investment casting

American  

noun

Metallurgy.

1. a casting process in which an expendable pattern is surrounded by an investment compound and then baked so that the investment is hardened to form a mold and the pattern material may be melted and run off.

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Etymology

Origin of investment casting

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

In the solid investment casting process, that wax form is then coated by hand with a plaster mixture.

From New York Times • Sep. 8, 2012

And though most foundries in the United States have switched to a process called ceramic shell casting, the Modern Art Foundry still employs an ancient technique known as solid investment casting for its large-scale work.

From New York Times • Sep. 8, 2012