3D Printing (FDM) technology for investment castings

What is investment casting 3D Printing technology?

After 20 years'development,3D printing technology is becoming more and more mature.And the production cost is greatly reduced.3D printers have been into some companies even families.3D printing is a kind of rapid prototyping technology, which is based on three dimensional digital model file.It use adhesive materials such as metal or plastic powder to construct objects by means of step by step printing technology.Traditional technology is using mould,milling and other mechanical processing ways to finalize the design,cutting raw materials to final production of finished products.3D printing will change 3D entity into a number of two-dimensional plane, produce through material handling and layered overlay, thus it greatly reduce the complexity of manufacturing.This digital manufacturing model does not need complex process,large machine tools,and lots of manpower.It could produce any shape of parts directly from the computer graphic data.So that the production of investment casting manufacturing could reach to a wider range extension.It can tranform the design from computer into model rapidly.Even directly manufacturing moulds or parts, which will effectively shorten product development cycle,improve product quality and reduce production cost.3D printing technology represents the new trend of development of the investment casting manufacturing industry.It will, together with other digital production modes, promote the realization of the third industrial revolution.

In general,3D printing has the following effects on investment casting industry:

1.Shorten the development cycle of the investment casting mold.Original production cycle may be a month to complete production mold.With 3D printing technology,it may only need 1 to 2 days afer receiving PO.

2.For small batch investment castings or sample,you can use 3D printing technology to finish,not only save development mold cost and cycle, can also send samples to our customers in the shortest time.

3.3D printing technology could produce complex investment castings which traditional process could not make.

4.Product that need to be combined into a few precision casting parts.With 3D printing,it can be an organic whole directly.Which will improve the precision and intensity of products.

5.In the long term, 3D printing technology will bring great impact on traditional investment casting industry.