Role Overview
Investment Casting Mold Designer is responsible for the design, development, and optimization of complex tooling and mold systems for advanced investment casting applications. This role integrates traditional casting design principles with additive manufacturing technologies to enable rapid iteration, reduced lead times, and improved casting performance—particularly for aerospace and high-performance alloy components.
What You'll Do...
- Lead the design of ceramic molds, cores, and gating systems for investment casting (EQ, DS, and SX where applicable)
- Develop DFM/DFA strategies to optimize yield, reduce defects, and improve producibility
- Integrate additive manufacturing (Binder jet, DLP, SLA, Wax, etc.) where applicable) into mold and tooling workflows
- Create and refine mold architectures for 3D printed ceramic systems, including:
- Wall thickness optimization
- Drainage/venting strategies
- Print orientation and segmentation
- Collaborate with process engineers to align mold design with:
- Pour strategy (including ladle-less / direct pour concepts)
- Thermal gradients and solidification behavior
- Furnace and preheat conditions
- Utilize casting simulation tools (MAGMA, ProCAST, etc.) to validate designs and predict defects
- Drive rapid iteration cycles by leveraging digital workflows and additive processes
- Support new product introduction (NPI) and prototype-to-production transitions
- Troubleshoot casting defects including:
- Shrinkage, porosity, hot tearing
- Misruns, inclusions, and ceramic-related defects
- Interface with manufacturing to ensure designs are compatible with:
- Automated or semi-automated production cells
- High-mix / low-volume environments
- Contribute to development of next-generation casting technologies
You have...
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field
- 3-8+ years of experience in investment casting tooling/mold design
- Deep understanding of:
- Gating and risering design
- Solidification principles
- Ceramic shell and core behavior
- Experience with Ni-based superalloys (IN718, MAR-M247, Rene alloys, etc.)
- Proficiency in CAD software (NX, SolidWorks, etc.)