Polishing (Basic Delivery)
Used to remove gate cutouts and minor surface defects to obtain a more uniform look and feel; please clarify the appearance surface and acceptable mark standards.
Brass – Lost-Wax Casting, Polished
Brass – Lost-Wax Casting, Polished front-end molding for lost-wax/investment casting, the goal is not "direct use of printed parts," but rather to achieve more complex and finer casting shapes.
Quote checklist: Upload your 3D model and, when available, a 2D drawing. Identify the required process, material, quantity, critical dimensions, finish, appearance standard, and target delivery date.
Key Material and Manufacturing Parameters
Engineering note: Values below are typical reference ranges. Final manufacturability, tolerances, material condition, surface finish, cost, and lead time depend on the drawing, geometry, quantity, and selected process.
Upload CAD files and mark critical features for an engineering review before production.
| Process | Wax pattern + investment casting (investment casting) + polishing (delivered as real brass metal piece) |
|---|---|
| Color/appearance | Brass metal color; can be adjusted to mirror, matte or specific metallic colors through polishing/sandblasting/electroplating |
| Applications | Decorative parts, handicrafts, small mechanical parts, structural assembly parts |
| Key Advantages | Complex shapes are easier to achieve; real metal texture; ample space for finishing (polishing/plating) |
| Limitations | Ultra-thin walls, extremely deep pores/slits, and extremely precise fits need to be evaluated; gate and trimming strategies need to be clearly defined on the appearance surface. |
| Minimum wall thickness recommendations | Recommended ≥1.0–1.5 mm (Thin-walled/large-area surfaces are recommended to be thickened or reinforced to improve mold filling and yield) |
| Minimal detail advice | It is recommended to leave sufficient depth and width for thin lines/small characters/textures; if electroplating/sandblasting is required, it is recommended to further enlarge the details to avoid "eating the texture" |
| Hole location and thread | It is recommended to reserve allowance for assembly holes/precision holes and process them twice; it is recommended to tap threads (cooperate with tooling positioning if necessary) |
| Surface effect | Delivered based on polishing; polishing/sandblasting/electroplating can further enhance the finished product feel and consistency. |
| Finishing | Grinding, polishing, electroplating (nickel/chrome/gold), sandblasting, tapping |
| Typical lead time | Related to structural complexity, quantity, pouring plan and finishing; clear delivery and expedited options will be given after uploading the file |
Finishing
Polished (mirror/high finish)
Suitable for decorative parts, display parts and jewelry/decorative parts; it may have a "rounding" effect on sharp corners and fine textures, so it is recommended to communicate the appearance goals.
Plating (color/corrosion resistance/consistency)
Optional nickel/chromium/gold plating solutions can achieve specific metal colors and higher consistency; it is recommended to provide reference drawings and usage environment instructions.
Sand blasting (matte/fine feel)
Used to obtain a uniform matte surface and weaken small trimming marks; there will be a certain "eating of details" on small text/textures.
Tapping/secondary processing (reliable assembly)
It is recommended to re-process the assembly holes/threads to ensure fit and consistency; please note the thread specifications (M2/M3/M4...) and key fit requirements.
Why Choose Brass (Wax Cast-Polished)
Real metal end piece
Delivered as brass metal parts, the texture, weight and touch are closer to the final product, suitable for display and final product verification.
Complex shapes are more user-friendly
Complex surfaces, hollowing, and decorative details are easier to achieve; suitable for crafts and small precision structural parts.
Large space for finishing
Grinding/polishing/sandblasting/electroplating can quickly enhance the "finished product feel" and improve appearance consistency and visual effects.
Cost-effectiveness and machinability
It has a cost advantage compared to precious metals, and can meet assembly and functional requirements through tapping/secondary processing.
Recommended Applications
- Need real metal texture: Tactile verification of display parts, decorative parts, handicrafts, and final parts
- Appearance can be upgraded: Want to achieve mirror or matte effect through polishing/plating/sandblasting
- The structure is more complex:Small parts with curved surfaces, textures, and complex shapes
- Assembly requirements: The hole position and assembly reliability can be improved through tapping/secondary processing
It is not recommended to use it directly (it is recommended to change materials/processes)
- Extremely precise fit: Recommended to evaluate CNC machining or subsequent finishing options
- Ultra-thin wall/deep fine cavity: The risk of mold filling and yield increases. It is recommended to optimize the structure or perform process verification first.
- Perfect consistency in color/appearance: It is recommended to unify the electroplating/sandblasting scheme and clarify the appearance standards
- For high strength/high temperature structures: It is recommended to evaluate a more suitable engineering metal material system
Design and DFM Guidelines
- Appearance surface and gate prohibited area: Please clearly identify the display surface/key surface to prevent gate removal and trimming marks from falling on the areas of greatest concern.
- Thin wall and filling: Thin-walled/long runners will increase the risk of mold filling and defects; it is recommended to thicken, reinforce or assemble in separate parts to improve yield.
- Hole location and assembly: It is recommended to reserve machining allowance for key holes; it is recommended to tap threads, and if necessary, increase the positioning surface to facilitate processing and assembly consistency.
- Sharp corners and stress concentrations: Avoid sharp corners and sudden changes in thickness; add rounded corners and transitions to reduce the risk of cracking/deformation and improve the polishing effect.
- Texture and finishing: Polishing/plating/sandblasting may "eat details", textures/small text are recommended to be deeper and wider, and the final appearance process should be explained in the remarks.
Comparison with common resin/wax casting materials
| Material | Key Advantages | Mainly applicable | Not suitable |
|---|---|---|---|
| red wax | More suitable for wax model and process verification, with low starting cost and fast iteration | Wax pattern verification, modeling confirmation, sample confirmation before casting | Long-term use as final parts (needs to be upgraded to metal castings) |
| Platinum (wax cast-polished) | Precious metal final parts, the finished product has stronger quality and value attributes | Jewelry, decorative pieces, small high-value parts | Highly cost-sensitive large/volume items |
| Black SLA Resin | The cosmetic parts have strong details, a good finished product feel, and fast iterations. | Appearance prototypes, review samples, display pieces | Final parts that require a realistic metallic feel and metal strength |
| Tough SLA - Yellow-Green | Appearance + certain toughness, suitable for light load functional validation | Snap verification, light load assembly, functional validation | Real metal end parts and metal surface finishing requirements |
| Black Nylon (SLS) | The functional type is more stable, wear-resistant and fatigue-resistant, suitable for complex structures and small batches | Structural parts, wear-resistant parts, batch functional parts | Metallic texture/electroplated metal appearance final parts |