Foundry & Additive Manufacturing Materials, Explained
Every 3DPTEK sand mold, metal part, wax pattern and ceramic component is built from a carefully chosen material. This guide covers the whole catalogue — sands, binders, metal powders, casting alloys, pattern wax and ceramics — with the properties, applications and selection guidance you need to choose well.
Eight material families, one open system
Each family below is a link in the casting and additive process. Use the property callouts to compare, then jump into the deep-dive article for the details.
Foundry Sands
Sand is the backbone of mold and core printing. 3DPTEK's open material system accepts the foundry sand you already trust — silica, ceramic (ceramsite) and chromite grades in the grain sizes your process needs.
- Silica sand — the economical workhorse for Binder Jetting and SLS molds and cores.
- Ceramic (ceramsite) sand — higher thermal stability and a smoother casting surface for demanding parts.
- Chromite sand — high refractoriness and chilling for heavy ferrous castings.
Key properties
Binders & Additives
The binder has as much influence on final casting quality as the sand. Our 20+ proprietary binder recipes cover the main foundry chemistry families and are validated in our own production.
- Furan — established resin system with fast curing and strong molds.
- Phenolic — thermal performance for higher-temperature pouring.
- Inorganic — low-emission, clean burnout for demanding environmental and quality standards.
Key properties
Metal Powders (SLM)
Selective Laser Melting builds fully dense, wrought-equivalent metal parts layer by layer. We qualify powders for each of our SLM platforms so you get repeatable, specification-true components.
- Stainless — 304, 316L, 17-4PH.
- Titan — Ti6Al4V for aerospace and medical.
- Nhôm — AlSi10Mg for lightweight structural parts.
- Tool steel, cobalt-chrome, Inconel — for tooling, wear and high-temperature use.
Key properties
Metal Powders (Binder Jetting)
For high-throughput green parts, Binder Jetting deposits binder onto powder and sinters to full density. With 30+ qualified alloys and an open material platform, you can run the powders you already qualify.
- Stainless & tool steel — 316L, 17-4PH, H13, M2.
- Aluminum, titanium, cobalt-chrome for production runs.
- Siêu hợp kim — Inconel 625/718 for demanding parts.
- Silicon carbide — the same platform prints ceramic green parts.
Key properties
Casting Alloys
From 3D printed molds we pour a complete range of engineering alloys — so you get cast parts, not just molds. The alloy choice drives cost, weight, corrosion resistance and machinability.
- Nhôm — A356, A357, A380, 6061, ZL101–ZL114A.
- Iron — grey HT150–HT350, ductile QT400–QT700, ADI.
- Steel & stainless — carbon, low-alloy, 304/316/17-4PH, duplex 2205.
- Copper, magnesium, superalloys, titanium for specialized parts.
Key properties
Wax & Pattern Materials
For investment casting, the pattern is everything. Our PSB wax and coated-sand SLS systems produce intricate patterns and cores directly from CAD — no injection mold tooling required.
- PSB wax — <0.02% ash for clean shell burnout.
- Coated sand — 4–6 MPa strength for high-pressure casting.
- Geometries — undercuts, thin walls and internal channels that tooling can't make.
Key properties
Ceramic Materials
Ceramic Binder Jetting prints high-performance components without molds or machining. Green bodies are printed, then sintered to final properties — ideal for demanding thermal and wear applications.
- Silicon carbide (SiC) — wear and thermal resistance.
- Alumina — versatile engineering ceramic.
- Zirconia — toughness for structural parts.
Key properties
Material selection tables
| Chất liệu | Cách sử dụng thông thường | Key properties |
|---|---|---|
| Silica sand | Binder Jetting & SLS molds / cores | Cost-effective; 4-6 MPa printed strength |
| Ceramic (ceramsite) sand | High-performance molds & cores | Thermal stability; surface finish |
| Chromite sand | Demanding ferrous castings | High refractoriness; chill control |
| Furan binder | Fast-curing strong molds | Fast cure; good strength |
| Phenolic binder | Higher-temperature pouring | Thermal erformance |
| Inorganic binder | Low-emission casting | Clean burnout |
| PSB wax | Investment-casting patterns | <0.02% ash; +/-0.1 mm |
| Stainless 316L / 17-4PH | SLM & BJ metal parts | Corrosion resistant; near-full density |
| Ti6Al4V (Titanium) | Aerospace & medical | High strength-to-weight |
| Inconel 718 / 625 | High-temperature parts | Superalloy capability |
| Silicon carbide (SiC) | Ceramic Binder Jetting | Wear & thermal resistance |
Picking the right material for your part
Four quick questions set the direction. When you send us your part and target volumes, our application engineers recommend the material and process — and print your part before you invest.
Mold, core or metal part?
Sand molds & cores → Binder Jetting / SLS. Fully dense metal → SLM. High-volume green parts → metal Binder Jetting. Investment-casting pattern → SLS wax.
What does it need to be?
Pick the alloy for the job: lightweight (Al), strength-to-weight (Ti), corrosion (stainless), wear (tool steel / SiC) or temperature (Inconel).
One-off or production?
Prototypes and low volume → Binder Jetting / SLS. Serial production → metal Binder Jetting for throughput, SLM for critical density.
Total cost of ownership
Open materials keep consumable pricing competitive. 3DPTEK systems use standard sands and qualified powders — no mandatory supplier lock-in.
Material questions, answered
- Can I use my own sand?
Yes. 3DPTEK sand printers use an open material system — you can qualify your preferred foundry sand, so consumable pricing stays competitive.
- Do I have to buy 3DPTEK binders?
No. We recommend our 20+ optimized binders for the best performance and stability, but the system accepts qualified alternatives — you are never locked into a single supplier.
- What powders does Binder Jetting accept?
30+ qualified alloys plus silicon carbide on the same platform, running on an open material policy — no mandatory powder contracts.
- How strong are printed sand molds?
SLS coated-sand molds reach 4–6 MPa; Binder Jetting molds handle most casting applications. Strength depends on the sand, binder and process parameters.
- Which process for investment casting?
SLS wax patterns with <0.02% ash for clean burnout, printed directly from CAD with no injection-mold tooling.