My company is interested in investigating ‘lost core’ injection molding. It seems our competitors overseas are using this process and I wanted to know if anyone in the US has experience and can maybe provide some insight on the process and capital investment necessary.

Bill,
I worked at a company that performed this in one of their European plants. There are two versions: one uses a low melting tin/bismuth core, the other typically uses a water soluable grade of acrylic. The metal core is removed via induction heating, the polymer version via submersion into a hot water bath. Both style of core materials can be reclaimed for use in more parts.
So you will need a core machine (PIM or injection molding press), robots to assemble (maybe) the cores and another to insert into mold, and the reclaim equipment. I'm sure since I haven't done this first hand, I'm missing some steps/equipment. I suppose that is why most intakes and manifolds are molded as two parts, then assembled with a seal material between the halves (welded).
Hope this helps,
Rick.

There's also the "lost wax" molding process for stainless steel. I haven't used it in quite a while but if mass quantities of stainless steel (or other metal) parts are needed, it can be a good option versus custom machining. I've been to a couple of companies in the Chicago area and Cleveland area that have been doing this for a long time.

The tennis racket was moulded by Dunlop in the UK. They were subsequently purchased (automotive moulding operation) by Siemens, the operation is know owned by MAHLE. The UK site in Telford still operates very large lost core processes.

Thanks for that valuable information Ian.

There should be quite a few people milling around North America with a high level of expertise in lost core moulding. Siemens had a large lost core facility in Wndsor (Canada) which I believe has now closed down, the remaing moulding op's went to Tilbury and redundant equipment came across to Telford.
Two main type of lost core used in automotive, high melt alloy (used with thermoset materials and low melt (138°c) which is used with Nylons, predominantley Pa66 35%GF although Pa6 has beenused succesfully.
Casting equipment supplied to us by Bachman, now no longer in existence but Ecklemann support programming (baswed in Germany)
Process for casting very similar to low pressure die casting so equipment suppliers for this process may help. Alloy return from melt out tanks will need balancing or flow issues will be experienced.
Melting out can be done using induction, this is susceptible to part size and also thermal using residence time in a bath of heated oil. LUTRON used mostly as can be washed off following melting out.
Tin Bismuith extremely expensive.. Only one global supplier that I am aware of.