Do you remember the previous article where we talked about how to make bicycle part castings?
The gleaming metal parts are incredibly eye-catching. Everyone who saw them thought they were off-the-shelf products, but they were actually made using 3D printing. Go back to the previous article
to review the manufacturing process!
In this article, we will also introduce you to cast parts, this time from inside an aircraft!
We used an Ultimaker3 3D printer for printing, and the filament used was a special industrial-grade polycast filament. After printing, it can be sent directly to the manufacturer
to create a mold and produce metal parts with quality almost identical to finished products.
3D Printing Filament Knowledge: PolyCast is a material specifically designed for metal investment casting (lost-wax casting). It can be polished with an alcohol polishing machine and
completely burned out during casting to ensure the integrity of the mold cavity.
After carefully removing the supports from the printed part, the printed product is ready! It will then be handed over directly to the foundry for post-processing. Please see the image below of the final part after casting and
polishing!
Aircraft parts have a higher level of complexity in their details, such as the thinner parts of the central support, which cannot be manufactured using industrial machines like CNC. However, with a 3D printer,
you can easily accomplish this, and you don't need to worry about needing large quantities for production; even a single piece can be made.
Now you can use a 3D printer for prototyping and testing the final parts. If you are interested in learning more about polycast 3D printing filament,
please feel free to contact us!