INTRODUCTION TO MICROCASTING

TECHNIQUES FOR
MICROMANUFACTURING
Dr. Arvind Kumar
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Introduction to Microcasting
Based on permanent mold investment casting techniques
Manufacture micro parts in large quantities
Process is versatile in manufacturing very complicated structures, scalable,
economically efficient for mass production and needs minimal subsequent
machining
The process can fabricate curved structured surfaces more easily and with higher
throughput than other processes
This technology has been successfully applied for manufacturing of instruments for
surgery, dental devices, biotechnology, miniaturized devices for mechanical
engineering applications, jewellery and dental casting
Techniques for Casting Structures
Capillary action Microcasting Microcasting based on Investment casting
Capillary action microcasting technique uses a
permanent mold which can be opened in order
to remove the cast structure.
The cavities in the mold are shaped by high-
precision grinding.
Two different principles to fill these cavities exist
the suction principle and the displacement
principle.
In the first method, the melt is sucked into a
specially coated mold by the capillary pressure.
In the second method, the casting alloy is melted
inside the divisible mold and fills the
microstructured cavities owing to the capillary
force.
In capillary action microcasting, the castable
geometries are limited to structures which can be
filled by the application of capillary forces.
This is also known as the lost-wax/lost-mold technique.
Molding from a microstructured grand master
pattern, parts of arbitrary geometry can be
manufactured.
An injection molded plastic master is embedded in a
gypsum slip. After drying the gypsum, mold is sintered.
During this process the master is lost by melting and
pyrolysis. The preheated gypsum mold is then filled
with a metal melt by centrifugal or pressure casting.
After removing the mold from the casting, the cast
structure is cleaned and the micro parts are
separated from the gate system.
This technique has the advantages of simple process,
high material utilization ratio, possibility of castings
with complicated shape and mass production at
relatively low cost compared to common ultra
precision technologies .
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High Temperature Alloy,
Complex Geometry, Rough
Surface Finish
High Temperature Alloy,
Complex Geometry,
Moderately Smooth Surface
Finish
High Temperature Alloy,
Moderate Geometry,
Smooth Surface
Casting Methods
Sand Casting
Tolerances:
Non-Ferrous 1/32 to 6
Add .003 to 3, 3/64 from 3 to 6.
Across parting line add .020 to .090 depending on size.
(Assumes metal patterns)
Surface Finish:
Non-Ferrous: 150-350 RMS
Ferrous: 300-700RMS
Minimum Draft Requirements:
1 to 5
Cores: 1 to 1 1/2
Normal Minimum Section Thickness:
Non-Ferrous: 1/8 - 1/4"
Ferrous: 1/4" - 3/8
Ordering Quantities: All quantities
Normal Lead Time:
Samples: 2-10 weeks
Production 2-4 weeks A.S.A.
Description: Tempered sand is packed into wood or metal pattern halves,
removed form the pattern, and assembled with or without cores, and metal is
poured into resultant cavities. Various core materials can be used. Molds are
broken to remove castings. Specialized binders now in use can improve
tolerances and surface finish.
Metals: Most castable metals.
Size Range: Limitation depends on foundry capabilities. Ounces to many tons.
Sand Casting Mold Features
Courtesy: www.the-warren.org
Investment Casting
Description: Metal mold makes wax or plastic replica. There are
sprued, then surrounded with investment material, baked out, and
metal is poured in the resultant cavity. Molds are broken to remove
the castings.
Metals: Most castable metals.
Size Range: fraction of an ounce to 150 lbs.
Tolerances:
.003 to 1/4"
.004 to 1/2",
.005 per inch to 3
.003 for each additional inch
Surface Finish:
63-125RMS
Minimum Draft Requirements: None
Normal Minimum Section Thickness:
.030 (Small Areas)
.060 (Large Areas)
Ordering Quantities:
Aluminum: usually under 1,000
Other metals: all quantities
Normal Lead Time:
Samples: 5-16 weeks (depending on complexity)
Production 4-12 weeks A.S.A. (depending on subsequent
operations).
Talbot Associates Inc.
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Produce very complicated formed parts in metals even with undercuts.
Shaping processes is the rapidity of the casting procedure itself and the low loss of material due to the
possibility of recycling the runner and sprues.
Best suited for small and medium series & for parts with high complex shape.
For Jewelry and dental casting, the sizes of the produced parts are in the millimeter up to the centimeter
range with structural and details in the millimeter and sub millimeter ranges.

