3D Printing of Prototype Moulds

3D Printing: Prototype Mould Production

3D printed prototype pattern for a ventilation system component to be cast in LG4 Leaded Gunmetal

Green sand casting relies on the production of a pattern which is used to create a mould. The casting process itself is reasonably straight-forward but fabricating the patterns is often difficult and carried out by highly skilled patternmakers which is time-consuming and expensive. Prototyping of the cast component is required to ensure final dimensions are achieved and casting defects are eliminated.

NovaCast is at the forefront of the metal casting industry in employing 3D printing in the production of prototype patterns in its non-ferrous sand casting process. The technology has emerged as a significant additive manufacturing process in recent years, particularly in rapid prototyping and short-run production of complex geometric shapes.

NovaCast uses the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) process, which integrates seamlessly with its 3D Modelling and Casting Simulation software to produce a loose pattern for prototyping of cast components. Employing the latest technology in this way allows NovaCast to reduce both costs and lead times.

3D Printed Prototype: Bike-share locking mechanism 1

3D Printed Prototype: Bike-share locking mechanism 2

3D Printed Prototype: Bike-share locking mechanism 3

To discuss your requirements, call a member of NovaCast’s team on +44 (0) 1225 707466, send us a message here or email sales@novacast.co.uk.

Rapid Prototyping: How 3D Printing is making its presence felt in the foundry

March 11, 2021

As a long-established foundry with its roots in sand and gravity die casting, NovaCast has grown and evolved over the years to become a modern, diverse and international foundry, with customers and production partners around the world. As the business has developed, it has embraced new casting processes, such as investment casting, lost foam casting, … Read more

Analysis and Testing of Metals: The use of Spectrometers in foundries

February 16, 2021

Over the years, technology has played an increasingly important role in metal casting foundries. NovaCast, for example, uses the latest Casting Simulation Software, 3D Modelling and 3D printing to streamline processes, raise productivity and improve quality. One such area where technology is used to great effect in foundries is the use of Spectrochemical analysis for … Read more

The Main Alloying Elements used in Cast Stainless Steels

December 30, 2020

When considering the alloy specification for a cast Stainless Steel component, it is critical that the service environment in which the cast component will be deployed is taken into account. The chemical composition of the Stainless Steel alloy will determine its performance characteristics and suitability for each application. At NovaCast, we supply a wide variety … Read more