What is a sand 3D printer for casting?
Casting sand 3D printer is a kind of advanced equipment using additive manufacturing technology (3D printing) to manufacture sand moulds directly, designed for the foundry industry, can quickly produce complex structure of the sand or sand core, instead of the traditional manual or mechanical mould making method. Casting sand 3D printer through digital technology to reconstruct the conventional casting process, to achieve a complex cavity, rapid iteration and cost reduction and efficiency breakthroughs, is the key landing scene of intelligent manufacturing in the field of metal forming. In the future, with the cost of equipment and material system optimisation, it will be further popularized in high-end equipment manufacturing.
Here are its core points: the rationale
1. Layer-by-layer stacking and moulding
The cross-section of the part is ‘printed’ on top of the material powder (sand) using a printhead with a bonding agent. After the previous layer has been bonded, the moulding box is lowered by a distance (layer thickness), another layer of powder is spread, and the printhead, under computer control, selectively sprays the binder to build up the layer according to the moulding data information of the next build section. So week after week, layer by layer, they send and lay powder, laying powder and spraying binder, and finally complete a three-dimensional powder (sand) bonding.
2. Material system
- Sand material: quartz sand, zircon sand, ceramic sand, etc., particle size 100-200 mesh, need to be suitable for high temperature metal casting.
- Adhesives: classified according to environmental friendliness as acid-cured (conventional), alkaline phenolic (low VOC) or inorganic.
3. Typical Application Scenarios
Aerospace: printing high-temperature alloy turbine blade sand, cooling channel wall thickness is very thin, the traditional process is difficult to achieve.
- Automotive manufacturing: engine block, gearbox shell prototype parts rapid trial production, iteration cycle compressed from months to 1-2 weeks.
- Energy equipment: large hydraulic turbine blades or nuclear power valves integrated sand manufacturing, to avoid the strength of multiple pieces of collocation caused by hidden problems.
- Art casting: accurate reproduction of complex sculptures, with details restored to 0.1mm level, saving the cost of artificial moulds.
Compared with the traditional mould making, 3D printing sand complex structure directly prints the cavity, surface, and internal cold channel, with no need to a parting extraction mould.
Development cycle shortened by 60-80% (eliminating the cost of mould design and manufacturing). Small quantities and complex parts are more economical, no mould costs, and precision and consistency eliminate manual errors to achieve digital reproduction of sustainable sand that can be recycled at a rate of more than 95%. The amount of adhesive was reduced by 30%!
Fast and free forming without moulds, fast forming speed; near-net forming to net forming of complex components; fully digital and highly flexible; no support structure, easy removal of excess powder, especially suitable for making complex cavity shapes, and the powder can be recycled.
Sand 3D printing casting design forms do not have to adhere to the traditional form of technology, can be moulded into more complex castings, can be the original through the assembly of the fragmented parts for the integration of integrated design, to improve the functional requirements of the product and the use of casting performance.Â
Lightweight is a major feature of the future of industrial product design, such as car shells and door hinges through the ‘skeleton’ structural design, more lightweight, efficient, and this lightweight design results can be achieved through the sand 3D printing method of manufacturing.
The following sand printers are available in different moulding sizes (for different application scenarios)
3D Sand Printer for Academic Laboratory Research
College experimental models: for colleges and universities, scientific research institutes, experimental research, training, exhibition
Unattended: easy to install, plug and play, one-key printing, remote operation and maintenance can be realised.
Equipment features
- High efficiency: sanding and printing alternating operations
- High quality: ISO9001 certification; core parts (motor, guide, screw, module, etc.) of international brands; overall processing of the frame, high mechanical precision;
- Low cost: material (sand, liquid) localisation; new sand, reused sand, and recycled sand can be used; AC 220V, no compressed air required;
- Green: air-conditioned environment, low noise, no dust;
3D sand printers for industrial R&D and small batch production(square work box)
Industrial R&D models: for military, aerospace, automotive, and other fields, for new product development and small batch product development and manufacturing (square work box)
Equipment features:
- Unattended: one-key printing; remote operation and maintenance can be achieved; with equipment, process quality knowledge base system;
- Low cost: localisation of materials (sand, liquid); new sand, reused sand, and recycled sand can be used; dual box alternate printing;
- High quality: ISO9001 certification; core components (control systems, motors, guide rails, screws, etc.) of international brands; overall processing of the frame, good rigidity and high mechanical precision;
- Safety: equipped with industrial firewall hardware and software; equipped with UPS; equipped with light curtains, safety locks, and other detection devices;
- Green: equipped with VOC treatment device; air-conditioned environment, low noise, no dust;
3D sand printers for industrial R&D and small batch production(Rectangular work box)
Classic model for industrial R&D and small batch production: for military, aerospace, automotive and other fields, used for new product development and small batch product development and manufacturing (rectangular working box)
Equipment features:
Unattended: one-key printing; remote operation and maintenance can be achieved; with equipment, process quality knowledge base system;
Low cost: localisation of materials (sand, liquid); new sand, reused sand, and recycled sand can be used; dual box alternate printing;
High quality: ISO9001 certification; core components (control systems, motors, guide rails, screws, etc.) of international brands; overall processing of the frame, good rigidity and high mechanical precision;
Safety: equipped with industrial firewall hardware and software; equipped with UPS; equipped with light curtains, safety locks, and other detection devices;
Green: equipped with VOC treatment device; air-conditioned environment, low noise, no dust;
3D sand printers for industrial applications
Models: for military, aerospace, automotive, and other fields, with supporting equipment and industrial robots, the formation of digital factories, to achieve mass production
Equipment features:
- Unattended: one-key printing; remote operation and maintenance can be achieved; with equipment, process quality knowledge base system;
- High efficiency: following printing, doubling the efficiency;
- High quality: ISO9001 certification; core components (control system, motors, guide rails, screws, etc.) of international brands; overall processing of the frame, good rigidity and high mechanical precision;
- Low cost: localisation of materials (sand, liquid); with resin recycling system, low resin consumption; new sand, reused sand, and recycled sand can be used;
- Green: equipped with VOC treatment device; air-conditioned environment, low noise, no dust;
- Safety: equipped with industrial firewall hardware and software; equipped with UPS;