3D Printing and Investment Casting - Everything You Need to Know

3D Printing and Investment Casting - Everything You Need to Know

We know that 3D printing is cool, but when combined with investment casting? Well, let's just say artisans, engineers, and industrial professionals alike, all are blessed with the ultimate go-to solution.

Those who use 3D printers in the investment casting industry are able to test designs, iterate faster, and efficiently produce short runs, all whilst reducing the cost of expensive tooling along with the usual long-lead times. It's the perfect way to speed up innovation, whilst reducing the costs involved.

In this article, we're going to explain what investment casting is, 5 ways 3D printing benefits the investment casting industry, and we'll also dive in a little deeper, advising you of just some of the ways 3D printing can be used in investment casting.

Let's get started.

What Is Investment Casting?

Investment casting started in Egypt and China, almost 5500 years ago. It's one of the oldest manufacturing methods available that we still use today in order to create metal pieces.

3D printing, the new craze in tech, has complimented it well; ultimately showing us all that even the most reliable, time-tested techniques can benefit from modern technology. People all over the world are now manufacturing common parts by using 3D printers and investment casting, this includes things like dental fixtures, ratchets, jewelry, turbine blades, machinery components, and many other parts that boast complex geometry.

Investment casting is an incredibly precise technique, but throughout the years, we have learned that it's also extremely time-consuming and expensive. 3D printers are the solution - they can be used to create patterns for investment casting, and with it, will significantly reduce production costs, overall time, and manual effort compared to the traditional process.

Let's take a closer look at just 5 of the benefits involved.

5 Benefits of Using 3D Printing for Investment Casting

1. Efficient Cost and Time Involved When Producing Casted Parts

The time and cost involved in 3D printing for investment casting patterns are much lower than those involved within traditional investment casting. 3D printers have the ability to produce patterns that are complex, therefore making them time-consuming. An industry professional is able to create a 3D printed investment pattern overnight, often finding them ready for the foundry first thing in the morning, all for just a low price of $2000 USD.

2. Create Patterns With High-Design Complexity

3D printing removes the limitations and restrictions of traditional wax pattern production processes. Due to the modern technology involved, 3D printers that are used in investment casting can deliver items that are of much higher design complexity.

3. Patterns are Produced Faster

In today's world, people are no longer used to waiting long periods of time for ordered items. But when we're able to order a package of Amazon and have it arrive in the next few hours, who can really blame us?

In this industry, those who order casting patterns no longer have to wait weeks or months thanks to the involvement of 3D printing. 3D printers are able to reduce the time it takes to create casting patterns by a whopping 90% or more; making businesses in the industry so much more efficient.

4. Save Money in Production

Consumers are now able to save thousands of dollars by using 3D printers for their casting patterns. Since patterns are now produced so rapidly, it helps customers to quickly identify any design flaws involved, ultimately reducing the need for any costly design changes or re-work that usually leads to huge time and cost overruns.

5. Increase the Quality of Product

Since stereolithography (or SLA) has a perfect surface resolution, casting patterns are delivered to customers with an unprecedented level of quality. However, this doesn't only affect the quality of the actual product. Sure, it speaks to the quality of the final casted parts, but it also reduces any lengthy machining, and of course, the post-processing requirements.

Actual Uses of 3D Printing in Investment Casting

With all of the above in mind, you can now see just how the role of 3D printing is growing increasingly important in the world of investment casting. Casting companies everywhere are now beginning to experiment with 3D printed parts, slowly banishing the traditional method.

Below, we've listed just some of the several ways 3D printing is used in investment casting.

Quickcast

Hollow printed 3D SLA patterns, or, quickcast patterns, can be developed by 3D printers for large and complex wax patterns that are often used in investment casting. Wax patterns that are big in size can become distorted when exposed to a certain amount of pressure or heat - in this case, loss wax casting is not feasible to use. Quickcast is used to deny distortion, and is able to yield consistent results which ultimately make it even more attractive.

Rapid Tooling

Industry professionals can now use rapid tooling to 3D print tools and mitigate the common time-expenses throughout injecting mold tool production. This saves costs, and a bunch of time and resources.

Wax Printed Patterns

Depending on the size and shape of the item and equipment available, wax patterns are able to be directly printed using the 3D solution. This is known as an easier method to adopt, especially when compared to SLA.

We know that this is an age-old process, but investment casting has remarkably made use of the most technologically advanced products, especially within the aerospace industry. When 3D printing is combined with the traditional method, it ultimately opens doors to more effective high-quality parts, all at a reduced cost.

Investment Casting infographic

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