How Aerospace Investment Casting Can Support Weight Reduction in Aerospace Parts

Complex and intricate detailing is the norm in the aerospace industry and the demand for precision-engineered parts is a given. The critical nature of aerospace components and the conditions that they are routinely subjected to mean that endurance, resilience, and quality are non-negotiable.

But all of that must be balanced against the weight of the component produced. Lighter materials hold the key to optimising fuel efficiency and enhancing aerodynamics. At Precision Investment Castings, we understand the important balance of these considerations.

Aerospace investment casting is a superior technique that enables significant weight reduction in aerospace parts, without compromising on their strength or functionality.

Here are six ways that precision investment casting can support weight reduction in aerospace parts:

1. Near-Net Shape Manufacturing

Aerospace investment casting is a near-net shape manufacturing process that produces castings very close to the final required shape. This minimises the need for extensive machining operations, eliminating material waste and conserving weight. By accurately shaping castings to match the desired design, aerospace investment casting reduces post-casting machining operations, resulting in significant weight savings.

2. Complex and Intricate Designs

Precision investment casting allows for the creation of aerospace components with intricate and complex designs. Engineers can design components with optimised geometries that remove unnecessary material and focus on critical load-bearing areas. This design optimisation reduces weight while maintaining excellent structural integrity and functionality of the aerospace part.

3. Thin-Walled Sections

Investment casting is capable of producing thin-walled sections within the aerospace component, doing so with high precision and consistency. By utilising thin walls, instead of thick sections, the weight of the part is significantly reduced, while retaining the necessary strength and performance characteristics. This is crucial in aerospace applications where lightweight structures enhance fuel efficiency and overall performance.

4. Material Selection

The investment casting process supports a broad range of materials, including lightweight alloys such as aluminium and titanium. These materials offer excellent strength-to-weight ratios, making them ideal for weight-sensitive aerospace applications. By carefully matching lightweight materials that meet the specific requirements of the aerospace part, engineers balance out the need for strength, durability and weight restrictions.

5. Integration of Features

Aerospace investment casting enables the integration of multiple features into a single component, reducing the need for additional parts and fasteners. Combining features such as flanges, brackets, or ribs directly into the casting design eliminates unnecessary weight associated with separate components and assembly processes, leading to overall weight reduction.

6. Optimisation of Internal Structures

Creating complex internal structures, such as cooling channels or hollow sections, is an important feature of aerospace investment casting. These internal structures can be designed to maximise weight reduction while providing necessary functionalities like cooling or fluid flow. By integrating such internal features directly into the aerospace investment casting process, engineers can achieve weight reduction goals without compromising the component’s performance.

Why choose Precision Investment Casting for your aerospace investment casting?

The combined effects of these weight reductions lead to considerable gains, directly contributing to improved fuel efficiency, enhanced performance, and a reduced environmental impact of aerospace systems.

Precision Investment Castings has supplied castings to the aerospace industry for over 70 years. Our expertise in component manufacture covers everything from gearbox assemblies to flight controls. We can work with several different alloys, including ductile iron, stainless steel and low-carbon steel, aluminium and speciality alloys to create high precision, high durability parts.

If you need more information about any of our services and capabilities, please get in touch and one of our team will call you right back.