Investment Casting Services
Investment casting — also called lost wax casting — is a precision metal forming process used to produce complex, near-net-shape components from ferrous and non-ferrous metals including steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, and bronze.
MES, Inc. doesn’t just source precision investment castings — we manage everything from the factory floor to your door. Dedicated supply chain specialists. In-factory quality teams. Strategic warehousing in Ohio and Mexico.
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What We Source & Manage
MES sources and manages precision investment castings through a vetted global supplier network, supporting a full range of materials, part sizes, and production volumes.
Supply Chain Ownership
Most investment casting companies hand you a part and a tracking number. MES does something fundamentally different: we own your supply chain.
Every MES customer is assigned a dedicated supply chain specialist whose sole focus is your account. They track your castings from the factory floor in real time, provide proactive lead time updates, and serve as your single point of contact for everything between production and delivery.
MES planners work directly with your team on forecasting and inventory management. Whether you're managing seasonal demand swings, product launches, or supply disruptions, your planner builds strategies to keep your production running.
MES quality engineers are stationed inside our manufacturing partners' facilities — not waiting at a receiving dock. They verify dimensions, inspect surface finish, review material certifications, and ensure every casting is made to your specification before it ships.
MES operates strategically located warehouses in Poland, Ohio (domestic buffer stock and JIT delivery for North American customers) and Mexico (near-shore inventory support for manufacturing operations in Mexico and the U.S. Sun Belt).
Why Choose MES
You need complex parts made right — and you need to know they'll arrive on time.
What You Need
What MES Delivers
Complex, tight-tolerance castings
Global network of vetted investment casting foundries
Confidence in part quality
In-factory MES quality teams at the source
Supply chain visibility
Dedicated supply chain specialist on your account
Inventory control
MES demand planners for forecasting and replenishment
Fast, reliable delivery
Warehousing in Ohio, Poland, and Mexico
A single point of accountability
One partner from factory door to your door
We provide custom casting solutions across diverse industrial sectors.
Traditional Automotive, Hybrids, & EV
Traditional Automotive, Hybrids, & EV
The Standard: Precision At Scale.
In the fast-paced automotive sector, reliability and weight reduction are the primary drivers. MES provides high-quality die cast solutions for Major Global Auto OEMs and EV platforms.
Lightweight aluminum die castings for motor housings and battery enclosures.
Leak testing and X-Ray/Ultrasonic inspection for safety components.
Commercial Lighting
Commercial Lighting
Precision Aluminum For Light Quality.
Die cast aluminum housings and heat sinks optimized for thermal management in LED, industrial, and architectural lighting systems.
Complex fin geometries for maximum thermal performance.
Tight cosmetic tolerances for exposed fixture components.
Electrical & Energy
Electrical & Energy
Built For Critical Infrastructure.
Components for switchgear, circuit breakers, conduit fittings, and energy distribution infrastructure — where dimensional accuracy is non-negotiable.
Zinc and aluminum alloys for optimal electrical properties.
Sealed enclosures meeting IP65+ requirements.
Construction & Agriculture
Construction & Agriculture
Built Tough For The Field.
Durable die cast parts built for heavy equipment and demanding outdoor environments — from hydraulic housings to structural brackets.
50–4400T press capability for large structural castings.
Corrosion-resistant alloys for outdoor exposure.
Robotics
Robotics
Precision For Automated Systems.
Die cast components for robotic arms, servo housings, grippers, and automated system enclosures — engineered for tight tolerances and light-weighting.
±0.005" capability on critical datums and mating surfaces.
Aluminum alloys optimized for strength-to-weight ratio.
Common Questions
Investment casting (lost wax casting) uses a ceramic mold built around a wax pattern, which is melted away before metal is poured. It excels at producing highly complex geometries, thin walls, and intricate details in a wide range of metals — including steel and stainless steel. Die casting forces molten metal under high pressure into a reusable steel die and is better suited for high-volume, simpler aluminum or zinc parts. Investment casting typically offers superior dimensional accuracy and design flexibility; die casting offers lower per-part cost at very high volumes.
Investment casting supports a broad range of metals including carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel (grades 304, 316, 17-4 PH, and others), aluminum alloys, brass, bronze, and ductile iron. The process is particularly valued for its ability to cast high-melting-point alloys — like stainless steel — that cannot be processed by die casting.
Investment casting typically achieves linear tolerances of ±0.005 inches per inch (±0.13 mm/mm), with surface finishes in the range of 125 RMS. Tighter tolerances are achievable in specific dimensions through secondary CNC machining operations. This makes investment casting suitable for precision components that would otherwise require extensive machining from bar stock.
Standard investment casting lead times range from 6 to 12 weeks for production tooling and initial sample parts, depending on part complexity and material. Repeat production orders can be managed on faster cycles depending on inventory programs. MES customers benefit from dedicated supply chain specialists who proactively manage and communicate lead times, as well as warehousing programs that position buffer inventory close to your facility for JIT delivery.
Lost wax casting is another term for investment casting. The name refers to the core step of the process: a wax replica of the final part is created, coated in ceramic slurry to form a mold shell, and then the wax is “lost” — melted out — before molten metal is poured in. The terms investment casting and lost wax casting are used interchangeably across the manufacturing industry.
MES assigns quality engineers directly inside our partner foundries. Rather than inspecting parts after they arrive at a warehouse, our teams verify dimensional accuracy, material compliance, and surface quality at the source. This includes first-article inspection (FAI), in-process dimensional checks, and review of material test reports (MTRs). Parts are verified before they ship — not after they arrive on your dock.
Yes. MES provides investment castings with integrated CNC machining services, allowing customers to receive finished or semi-finished components ready for assembly. This reduces the number of suppliers you manage and keeps your supply chain consolidated under a single point of accountability.
MES supports both prototype/development quantities and full production volumes. MOQs vary by part complexity and supplier, and our team will work with you to find a cost-effective solution regardless of where you are in your product development cycle.
Trusted by Leading Manufacturers
MES supplies investment castings and managed supply chain services to some of the most demanding manufacturers in the world, including Eaton, Honeywell, Siemens, Emerson, Schneider Electric, BorgWarner, Hubbell, and Honda.
These partnerships are built on more than part quality — they’re built on the confidence that MES manages the entire supply chain, from factory door to customer door, with zero gaps in visibility or accountability.
Tell us about your part. Our team will review your specifications, identify the right foundry partners from our global network, and build a supply chain program around your needs — not the other way around.
How do we deliver success-minded performance brands value-add that's worthy? With a global strategy, boots-on-the-ground presence, and relationship-driven approach.