Recent progresses in the development of investments however, opened the possibility of casting
microstructures with bronze as a non-precious alloy.

This technique has the advantages of simple process, high material utilization ratio, possibility of castings with
complicated shape and mass production at relatively low cost compared to common ultra precision
technologies .

Investment Casting (Contd ..)
Methods and state-of-the-art
Microcasting (Process Description)
Microcasting process itself is based on the lost-
wax, lost-mold technique.
Uses wax patterns
Microtechnology mostly works with
injectionmolded plastic patterns which have much
higher mechanical strength.
The improved mechanical properties permit easier
handling and assembling of the pattern during the
manufacturing process.




Lost plastic pattern to be mounted on a gate
& feeding system made of a wax.
Assembly is then completely embedded in a
ceramic slurry.
After drying, the ceramic is sintered.
Simultaneously the plastic melts during the
burning process and is pyrolyzed.
Fill the mold with metallic melt either the
vaccum pressure casting on the centrifugal
casting technique can be used.
The ceramic investment mold is evacuated
then the melt is poured into the mold filling the
cavity only due to gravitational forces.
Pressure is applied to the melt.
The centrifugal force is used for form filling.
After solidification the investment is
mechanically removed without destroying or
influencing the cast surface.




Scheme of Investment casting process
Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
a) Mold insert for injection molding b) PMMA pattern c) cast part made in gold based alloy
Investment
casting
procedure for
manufacturing
microparts is
influenced by
parameters
Casting alloy
Ceramic
investment
Preheating
temperature
of the mold
Casting
pressure
Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Pattern Design
In microcasting, single polymer patterns are normally fixed with wax.
Single microstructured patterns should be made at least with a small runner owing to the difficult handling of the small parts.
Especially patterns which are injection-molded on a substrate plate proved to be advantageous because the substrate plate
can be used as feeder.
In order to produce faultless patterns, different wall thicknesses and sharp edges should be avoided.
The cross-sectional thickness of the sprue system should increase in the direction of the sprue bottom, because solidification must
begin in the microparts and end in the bottom of the tree.
The heat capacity of the mold should also be taken into account because the compact molds used for microcasting show a
comparatively high heat capacity.
Thin-walled parts should be positioned in the outer and thick-walled parts in the inner area of the mold. The melt will then remain
liquid in the thick-walled parts for the longest time so that they can work as feeder for the thinner parts.
A special aspect in microcasting is the flow behavior in very fine channels. Owing to the much higher surface to volume ratio in
microchannels compared with macrostructures and the distinct influence of surface roughness, the occurrence of turbulent flow
needs to be taken into account.
Another aspect is the extremely high cooling rate and therefore extremely fast solidification in the small structures, which hinders
form filling much more than in macrostructures.

Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Melting
Resistance heating
The method is used for alloys with casting temperatures up to about1300
0
C.
Such set-ups with resistance heating are predominantly used for casting precious metals.
Open flame technique
The metal is melted by a propaneoxygen flame in a ceramic crucible.
The method is limited to relatively small amounts of metal and is especially used in dental casting workshops for heating
high-melting alloys to temperatures between 1300
0
and 1500
0
C.
Induction heated casting
The amount of energy injected depends on the alloy and the frequency (of the furnace).
Modern equipment works with high frequencies in the region of 100 kHz.
A benefit of this method is the very high melting rate.
The higher melting alloys requiring casting temperatures above 1300
0
C can be cast, compared with electrical resistance
furnaces which are limited to 1300
0
C .
The induced eddy currents result in a strong convection in the melt. Hence good mixing and homogenization are achieved.
Arc flame
A pure argon atmosphere is necessary because the gas atoms work as charge carriers for the current flow.
The melting crucibles are made of ceramic or graphite.
At high temperatures the graphite crucibles produce a reducing CO atmosphere as a result of the reaction of the carbon with
the oxygen in the air.
This is especially beneficial for precious metals because the melt is protected against oxidation.

Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Casting
Casting
Flowability
Form filling
ability

Little
Contraction
Shrinkage
Little hot
crack
susceptibility
High
surface
quality
Good
Mechanical
properties

Shrinkage
cavitation
Reduced
segregation
Low
porosity

Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Solidification
The solidification starts with nucleation and crystal growth at the cooler mold wall. At the same time, the volume of
the melt decreases owing to the normal shrinkage process, which may then cause casting defects.
It is important that the cast part solidifies first while the metal in the sprue still remains liquid.
Another important aspect is the changing of the chemical composition during the solidification due to segregation.
This segregation can occur in the center of cast blocks because companion elements and inclusions are pushed
aside by the solidification front and accumulate in the rest of the melt.
Graduated microsegregation inside dendrites or in general inside one phase, formed during solidification, also known
as coring , is found in alloys which show a solidification interval.
In this case, a difference in alloy composition between the center and the extremities of dendrite arms occurs owing
to an enrichment of one element in the forming crystals at the expense of an impoverishment of the same element in
the liquid.
Alloys are prone to coring if the solidification is too fast to reach an equilibrium state according to the phase
diagram.
The chemical composition can be homogenized by a subsequent long heat treatment at relatively high temperature.
Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Vapor Pressure Casting
Scheme of the vaccum pressure casting process
Left: Vaccum condition with mold a top the heating chamber
Right: Pressure condition with melt discharged into the mold by
gravity
Vaccum pressure casting machine
At top of the
crucible the open
mold is fixed
Metal is
melted in
the
crucible
Melt flows into the
mold by gravity
Machine
turns itself
upside
down
Complete form filling even of small cavities is
achieved by application of pressure to the melt
Vacuum pressure casting machines typically
work at pressures of 3.54 bar.
Extremely high aspect ratios are to be cast, a
higher pressure is necessary.
Calculations of the form filling behavior show
that the pressure which is necessary for the
melt to enter an extremely small pinhole
increases hyperbolically with decreasing
radius.
Fibers with a diameter of 1m a pressure of 20
bar is necessary to overcome the negative
capillary forces which hinder the melt entering
a small hole owing to the bad wetting behavior
of the melt on the mold.
Experiments showed that for parts with high
aspect ratios, high pressure is beneficial even
for parts with a diameter of 100m .
It is very difficult to provide a pressure higher
than 4 bar because the pressure needs to be
applied to the melt in a very short time interval
t, where t ranges from 10
3
to 1 s.
A high pressure is not always desired because
with increasing pressure the surface roughness
determined by the generally porous
investment increases owing to better
replication of the surface structure of the mold.
Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Centrifugal Casting
Scheme of the Centrifugal process
Mold rotates
and the melt
fills the mold
by centrifugal
forces
Mold is fixed
horizontally at
one end of the
centrifugal
arm
Counterweight
is fixed to
keep the
balance of the
rotating
system
Casting metal
is melted in a
crucible fixed
midway above
the centrifugal
arm
Melting
process is
finished , the
crucible is
tilted and the
melt is poured
in drop mold
Melt flow is
directed into the
rotating mold
and fills the mold
owing to
centrifugal forces
The rotational speed of centrifugal casting machines is in
the range 3503000 rpm.
Modern centrifugal casting machines produce a higher
pressure for form filling compared with vacuum pressure
casting machines, which is beneficial for the casting of
very small structures.
The higher pressure can give rise to various defects in the
casting and the high turbulences may cause gas
entrapment and favours gas porosity .
High form filling ability and flowability of the melt.
Influenced by
Viscosity of the melt,
Wetting behavior of the form,
Reaction with the mold,
Atmosphere and solidification behavior.
A high form filling ability & good flowability are mainly guaranteed for precious alloys such as are
used in jewelry and dental casting, for bronze (handcraft arts) .
High-strength alloys, such as CoCrMo alloys, which are especially used for dental castings.
Steels are not widespread in microcasting because of their oxidation and corrosion sensitivity.
Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Casting alloys
Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Casting alloys (Contd ..)
Relatively low melting and casting temperature
Excellent castability & low oxidation affinity during the casting process
High resistance against corrosion and tarnishing
Good chemical properties and biocompatibility
Gold base
casting alloy
corrosion-resistant & wear resistance
In addition to aluminum, these alloys often contain iron, nickel or manganese in order to improve
their mechanical properties
Al-bronze for microcasting provide the formation of a thin, transparent oxide layer, which already
gives the casting a metal brightness without any chemical cleaning or mechanical polishing.
Bronze base
casting alloy
Medical and Dental applications
CoCrMo alloys a yield stress of450 MPa , ultimate tensile strength of 655 MPa and an elongation at
fracture of 8% can be expected.
Excellent corrosion and biodegradation resistance
Melting temperature of the alloy lies between 1320 and 1380
0
C.
The recommended preheating temperature for this alloy is 1000C and the recommended casting
temperature 1500
0
C
CoCrMo
base
castingalloy
Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Investment Materials
Good flowability and processibility.
At high temperature sustain Mechanical and Thermal stability.
The resulting mold should be:
chemically inert with regard to the metal melt,
Dimensional stable,
Sufficient mechanical strength,
Low surface roughness ,
Porosity &
Easy removal of the mold from the cast part is desirable.
Fillers are in all cases ceramic powders.
Typical minerals used as fillers in investments are:
quartz,
Cristobalite,
Aluminum oxide,
Zirconium oxide,
Zirconium silicate and
Burned potters clay minerals such as mullite and molochite.
In dental techniques, the filler materials mainly used are quartz and cristobalite, which are both modifications of SiO2.
Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Investment Materials ( Contd ..)
Phosphate Bonded Investments
The choice of the investment material depends on the cast metal and the required strength of the mold.
Phosphate bonded investments were initially used for dental alloys with a high melting temperature at casting
temperatures between 1200 and 1500
0
C.
Properties:
High heat resistance,
Good mechanical strength &
Convenient workability.
They consist of magnesium oxide and ammonium hydrogen phosphate as binder and the two different SiO2
modifications quartz and cristobalite as filler.
Special investments for gold base alloys sometimes also contain graphite powder in order to produce a reducing
atmosphere in the mold.
The powdery binder and filler components are mixed with a liquid which mainly consists of aqueous silica sol.

