Eliminate tooling, reduce lead times from weeks to days, and cut production costs by up to 70% with 3DPTEK’s Binder Jetting and SLS sand printing systems. Since 1994, we’ve helped over 500 foundries worldwide make the transition to digital casting.
Traditional sand casting depends on expensive wooden or metal patterns, weeks of lead time, and highly skilled labor. 3DPTEK’s Binder Jetting sand 3D printers bypass pattern-making entirely — printing complex sand molds and cores directly from CAD files in hours, not weeks. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has recognized additive manufacturing as a transformative technology for the foundry industry.
Eliminate pattern storage, maintenance, and the upfront cost of wooden or metal tooling. Print molds directly from your CAD file.
Go from design to casting-ready mold in as little as 24 hours. Accelerate prototyping and small-batch production dramatically.
Print undercuts, internal channels, thin walls, and organic geometries impossible with traditional pattern-making.
Use your preferred foundry sand. Our 20+ proprietary binders are optimized for peak performance but never lock you in.
From entry-level production to oversized large-format printing, our Binder Jetting systems cover the full spectrum of foundry needs.
The most powerful sand 3D printer we build. Sand-box-free flexible forming up to 4 meters, print speeds up to 1,744 L/h, and 10+ tons of casting-ready sand molds per print cycle — for foundries producing oversized components at scale.
A dependable, cost-effective workhorse for sand molds and cores. Eight printheads and 18–23 s/layer keep mid-volume foundries running around the clock.
The upgraded J1800 with high-speed vibration powder spreading. Same build volume at roughly half the weight — faster installation, simpler operation, ideal for growing foundries.
China Foundry Equipment Innovation Award winner. Twelve printheads and a 2,500 × 1,500 × 1,000 mm build volume deliver high-throughput mold and core production.
Sand-box-free flexible forming up to 4 meters. Prints oversized molds and cores in one piece at 130–360 L/h — built for massive industrial castings.
A sand 3D printer uses Binder Jetting technology to build sand molds and cores layer by layer directly from a digital CAD file. Instead of carving patterns and packing sand around them, a print head selectively deposits a liquid binder onto a thin layer of foundry sand, bonding the grains together. The process repeats until the full mold or core is complete.
The result: a casting-ready sand mold produced in hours, with zero tooling cost and complete geometric freedom. Complex internal channels, undercuts, and thin walls that are impossible with traditional pattern-making become routine. From prototyping to serial production, sand 3D printing eliminates the single biggest bottleneck in the foundry workflow.
From automotive powertrains to marine propellers, our sand 3D printers serve virtually every sector that relies on precision metal castings.
Engine blocks, cylinder heads, transmission housings, and motorcycle frames with rapid iteration.
Pump housings, impellers, gearboxes, and heavy equipment components.
Propellers, valve bodies, and corrosion-resistant components for marine environments.
Sculptures, architectural elements, and custom decorative pieces with intricate detail.
Precision housings, heat sinks, and structural frames for consumer electronics.
Turbine components, power unit housings, and high-performance structural castings.
The numbers speak for themselves. Digital sand printing transforms every key metric that matters to your foundry’s bottom line.
Patterns, tooling & long lead times
Pattern-free, printed in days
On the left, labor-intensive pattern-making that takes weeks. On the right, a single 3D printed sand mold — ready for pouring in a fraction of the time, with zero tooling.
This isn’t an incremental improvement. It’s a fundamental shift in how foundries approach casting production.
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From CAD file to casting-ready mold in five simple steps. No patterns. No waiting. Just digital precision.
Upload your 3D model of the desired casting. Our software automatically generates the mold geometry with gating and risers.
The model is digitally sliced into thin layers, typically 200 to 400 microns each, ready for the printer.
A thin layer of foundry sand is spread across the build platform. The print head selectively deposits binder to bond the sand particles.
Excess unbound sand is removed. The printed mold or core is then cured to achieve full handling strength.
The finished sand mold is ready for metal pouring. Assemble, pour, and shake out just like a traditional mold.
See real sand molds and finished castings produced by our technology in foundries around the world.
Layer-by-layer binder jetting of foundry sand to form complex mold geometries with internal channels.
Our Binder Jetting systems operate 24/7 in production environments with minimal operator intervention.
High-quality metal parts cast from 3D printed sand molds, ready for machining and assembly.
Large-scale iron castings produced using 3D printed sand molds for heavy machinery.
Precision stainless steel components for demanding industrial and marine applications.
Large-format aluminum alloy castings for automotive and aerospace structural components.
Our technology integrates seamlessly into existing foundry workflows for immediate productivity gains.
From single prototypes to serial production, our sand printers handle a wide range of casting requirements.
Castings meet or exceed industry standards for dimensional accuracy and surface finish.
Single-piece engine block sand molds and cores printed without pattern tooling for automotive foundries.
Complex internal flow channels in pump and valve castings, printed directly with no core boxes.
CFD-optimized impellers with thin walls and twisted vanes cast in a single piece from printed molds.
Founded in 1994, we have nearly three decades of hands-on experience in 3D printing and casting. We understand foundry operations because we operate foundries ourselves.
Our IP portfolio covers every aspect of sand 3D printing: hardware, software, binders, and process control algorithms.
From small job shops to automotive giants, our machines are trusted in over 500 facilities across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas.
Our 10+ smart manufacturing centers run 3DPTEK sand printers for commercial casting projects every day. We eat our own dog food.
We are not just a machine vendor. We provide sand, binders, software, training, and ongoing support as your end-to-end foundry digitization partner.
Use your own sand. Our 20+ proprietary binders are optimized for our machines but you are never locked in to a single-supplier ecosystem.
The investment is more than just the printer. It is a complete solution that includes the machine, essential consumables (sand and binders), software, and comprehensive on-site training. We work with you to build a package that fits your specific production needs and budget, ensuring a clear and rapid ROI. Contact our experts for a detailed quote.
Our systems are designed for seamless integration. They complement your existing casting processes by replacing the bottleneck of traditional pattern making. We provide full installation, on-site training, and ongoing support to ensure a smooth transition and immediate productivity gains.
No. Our systems use an open material philosophy. You can use your preferred foundry sand. However, we recommend our 20+ proprietary binders, optimized for our machines to guarantee the best performance, stability, and casting quality.
Our Binder Jetting molds offer excellent strength for most casting applications. SLS sand cores achieve superior tensile strength of 4.5 to 6.5 MPa for handling complex geometries and high-pressure casting.
We offer a comprehensive warranty and global after-sales support. Our service engineers provide installation, training, and 24/7 assistance. Our own 10+ production centers use our sand printers daily for commercial projects.
The first step is a no-obligation consultation with our foundry application experts. We will discuss your challenges, typical part sizes, and production goals to recommend the ideal solution. Contact us today.
