SLIC (several layer investment casting) is the latest fuel-efficient, clean Hitchiner countergravity casting process. SLIC reduces shell material usage by about 70%, floor space requirements by up to 70%, and mold-heating energy by 87.5% while eliminating the need for large burnout furnaces. The water-based process achieves these goals by sigificantly reducing the number of shell layers needed to make molds.
Metal Casting Technology, Inc. (MCT), the Hitchiner-General Motors Corp. joint venture for research and development developed this environmentally friendly process. Canadian automotive manufacturer Wescast Industries licensed SLIC in 2007 and product development is ongoing at MCT and Hitchiner.