Plaster Bonded Investments
Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Investment Materials ( Contd ..)
When casting microparts, a great difficulty is the removal of the investment.
For gold base alloys, phosphate bonded investment can be removed by acid owing to the higher chemical
resistance of the metal compared with the investment, but for base alloys such as bronze or CoCrMo alloys this
procedure is not applicable.
This is achieved by using plaster as binder. Like phosphate bonded investments, plaster bonded investments contain
quartz and cristobalite as refractory filler materials.
The material is commonly employed in casting gold alloys with high gold content and with liquidus temperatures not
higher than 1080
0
C.
In dental applications, plaster bonded investments are not used as often as in jewelry casting owing to the danger of
sulfur release by reactions of the melt with the investment and hence resulting low strength of the casting.
In jewelry and artistic casting, however, most investments are plaster based, because they achieve a low surface
roughness and can be easily removed also from complicated-shaped structures.
Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Investment Materials ( Contd ..)
Influence of the Investment on the Surface Roughness
The investment has a significant influence on the surface roughness of the cast part.
Increasing form filling ability of the casting alloy, the surface roughness of the cast part approaches more and more that of the
surface of the mold.
A very smooth surface of the mold with only a few pores is necessary.
Three different ways are possible to meet these requirements:
Coating the pattern with an extremely fine ceramic,
Infiltrating the sintered mold with a ceramic suspension and
Modifying the investment by addition of fine ceramic particles.
Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Coating the Pattern
Investigations on surfaces improved by coating the pattern were carried out with a 1% aqueous methylcellulose
solution containing 5% fine-scale SiO2powder.
The pattern was dipped into the liquid and dried on air. Subsequently, the coated pattern was embedded in an
investment slip, dried and burned.
The hollow form was then filled with the molten gold base , the applied pressure was 4 bar.
The profile for surface roughness for cast parts that were replicated in the commercial investment shows large
amplitudes with roughness values of Ra= 1.13 m and Rmax= 8.41 m whereas a coated specimen achieves
values of only Ra= 0.74 m and Rmax= 6.19 m. Therefore, coating of the mold is beneficial to a low surface
roughness of the cast part.
It must be stressed that coating a plastic or wax pattern is difficult owing to the poor adhesion of the liquid on the
pattern.
Dipping the PMMA pattern in the slurry once leads to a coating which delivers relatively good results. Repeated
dipping two or three times, however, often results in flaking of the coating.
Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Infiltrating the Mold
Infiltration was examined using suspensions of fine-grained SiO2powder stired in distilled water (1 : 10). In further experiments it was
diluted to 1 : 20 and1 :40.
The hollow form was then infiltrated with the suspension and sintered in a second burning process followed by the final casting
process. Compared with the coating technique, the infiltration of a microstructured sintered form is much more difficult.
If the viscosity of the suspension is too high, it does not infiltrate the pores of the mold but instead forms a thick layer on the
surface, leading to rounded edges and differences in tolerance.
However, when the viscosity of the infiltration liquid is too low, then there is no visible effect on the mold.
It fully penetrates the porous investment without leaving a layer on the mold surface. Additional investigations showed that it is
almost impossible to realize a homogeneous infiltration in a closed mold with internal microstructures
Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Cast Microparts and Their Properties
Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Microstructure/Grain Size
Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Surface Roughness
The surface roughness is influenced by various parameters.
Investment,
Mold temperature and
Casting pressure.
The influence of these parameters was measured on tensile test specimens made of the gold base alloy using
both a confocal white light microscope and a scanning optical system .
Comparing specimens cast at a mold temperature of 1000
0
C but with different casting techniques, it can be seen
that the surface roughness achieved by vacuum pressure casting is significantly lower than that by centrifugal
casting.
Centrifugal casting machine works with a filling pressure of about 2025 bar, Vacuum pressure casting machine fills
the mold with only 4 bar.
The high pressure in the centrifugal casting machine leads to a better replication of the mold surface but at the
same time results in a higher surface rough-ness or worse surface quality, respectively. In comparison, the lower
filling pressure of the vacuum die cast machine produces significantly lower surface roughnesses.
Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Mechanical Properties
Methods and state-of-the-art (Contd ..)
Achievable Structure Size, Flow Length and Aspect Ratio
The smallest achievable structure size depends on the aspect ratio, which is defined as the ratio of flow length to wall
thickness.
Investigations showed that very small structures can be cast with the gold base alloy owing to its good flowability and form
filling behavior.
Wall structures down to 20m width were produced with an aspect ratio of 6.
The flow length and aspect ratio achievable are mainly influenced by the preheating temperature of the ceramic mold and
by the filling pressure.
Theoretical and Experimental Investigations
Due to decrease in the dimensions of casting part, some challenges like complete mold
filling, suitable operational pressure and other parameters become important in
microcasting technique.
The casting parameters, such as casting material, investment's preheating temperature
and filling pressure determine the entire form lling process, and, as a consequence, the
achievable grain size and the resulting mechanical properties of the microcast .
Materials to be microcast must have sufficient castability. This embraces properties such
as flowability and form filling ability, little contraction and shrinkage, reduced
segregation, low porosity, little hot crack susceptibility, high surface quality and good
mechanical properties.
The form filling ability and flowability of the melt are influenced by the viscosity of the
melt, the wetting behaviour of the form, the reaction with the mold and the atmosphere
and, of course, by the solidification behaviour.

THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS(CONTD..)

The research and development concerning microcasting was started with precious
alloys, such as gold alloy, Sn36Pb2Ag alloys due to relatively low melting and
casting temperature and good fluidity.
Previous investigations led to the choice of the particle hardened gold base alloy
,which is used in the dental applications. To expand the applications domain of
microcasting in other industrial applications Aluminium base alloys, which have good
fluidity, can be potential candidates (e.g., Zn4%Al alloys).
Another typical material can be bronze which shows good slip properties. A high
form filling ability and a good flowability are guaranteed for these materials to be
used in jewellery, dental casting, handcraft arts made of bronze, and in scenario
where high-strength materials (e.g., CoCrMo alloys) are required. Steels are not
widespread in microcasting because of their oxidation and corrosion sensitivity.

Theoretical and Experimental Investigations (Contd ..)
Another aspect is the fast solidification in the small structures due to very high cooling
rate. This hinders form filling much more than in macrostructures.
Further, the occurrence of turbulent flow needs to be taken into account due to higher
surface to volume ratio in microchannels and the distinct influence of surface roughness.
In microcasting, length scale is very low so issues, such as mold filling, progress of
solidification, shrinkage, segregation and surface roughness (finish) which were of
macroscale in macro casting, now should be treated as meso and microscale phenomena.
Fluid flow in cavities larger than 10 times of fluid molecular diameters, the continuum
hypothesis will still be valid and Navier-Stokes equation can be used to analyze the flow.
The channels dimension in microcasting is in order of hundreds of micro meters that is
sufficiently far from fluid molecular diameter.

THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS (CONTD ..)

