sand cast items.

Choosing Between Investment Casting and Sand Casting

The process of selecting the appropriate casting method is dependent on a delicate equilibrium of technical, functional, and economic considerations. We start at Austin Alloy Cast by understanding the end use of the part, including its size, geometry, surface finish requirements, and production volumes. Investment casting is usually the best choice for complex, high precision components that require superior dimensional accuracy and surface finish. Investment casting is well suited for small to medium parts with complex geometries requiring thicker walls and tighter tolerances, where the ability to achieve near net shape accuracy can effectively eliminate machining and finishing operations.

On the other hand, sand casting, with the support our group company Metflow, is typically the preferred process for larger, more robust components where investment casting does not make economic sense due to the weight and size of the component. Sand casting allows for flexibility with lower to medium production quantities coupled with reasonable tooling costs and reduced mold preparation time. The surface finish and dimensional tolerances are not as fine as investment casting but it provides excellent cost savings for heavier duty industrial applications like housings, brackets, and structural parts.

Leveraging our technical expertise and dual process capabilities, we assist customers in identifying the process that provides the best trade off among cost, accuracy and performance. Austin Alloy Cast carefully analyzes the part design, anticipated load conditions and manufacturing logistics to verify that each component is produced using the most technically efficient and economical process whether it be precision investment casting or heavy duty sand casting through Metflow.

Our Two-Pronged Process: Investment Casting + Sand Casting.

Austin Alloy Cast two pronged process streamlines the customer’s experience, as it allows a client to select the best overall solution for their project without fear of any one process not being technically available.

Advantages of our Investment Casting division:

• Sophisticated wax injection systems and ceramic shell systems.
• CNC based dimensional checks.
• Materials include: stainless steels, duplexes, alloy steels, and nickel based alloys.
• Capability with small to medium complexities/tolerances.
• Full in house machining, NDT, and heat treating capabilities included.

Advantages of our Sand Casting division (Metflow):

• Automated no bake molding lines.
• Medium to large steel casting capability.
• Tips from experienced metallurgist improving overall quality consistency.
• All NDT including Radiography and Machining in house.
• Demonstrated capabilities in the industrial, energy, and heavy engineering sectors.

Overall, we provide a single point source for casting and foundry solutions to a variety of sectors including renewable energy, oil & gas, marine, pumps & valves, and general engineering.

Serving as Your Technical Advisor

All of our projects start with us understanding your design, function, and operating parameters. Our engineering team will assess the following:

• The geometry of the component and any associated loading.
• The strength of the material and any requirements for resistance to corrosion.
• The tolerances or requirements for surface finish.
• The expected production volumes.
• Cost per part analysis.

Once we have established these parameters, we will propose the process that provides the best value with regard to cost and technical feasibility, whether that be utilizing precision investment casting, or durable sand casting using Metflow.

With our knowledge of both processes, we can also hybridize the approaches. For example, we could prototype the design using sand casting and produce using investment casting once the design has been validated.

Providing Quality, Accuracy, and Sustainability

The mechanism we leverage with our investment and sand casting methods at Austin Alloy Cast and Metflow is backed by cutting edge melting, testing and inspection facilities that include new:

• Induction furnaces that enhance melting controlling,
• Spectrochemical analysis for alloy testing.
• Non destructive testing (Dye Penetrant, Magnetic Particle, Radiography, UT)
• Dimensional measuring with CMM.
• Management systems certified to ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001.

In addition to the non destructive testing and inspection, we further focus on sustainability in our operations which include optimizing material usage, our recycling of foundry sand and waste generation in each of our casting divisions.

Conclusion: Two Processes, One Commitment to Excellence

With the complementary capabilities of Austin Alloy Cast and Metflow, we offer customers a unique value proposition complete technical expertise with totally in house production for both Investment and Sand Casting.

Whether your project requires fine detail stainless steel castings or or heavy duty sand cast steel components, we ensure that the selected process meets and exceeds your operational needs and budget objectives.

At Austin Alloy Cast we are more than a manufacturer, we are your casting consultant, helping you navigate selecting the right process, right material, and right value for every component application.