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Industry Insights & Expert Guides

3DPTEK Blog — Industrial 3D Printing & Casting Insights

Practical, engineer-written content to help foundries and manufacturers navigate industrial additive manufacturing, from technology selection to production optimization.

What You'll Find on This Blog

Our blog covers the full spectrum of industrial additive manufacturing and casting — from deep technical dives to practical procurement guides. Every article is written to help engineers, foundry managers, and purchasing decision-makers make informed choices.

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Technology Explained

Binder Jetting, SLS, SLM — how each technology works, when to use it, and what to expect.

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Cost & ROI Analysis

Real pricing data, total cost of ownership models, and patternless vs. traditional casting comparisons.

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Practical How-To Guides

Step-by-step guides for selecting equipment, choosing service providers, and optimizing processes.

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Industry Applications

How automotive, marine, aerospace, and energy sectors use 3D printed casting today.

Latest Articles

Stay current with our newest content. Articles covering technology updates, application breakthroughs, and practical advice — published regularly.

3D Sand Printing Cost in 2026: What Foundries Actually Pay

3D sand printing cost in 2026, broken down: machine price, sand and binder, labor, and per-part math — with real numbers versus traditional pattern tooling.

Patternless Sand Casting: Process, Cost & Lead Time Without Tooling

How patternless sand casting works in 2026: 3D printed sand molds from CAD, no tooling, 15-45 day lead times, and ±0.3 mm accuracy — with real production cost data.

Selective Laser Melting (SLM): Process, Materials and When to Choose It

How selective laser melting works step by step – density, materials, support structures and their real cost, when SLM is the wrong choice, and gradient parts.

Sand Mold and Core Printing: A Buyer’s Checklist

A buyer’s checklist for sand mold and core printing – build envelope, sand and binder, accuracy, throughput per shift, post-processing, and machine versus service.

Sand 3D Printing vs Traditional Sand Casting: Cycle Time, Cost and Tolerance

Printed sand molds cut lead time from 2-8 weeks to hours and remove pattern tooling entirely. Compare cycle time, cost by quantity, tolerance and design freedom.

3D Printer for Metal: Binder Jetting vs SLM, and What Each Costs

How binder jetting and SLM metal 3D printers differ – density, supports, alloys, throughput and what drives the US,000-570,000 price band.

Rapid Prototyping: Definition, Methods, Lead Times and Cost

Six commercial rapid prototyping routes compared on lead time, tolerance, surface finish and cost per part, with the quantity where tooling takes over.

Bronze vs Brass: What Actually Separates Them

The short answer If the part moves against something, carries a load at temperature, or meets seawater, it is bronze. If it is a fitting, a housing, a valve body or a decorative item in a dry environment, brass will usually do the same job for less money and machine more easily. The trap is […]

How to Make a Casting Mold for Metal: Step-by-Step Foundry Guide

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.

Lost Wax Casting Process: Steps, Materials and Tolerances

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

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Find articles organized by topic. Each category contains focused content for your specific area of interest.

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We write about what matters to foundry professionals and manufacturing engineers. Suggest a topic or ask a technical question - our engineers respond personally.