Investment casting is an industrial process based on lost-wax casting, one of the oldest known metal-forming techniques. The term "lost-wax casting" can also refer to modern investment casting processes. Investment casting has been used in various forms for the last 5,000 years. In its earliest forms, beeswax was used to form patterns necessary for the casting process. Today, more advanced waxes, refractory materials and specialist alloys are typically used for making patterns.
The global investment castings market is estimated to grow at an accelerated rate owing to its applications in a wide range of end-use industries. Investment casting process is also known as the lost wax method. Its advantages such as less material requirement, smooth surfaces, complex geometries, and cost-savings have sustained its market over centuries.
The demand within the global market for investment calling has been expanding on account of the need for metallic devices and objects across several industries. Investment casting is amongst the oldest techniques for the manufacture of well-defined and properly shaped metallic objects, and this technique is also known as lost-wax casting.
The investment casting market is moderately concentrated, owing to the presence of small and large vendors worldwide. Competition in the market is intense, and the market is characterized by the need for precise and reliable investment cast parts.