If possible, we request you provide us with the following information to provide our offer:
✔ 2D drawings with dimension tolerances and/or 3D models
✔ The desired grade of the metals and alloys
✔ Mechanical properties
✔ Heat treatment (if any)
✔ Quality assurance expectations
✔ Special finishing requirements (if any)
✔ Tooling if required or existing
✔ Due date of quote response
✔ Application of the desired castings or machining parts
Before we make recommendations for the project and provide you with an offer, RMC firstly analyzes the following information to make our decision and proposals based on the request information you sent to us:
• Tooling requirements – best suited to scope of your project
• Quality expectations required to support your technical specifications
• Machining requirements are reviewed and understood
• Heat treatments are reviewed
• Finishing requirements are reviewed
• A realistic delivery date is determined
Firstly we will follow your instructions if the request alloy is mentioned. If not, We work with you to determine exactly how your component will need to perform and then guide you to the best alloy whether you need. Before we give our proposals, it would be very helpful if you can let us know the applications of your custom castings. Each alloy serves a difference purpose based on issues as diverse as heat range, run time, weight requirements, flexibility of the end product and so on.
Casting is one of the fastest and most cost-effective methods for producing a wide range of components. However, to achieve maximum benefits, you’ll want to involve the cost analysis at an early stage of the product design and development. We have the expertise and experience to consult with you during the design phase so our engineers can help resolve issues affecting tooling and production methods, while identifying the various trade-offs that could affect overall costs.
Lead times with sand casting, investment casting and machining vary due to part complexity and casting plant capacity. Generally 4-6 weeks is typical for tooling and sample castings and 5-7 weeks for production. Once a pattern is created, a component can be produced in seven days. For investment casting processes, much of this time is spent with the coating and drying of the ceramic slurry. While for sand casting, the time is mainly cost for the mold making. Investment casting facilities in RMC have quick drying capabilities for ceramic molds to produce parts in 24-48 hours. In addition, by using silica sol or water glass as bond material, engineered cast metal components can be delivered only several days after accepting a final CAD/PDF drawings or 3D models.
To calculate the custom castings and machining parts is a comprehensive work involving pattern design, cast metals, production procedure, machining costs, surface treatment (if any), heat treatment...and so on. So the time will be longer than standard products. Moreover, we need make it clear for every details in the drawings. Therefore, some questions will be raised from us in order to understand clearly what you need. But generally we are always reply with quotation within 48 hours if no special requirements added. Anyway, we will keep in touch with you about our process and if any new technical question raised from our engineering department.
These two casting processes are different in the molding materials used for making the patterns. Investment casting uses the wax to produce the wax replicas (that is why it is also called lost wax casting) which have the same size and dimensions as the desired castings. Then the wax replicas will be coated with sand and binder materials (usually silica sol or water glass) to build a strong shell for molten metal pouring. While, the sand mold casting usually adopt the green sand or dry sand to make a hollow cavity, which have the same size and dimensions as the desired casting parts. For both sand casting and investment casting processes, the sand and wax could be re-used. The investment castings usually have much better surface, geometrical and dimensional accuracy than sand castings.
Both sand casting and shell mold casting use the sand to make the hollow cavity for pouring. The difference is that sand casting uses green sand or dry sand (lost foam casting and vacuum casting use the dry sand to make mold), while the shell mold casting uses the resin coated sand to make the molding systems. The coated sand could not be re-used. However, the shell mold castings have much better quality than that of sand castings.
As dry sand casting process, lost foam casting and vacuum casting have many in common when making the molding systems. The difference is that the foam patterns are used and assembled to make the complex structure of the molding systems. The foam patterns could be made separately by simple parts and then assembled into the desired and complex structures. The vacuum casting uses the negative pressure and sealed film to make a strong molding systems. Both these casting processes are widely used specially for large and thick-wall castings.
Generally speaking, deposit is need before developing the patterns and toolings because we need to purchase the materials. But that depends on what we discussed. We are open to talk with you regarding the final terms.
Yes, we can develop the patterns and toolings as per your drawings and designs. We can also provide our engineering proposals to reducing the costs and have them workable to reduce the possible casting defects. If you have current patterns or toolings, that would be OK for us to see if they can used in our factory.
Yes, the 3.1 certificate could be provided to you if you request. Actually, whether our customers ask or not, we always provide the material reports including the chemical composition, mechanical properties and other performances.
Yes, the heat treatment reports could be provided to you with the temperature curve. Our heat treatment could be covered as annealing, tempering + quenching, solution, carburazation, nitriding...etc.
Thanks to our in-house capabilities and our out-sourced partners, we can proceed a diverse surface treatment. Available treatments include: polishing, zinc-plated, chome-plated, geomet, anodizing, painting...etc.