Investment casting process for hollow components

A method for forming a ceramic core for an investment casting process, the method comprising:

• forming first and second rubber mold parts, each formed from a tooling surface comprising a hybrid of a machined surface and an insert surface to cooperatively define a negative of a ceramic core geometry, the forming of the first and second rubber mold parts comprising embedding vibrators in the first and second rubber mold parts;
• combining the first and second rubber mold parts to define a cavity;
• activating the vibrators to vibrate the first and second rubber mold parts while filling the cavity with a ceramic slurry;
• heating the ceramic slurry within the cavity to form the ceramic core;
• and
• removing the ceramic core from the cavity in a green body state without damaging the ceramic core.

A method for forming a ceramic core for an investment casting process, the method comprising:

• forming first and second flexible mold parts, each formed from a tooling surface comprising a hybrid of a machined surface and an insert surface to cooperatively define a negative of a geometry of a ceramic core;
• combining the first and second flexible mold parts to define a cavity;
• filling the cavity with a ceramic composition;
• forming the ceramic core for use in an investment casting process from the ceramic composition within the cavity, wherein the ceramic composition and the execution of the forming are provided such that the ceramic core is formed within the cavity in a green body state with a modulus of rupture of at least 4,000 psi;
• and
• removing the ceramic core from the cavity in the green body state without damaging the ceramic core.