AFS-500 SLS 3D Printer — Print Sand Molds & Wax Patterns Without Tooling
A compact, industrial-grade SLS platform with a 500 × 500 × 500 mm build volume. Print resin-coated sand molds, cores and PSB investment-casting wax patterns directly from your CAD files — no pattern shop, no wax-injection dies, no weeks of waiting.
Why Foundries & Investment Casters Choose the AFS-500
Pattern tooling is the most expensive step between a design and a casting. The AFS-500 removes it — for both sand molds and investment-casting wax patterns.
Patterns Are the Bottleneck
Every new sand mold starts with a wood or metal pattern; every wax pattern starts with an injection die. Both cost thousands, take weeks to make, and lock in the design before you have poured a single part.
The AFS-500 prints the mold or pattern directly from your CAD file — tooling cost drops to zero for every new design.
Complex Geometry Is Expensive — or Impossible
Internal oil galleries, water jackets, thin walls and hollow wax patterns cannot be machined or injection-molded in one piece, or only with costly multi-piece tooling.
SLS builds these geometries as one piece, layer by layer — including internal channels that conventional core boxes and dies cannot form.
Additive Manufacturing Should Scale With You
An entry-level machine that traps you in a closed process becomes a dead end as order volumes grow — forcing a disruptive platform change later.
The AFS-500 runs the same AFSWin software and SLS process as the LaserCore-5300 and 6000, so the workflow you learn today scales to production tomorrow.
Sand Molds & Cores, Printed Directly From CAD
For foundries, the AFS-500 replaces pattern making for prototype and short-run castings. Print resin-coated sand molds and cores with complex internal geometry, assemble them with conventional cores, and pour the same alloys you pour today.
- Pattern-free workflow — no wood or metal patterns, no pattern storage or modification
- Complex cores in one piece — oil galleries, water jackets, cooling channels
- Design changes in hours — update the CAD file and reprint instead of re-tooling
- STL to sand mold to cast part in days, using your existing pouring practice
Wax Patterns Without Wax-Injection Tooling
For investment casters, the AFS-500 prints PSB casting-wax patterns that feed straight into your existing shell-building and dewaxing lines — no metal die, no wax-injection machine, no die maintenance. Thin walls, hollow forms and internal geometry print as single patterns.
- No wax-injection die — save 6–12 weeks of tooling lead time on every new part
- Thin-wall and hollow patterns printed as one piece, without weld joints
- PSB wax compatible with standard shell building and dewaxing practice
- Repeatable dimensional accuracy across batches for consistent castings
Industrial Build Quality, Proven Since 2004
The AFS-500 shares the SLS architecture 3DPTEK has refined for more than 30 years — the same platform family that has run in production foundries and investment-casting shops since 2004.
CO₂ RF Laser (55 / 120 W)
Radio-frequency CO₂ laser with continuously adjustable power and a dual-beam optical path that aligns the indicator beam with the sintering beam for precise, stable scanning at up to 6 m/s.
PID Temperature-Field Control
Closed-loop PID regulation keeps the build-chamber temperature field uniform and repeatable, so dimensional quality stays consistent job after job.
Enclosed Smoke & Dust Filtration
A sealed, built-in collection and filtration system removes smoke and spatter during sintering — cleaner parts, a cleaner workshop, and no external ducting.
Constant-Temperature Water Cooling
A fully sealed recirculating chiller keeps the laser and optical path in thermal equilibrium, protecting optics and stabilizing output on long builds.
Automatic Powder Feeding
Continuous automated powder feed to the recoater keeps long jobs running without operator intervention, with an aluminum frame that stays rigid and true.
AFSWin V8.4 + Remote Monitoring
3DPTEK’s own control software (STL → CLI) with real-time status monitoring, automatic alarms, and an optional mobile app for remote supervision.
Three Materials, One Platform
Switch the process material and the same AFS-500 covers your sand-mold, wax-pattern and prototyping work — no second machine required.
Resin-Coated Sand
Foundry-grade coated sand for sand molds and cores. Compatible with standard pouring of iron, steel, aluminum and copper alloys.
PSB Casting Wax
Precision casting wax for investment-casting patterns. Matches conventional shell-building and dewaxing practice for reliable shell integrity.
Engineering Plastics
Functional plastic patterns and prototype parts for design validation before committing to tooling or casting.
Application Cases — From Wax Patterns to Production Sand Molds
A look at the parts customers print on the AFS-500 platform every day.
Turbocharger Impeller Wax Pattern
Single-piece PSB wax pattern for a turbocharger impeller. No injection die required — shell building started the same day.
Engine Block Wax Model
Full engine-block wax model with internal water jackets, printed as one pattern for trial castings.
Pump Housing Sand Mold
Compact pump housing mold printed as a single piece — replaced a multi-part pattern and cut lead time to days.
Sand-Cast Functional Parts
Prototype and short-run castings poured from AFS-printed molds using the foundry’s existing alloys.
Water Return Pipe Wax Molds
Hollow wax molds for water-return pipes with internal geometry that cannot be injection-molded.
Industrial Machinery Wax Models
Short-run investment-casting wax patterns for industrial machinery components — tooling-free and repeatable.
AFS-500 Technical Specifications
Core parameters — everything you need to plan your floor space, utilities and process. Full electrical and site-preparation details are provided in the installation manual before shipment.
The 3DPTEK Difference — More Than a Machine
You are not just buying hardware. You are buying three decades of SLS application knowledge and a supplier that stands behind every installation.
30+ Years of SLS Experience
3DPTEK has developed SLS platforms since 2004 and served foundries for more than 30 years. Your applications team has likely seen your part before.
One Software, One Workflow
AFSWin runs identically on the AFS-500, LaserCore-5300 and LaserCore-6000. Scale up to production throughput without retraining operators.
Globally Sourced Core Components
Mitsubishi PLC, Omron fiber-optic sensors, Sanyo servo drives and Schneider low-voltage components — built for years of service, with easy spares.
Support From Install to Production
On-site installation, operator training, a 12-month warranty, remote diagnostics and a stable consumables supply.
AFS-500 FAQ
Questions customers ask most before choosing the AFS-500.
Sand molds and cores for foundry casting, PSB casting-wax patterns for investment casting, and engineering-plastic prototypes. The 500 × 500 × 500 mm build covers a wide range of small and mid-size parts.
Both. It is the same SLS platform — you simply change the process material. Foundries commonly dedicate one AFS-500 to sand and use another for wax patterns, or switch materials between jobs.
Both run the same AFSWin software and SLS process. The AFS-500 offers a 500 mm build and 80–200 cm³/h throughput at a lower entry cost; the LaserCore-5300 offers a larger build and higher throughput for volume production. Many customers start with the AFS-500 and add a LaserCore as volumes grow.
For investment casting, SLS-printed PSB wax patterns meet the same shell-building and dewaxing requirements as injection-molded patterns, and add the ability to print hollow, thin-wall or internally complex geometries that a die cannot form.
380 VAC / 50 Hz / 15 kW three-phase five-wire power; clean, dry compressed air at 0.6–0.8 MPa and ≥1.0 m³/min; ambient 20–30 °C; humidity ≤60%. The machine footprint is 1,960 × 1,200 × 2,200 mm and it weighs about 2.0 t.
On-site installation, operator training, a 12-month warranty, remote diagnostics and consumables supply. Our applications engineers also help with process parameter setup for your materials.
Compare with other SLS 3D printers
For a different build volume, compare the SLS platforms: LaserCore-5300, LaserCore-6000. Or browse the full SLS 3D printers range.