Heralded by 3D Systems as one of the biggest evolutions made to its over 20-years-old additive casting technology, QuickCast Air has been designed to maximise material removal from the interior of casting patterns for cleaner burnout, more efficient draining and less material waste.
Investment casting – pouring molten metal into ceramic shells made from sacrificial patterns – is thousands of years old, and by the mid-1990s, 3D Systems had pioneered creating high precision casting patterns using 3D printing with QuickCast. This process enables lightweight, hollow parts built using SLA or MultiJet Printing MJP that ultimately can be used to produce end-use metal components.
QuickCast Air is activated through 3D Systems 3D Sprint software, letting users design casting patterns with fewer structures within the self-supporting walls. Using less resin and building more refined support structures results in less material needing to be burned out and thus less ash.
Additionally, having less internal structure makes it easier to drain the resin, thus retaining more within the vat during the draining process rather than being lost downstream.
Within 3D Sprint, users can easily adjust the part’s shell thickness and add vents and drains on any surface, simplifying part set-up regardless of the build orientation.
In tests with some of its large-volume aerospace customers, 3D Systems says QuickCast Air is already helping reduce the material consumption on their patterns by up to 50 per cent and ‘multi-hour reduction’ in build times.
“Since 3D Systems introduced QuickCast more than two decades ago, we have continued to evolve this unique tool and the capabilities it provides,” said 3D Systems VP advanced applications Patrick Dunne.
“As with many of our products, QuickCast Air was born from a specific customer’s application requirements. I’m pleased that we are now able to bring this advanced tool to market thus refining the design and production of investment casting patterns.”
QuickCast Air is available as an add-on for 3D Sprint software via an annual subscription.
