• Due to different equipment and process variables used in individual shops the following instructions are a guideline only. For specific instructions and recommendations please contact ICS directly with detailed information regarding the type of equipment in use at your shop and any questions or procedures that your currently use
  

1. Determine quantity of powder required and calculate percentage of water required. Note that ICS500 and ICS1000 series industrial investments are mixed with water in a ratio of 25 to 27 percent water per 100 pasts of powder. The water powder ratio used to of water to powder is marked on the label for each batch of investment.
2. Always add the powder to the water and mix for 3 minutes under vacuum.
3. Fill the flasks/molds under vacuum and continue to vacuum after they have filled for an additional 30 seconds.
   
   

   Remove flasks/molds from vacuum chamber and wait 1 ½ hours before dewaxing.

   • WATER POWDER RATIO: The investment should be mixed with the least amount of water necessary to obtain a consistency that can be poured in to the flasks and surround the wax pattern
   • SET TIME WORKING TIME: Please note that mixing speed and water temperature will effect the working time. Using a high-speed impellor or propeller type mixer at the end of an electric drill motor can reduce the working time by up to 2 minutes. Using hot water, over 25 degrees centigrade, for mixing will also reduce the working
     time and cause the investment to set up faster than normal.
   
   
4. Store the molds/flasks at room temperature until they are ready for de-waxing. As some wax pattern materials can begin to expand at 30 degrees centigrade do not store the flasks or molds in an area for extended time if the temperature is to high. Also the flasks/molds should be handled very carefully at this stage as any jarring or ruff handling can create small cracks before the investment is fully hardened.
   
   

DE-WAXING CYCLE
If your shop has been running a successful burnout cycle we recommend that you use your existing cycle with the ICS industrial investment. Some typical de waxing and burn out cycles or guidelines are as follows:

NOTE ON DE-WAXING RESIN PATTERNS- Resin patterns typically produced by Stereo lithography or SLA machines should not be de-waxed using the steam method, as the resin material does not decompose or melt at low temperature obtained in steam de wax and in some cases the steam may cause the resin patterns to swell and crack the investment mold.

• STEAM DE-WAX- (Do not use steam de waxing for resin type patterns such as those produced by Stereo lithography or SLA machine) If using steam de waxing method the flask or molds can be placed in to the steam chamber 1 hour after the investment has completely set up. The molds can be steam de-waxed anywhere between one to 5 hours later, depending upon the size of the flasks and how much wax you wish to eliminate. The steam chamber can be slightly pressurized up to 5 psi or 34.47 KPa maximum. If the pressure is greater than 5 Psi you can cause flaking of the investment when the molds are depressurized.
  
  
• After steam de-waxing the molds can be placed directly into the burnout furnace, avoid cooling of the mold.
  
  
• CONVECTION DE-WAXING- In this process the flasks or molds are placed in a convection furnace 1 ½ hours after the investment has hardened. The convection furnace can be heated for 2 or more hours at a temperature up to 150 degree centigrade, so that the majority of the wax melts out at a temperature below which it will burn.
  
  
• After convection de-waxing the molds/flasks can be placed directly in to the burn out furnace and the burn out cycle can be started.
  
  
• DE-WAXING & BURN OUT TOGETHER- For small molds of up to 25 pounds heat the furnace to 600 degrees Fahrenheit/315 degrees Centigrade and hold for 2 hours, then increase temperature to 1200 to 1300 degrees Fahrenheit or 648 to 705 degrees Centigrade and hold until wax and carbon has been eliminated, usually 4 to 6 hours is satisfactory for smaller molds. Very large molds of over 200 pounds of investment can require 24 hours or more to eliminate all wax and carbon.