ProCaster one-shot crucibles for vacuum induction melting, single crystal and investment casting of superalloys.
No residue from the last heat, no question about what the wall has already absorbed.
A one-shot crucible makes sense when the cleanliness of one casting is worth more than the life of the crucible: in vacuum induction melting, single crystal casting and investment casting of nickel based superalloys, where residue from a previous melt or refractory inclusions would scrap the part. ProCaster one-shot crucibles are used for a single melt and replaced, so every heat starts in an unused ceramic wall.
A crucible that is used for many heats becomes part of the process history. Metal and slag from earlier melts stay in the wall, and every heat adds thermal cycles that open cracks and loosen grains.
For most alloys, that is a fair trade against crucible cost, and a reusable crucible is the right choice. For a turbine blade cast as a single crystal, or a medical implant alloy with tight chemistry limits, one carried over inclusion can cost more than a box of crucibles.
A one-shot crucible removes that variable. The wall that meets the metal has never seen another alloy, and it has been heated once.
The cleanest crucible is the one that has never melted anything else, which is why critical castings get a new one every heat.
Composition and dimensions are chosen for each process, not taken from a catalog.
The ceramic is selected for the alloy family, from nickel based superalloys to other high performance metals.
Wall, bottom and height follow the charge weight and the pouring temperature of your process.
Outside dimensions are made to fit the coil, the mold setup and the pouring motion of your furnace.
Vacuum induction melting: small charges of superalloys melted under vacuum and poured into investment molds, where any reaction product of the crucible ends up in the casting.
Single crystal casting: turbine components where a stray grain or inclusion is a reject, so the melt has to be as clean as the process allows.
High purity melting: alloys with tight limits on trace elements, where carry over from a different alloy in the previous heat is not acceptable.
For longer campaigns in the same alloy, a reusable crucible is usually more economical. ProCaster high alumina crucibles come in four grades and 5 to 4,500 lb.
Filtering the pour removes what the crucible cannot prevent. 3D printed ceramic filters sit between pour cup and mold.
A ceramic crucible that is used for a single melt and then replaced, so each heat starts without residue from earlier alloys.
It is when a rejected casting costs more than the crucible, which is typical for single crystal and critical aerospace or medical parts. For routine melts, a reusable crucible is more economical.
Yes. Material, size and features are developed for the melt chemistry, temperature and equipment of each customer.
Tell us the alloy, the charge weight and the furnace. A Blasch engineer proposes a one-shot crucible for your process.
