3D printing technologies and materials produce innovative casting patterns, ensuring the consistency and quality of cast components, whether for prototyping or low-volume production.
Investment casting is a manufacturing process (also known as lost wax casting) in which a master pattern (traditionally made of wax) is covered with a ceramic slurry. The preheated wax is then melted out of the ceramic shell before molten metal is poured into it. The process typically provides greater precision and surface finish than other casting processes and is often used for applications where small batches are produced and product designs are changed. 3D printed molds offer increased complexity, substantial time and cost savings when creating wax patterns for prototyping and short production runs.
Benefits of 3D Printed Investment Casting
Design Freedom: 3D printing allows you to create more complex designs than traditional investment casting processes.
Cost-effective: 3D printing can be a more cost-effective option than traditional tooling.
Time: With 3D printing, you can reduce the time it takes to build parts instead of waiting to make tools.
application
Wax patterns used in traditional investment casting methods are produced using an injection molding process, which can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000, with lead times estimated at about two months. A major hurdle the company faced was the inability of the investment foundry to produce prototype castings until the injection molds were complete. 3D printing investment casting is a more efficient and cost-effective method.
The foundry can produce a model within a day that can also be used as a prototype for shape and fit evaluation to perfectly match castings produced using that exact model. The durability of the parts allows them to be placed into assemblies for testing while preventing damage that often occurs during shipping and handling.
