At growth rate of 20％～25％ in more than one decade, the output of China’s lost-wax castings, with the exception of sodium silicate mold shell investment casting, accounts for 20% of the world market share, for RMB 28.8 billion ($4.23bn), next to North America and Europe, seizes the third place around the world

There are about 60 major plants in China, generating RMB2.8billion ($0.42bn) revenues. The production line supplies the fields of aeronautics, astronautic, military and gas turbine. 

To facilitate the planning of China’s passenger aircraft industry and the development of military industry, high-quality lost-wax casting is much more needed.

The output of Major Investment Metalcasters 2007～2008

Export-oriented investment foundries

The rise of export-oriented investment foundries is remarkable at their 31% growth during 2003～2007, in the forefront of innovation. 530 major foundries accounts for 48.6% of national output at RMB14billion ($2.05bn)

It is estimated that about 40 plants are capable of producing investment castings over 100t monthly. Such big plants account for 5～8％ of the total foundries, whereas their output takes 1/3 of the whole production in China. As the technological advance made these years, the production line has been gradually shifted from non-ferrous pipe fittings and hardware to sophisticated auto castings, machinery parts made by some companies.

As the impact of world financial crisis has yet died away, the export-oriented investment foundries still suffer the lost of order, drastic fall in production. Although the downward situation has been somehow restrained, still visible upward momentum is unseen to this day. The output during the period of January to June, 2010 was 64.86% of the period of January to June, 2008 and the revenues generated was 54.97% compared with the same period in 2008. 

The status-quo of sodium silicate mold shell investment casting in China

The sodium silicated metalcasters are one of the major powers of China’s lost-wax foundry sector, 1, 600 companies, with RMB12billion ($1.76bn) annual revenues in 2007.

This technique was formed by emulating that of Former Soviet-Union in the late 1950s. After 5 decades’ of self-innovation, it has evolved into an unique processing with Chinese features, which widely applied to automobile, railway, shipbuilding, agricultural machinery,etc.