Categoría: Guides & How-To

The mold-making operation itself: pattern allowances by alloy, sand and binder targets, ramming and mold hardness, gating and riser design, vents, closing, pouring temperatures and shakeout – plus when a printed sand mold removes the pattern entirely.

How lost wax casting works, step by step: pattern waxes, ceramic shells, dewaxing, burnout, pouring, tolerances and the defects to watch for.

Industrial SLS pricing bands, coated sand and PSB wax consumables, laser time and a per-part worked example, with a worksheet for filling in your own local costs.

The sand casting process from pattern to finished part: six steps, five molding methods compared, sand and binder selection, gating and riser design, and pattern options.

A buyer’s guide to the small batch casting process: when tooling pays off, how to write an RFQ suppliers can actually answer, what drives per-part cost, and how to run a pilot order.

A foundry audit that fits in one visit: the documents to request, what to watch on the floor, a 25-point scorecard, and the findings that should end the visit.

Where 3D printing fits into investment casting: printed wax patterns, rapid tooling from printed masters, tooling-free prototyping, and an honest look at what it does not change.

3D printed sand casting vs investment casting compared: cost, surface finish, tolerance, part size, materials and lead time – plus a decision rule for choosing between them.

The complete guide to 3D sand printing defects: gassing, veining, metal penetration, friability, warpage and surface finish – with causes, prevention, and fixes for molds and cores.

Sand 3D printer buyer guide for British foundries: pricing, 6-8 week delivery to UK ports, compliance, export strength and net-zero casting, and 3DPTEK vs ExOne vs voxeljet.