Thus, continuum hypothesis and Navier-Stokes equation along with some suitable
solidification models should still be valid for modelling microcasting fluid flow, filling
behaviour, solidification, as-cast grain morphology, and nucleation and growth kinetics
of grains.
Modelling and simulations can be used to overcome existing challenges in the
microcasting process and to optimize the process. For example, a combined volume of
uid and solidification modelling method [Yadav et al., 2009] can be used to study the
microcasting process.
Such computational method based on deterministic solidification heat transfer and fluid
flow models can provide predictive capability and deeper insights of the filling
behaviour (role of viscosity, capillary, surface tension, mold roughness and preheat
temperature, centrifugal forces and applied pressure), progress of solidification
(interface location, solidification time and local cooling rate), segregation behaviour,
and casting defects.

Theoretical and Experimental Investigations (Contd ..)
In order to obtain more insights and deeper understanding of the various transport
phenomena taking place during the microcasting process and data for validation of
numerical models, suitable experimental work concentrating on local temperature
and composition measurements, and defects analysis are also needed.
Existing Challenges and Strategies to Overcome
Challenges
As decrease in the dimensions of casting part, some challenges like complete
filling of the mold and determining suitable operational pressure are come into
picture.
As the flow channel size becomes smaller, some of the conventional theories for
(bulk) fluid, energy, and mass transport may need to be revisited for validation.
casting real three-dimensional microstructures with undercuts is most complex
problem.

Existing Challenges and Strategies to Overcome
Challenges (contd..)
To introduce two new approaches: microcasting in permanent mold and
composite casting.
In the permanent mold case, the focus is laid on the suitability of metal or
graphite molds for casting of extremely small structures.
Graphite molds are more challenging then metal molds, because of the
brittleness of graphite.
In the composite casting case, the investigations are focused on the
connecting or assembling of two different materials or structures.

Existing Challenges and Strategies to Overcome
Challenges (contd..)
Reduction of surface roughness as much as possible.
This can be done by casting into mold inert i.e. permanent mold.
Permanent mold casting includes some special challenges regarding the form
filling of molds with micro-sized cavities for example
1. Gas-tight i.e. trapped air or inert gas in the cavities cannot penetrate through
the wall.
2. Precise replication of small cavities



Existing Challenges and Strategies to Overcome
Challenges (contd..)
Therefore an elevated mold temperature is beneficial for precise form filling and replication of the
structure in the cavity.
Figure below shows the effect of temperature.
Existing Challenges and Strategies to Overcome
Challenges (contd..)
In composite casting, there is also some difficulties as following
1. Different coefficients of thermal expansion that lead to different shrinkage during
cooling .
2. Chemical reactions between the partners need to be taken into account, which lead
to reaction layers or even to the occurrence of oxide layers during processing.
These above problems can be solve by using several modes of fitting between the
partner materials: force fitting by utilizing the different thermal expansion coefficients
or shrinking rates, form fitting dependent on the geometry or even an adhesive joining
or metallurgical bonding by intended boundary reactions or boundary alloying.
Future Research to be Done
Research on limitation of process regarding the obtainable
aspect ratio.
Development of special investment for microcasting, which is
suitable for best alloys and easily removable from cast parts.
Get more smooth and dimensionally cast structure.
Research on solidification structure and thermal behavior of
metal/mold system because casting method influences the
microstructure.
3-D microstructure with undercuts in microparts.

Many microstructured surfaces are known in nature, such as shark skin, lotus leaf and insect feet structures. By understanding
these effects and using this knowledge for technical applications, several material properties such as drag, friction, adhesion,
hydrophobia can be adapted in components manufactured by microcasting .
Possible applications include cast parts where a reduced wettability or a self-cleaning effect is desired. Also, cast parts which
become rapidly dirty, such as wheel rims or the underbody of cars and motorbikes, represent very interesting applications for
microstructured surfaces, especially in terms of corrosion protection.
Another big field is industrial facilities such as chemical or power plants with complex piping and pumping systems which are
very difficult to maintain and clean.
Furthermore, micro holes can be used for tribological applications, for example as reservoirs for lubricant films in cylinder-
piston-pairings or bearing blocks in engines.
The various investigations have demonstrated that microcasting is a potential fabrication method for metal parts in
microdimensions.
Since this technique is at developmental stage, many works are needed for this technology for suitability in industrial
production.
CONCLUSION