Rapid mould and core manufacture

Citation

(2011), "Rapid mould and core manufacture", Assembly Automation, Vol. 31 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2011.03331aaf.001

Rapid mould and core manufacture

Article Type: Mini features From: Assembly Automation, Volume 31, Issue 1

The technology of printing sand moulds and cores has been in operation at Castings Technology International for five years now (Figure 1). Over this period, Cti has manufactured a considerable number of complex, high-duty castings for markets such as defence, aerospace, pump and valve, oil and gas, etc. A huge number of mould assemblies have also been shipped to foundries for the manufacture of one-off prototype or production castings, or to produce small series of castings.

The main benefits are that patterns and core boxes are eliminated, and lead-time is reduced to days. It has been demonstrated time and again that the technology can provide the means to capture significant volumes of high value business in steel, iron and aluminium castings.

Figure 1

Exceptionally complex cores that would normally require multiple core-boxes can be made in one piece. Cores that would otherwise be impossible to make by any traditional technique can also be produced, because there are no restrictions on undercuts, etc.

Regardless of size, moulds and cores can be made with an accuracy of ±0.25 mm, enabling sand castings to be made to dimensional standards equivalent to lost wax investment castings (ISO 8062 Casting Tolerance Grade CT4-CT6).

The moulds and cores are normally delivered in 48 h from receipt of the 3D CAD model files.