Why the Defense Industry Depends on Aerospace & Military Castings

Military castings require the highest level of precision and accuracy. The aerospace and defense industry depends on investment castings to deliver the reliability and durability demanded by life-and-death applications.

This article will look at what investment casting is and why it's the best process for defense castings. We'll also review Bescast's investment casting capabilities and how we meet industry needs.

What Is Investment Casting?

Investment casting is a centuries-old technique known as "lost wax casting" because the mold is created around a wax form that is melted out, leaving the hollow mold. The mold is then filled with molten metal to manufacture components for the military industry. Once the metal cools, the mold is removed from the part.

Why Use Investment Casting for Defense Sector Applications?

The defense sector is a vast industry, with U.S. military spending of around $715 billion for the 2022 fiscal year. Military and aerospace investment casting is a crucial component of that sector, creating high-precision parts for a broad range of military and defense applications.

Military castings benefit from investment casting's wide array of advantages, including:

Tight Tolerances

Investment casting delivers tighter tolerances than other processes like sand casting or die casting, which is critical for military castings. These tight tolerances allow for the creation of near-net shape precision parts.

Broad Array of Materials

Highly specific material requirements are essential for the military, aircraft and aerospace parts made for the defense industries. Investment casting can accommodate a vast range of materials, including aluminum and other non-ferrous and ferrous alloys required for defense castings.

High Accuracy

Accuracy is crucial for military castings. Thanks to its high level of precision, investment casting creates highly accurate parts.

Superior Repeatability

Investment casting affords a superior level of repeatability, ensuring the same tolerances and geometries from part to part, which is essential for the mission-critical pieces used in defense programs.

Ease of Assembly

Defense sector components must be assembled quickly and correctly every time to decrease wear and ensure performance. Because of its superior precision, accuracy and repeatability, investment casting is the perfect process for creating carefully assembled parts for the aerospace and defense industry.

Fewer Secondary Processes

Investment casting creates parts with smooth finishes that require little to no secondary processes, like machining. This reduces waste and speeds up the time to market for components critical to the defense sector.

Why Choose Bescast for Aerospace Investment Casting?

Aerospace investment casting demands unparalleled attention to detail and an uncompromising work ethic. Bescast provides an unprecedented customer advantage that delivers this and so much more. With an emphasis on high quality, we're certified to industry standards, including ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100 Rev D. Backed by our outstanding commitment to customer service, we produce lighter-weight parts with fewer joints that meet the needs of the aerospace and defense industry.