The Problem
A complex high-speed impeller designed as a forging, with most of its cost in machining.
The Challenge
Casting large back-swept vanes in 15-5PH stainless steel close enough to final shape to remove most of that machining, while holding the precision of the forged design.
Our Approach
We moved beyond the forged route, engineering a near-net investment casting through CAD and analysis.
Our Process
We re-engineered the forged design for casting, deciding where metal belongs and where it does not. Full 3D scanning of the first castings against the design intent turned every deviation into a measured correction, carried back into tooling and machining until casting and model agreed.
Our Work
We delivered the complete route: a casting engineered for the part, tooling tuned for repeatable geometry, a five-axis machining strategy, and a scan-based inspection standard for every unit.
The Result
The impeller now comes out of the mould close to its finished form, with machining focused on the functional surfaces. The part has an efficient domestic manufacturing route, built for repeatable production.