A new vacuum investment casting process is described that not only reduces costs considerably (up to 60%), but also greatly improves part quality. The process, used to make a wide range of precision cast parts, is known as the SLA (Chandley-Lamb-Air) process for casting in air. The key difference between the patented CLA process and conventional investment casting is in the mold filling operation. Rather than pouring metal down into a mold, the CLA mold is placed over a molten heat and the metal is sucked upward. This is done by a one-half atmosphere vacuum that is applied to a chamber placed around the mold. Advantages of the process are detailed.