bronze 3d printing 1

[andran]

hi all,

i have been asked to investigate the feasibility of bronze 3d printing at our plant. we currently have a bronze foundry where we do sand casting. the parts that are cast then need to be machined to get the correct surface finish and dimensions.

would it be possible to just print these parts? if the parts are printed, there wouldn't be a need to machine them afterwards (thats the thinking of my boss).

i have done some research on the net and it doesn't look like the technology is available yet. also the production times might not make it feasable.

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks and regards
andran

 

[CastMetal]

The technology is available, I have seen it called DMLS "Direct Metal Laser Sintering." Production times will likely make this unrealistic, also surface finish of the printed part is similar to a permanent mold casting or sandcast part which is likely much rougher than you require. Here are a couple people you might want to call up for information.

http://www.gpiprototype.com/services/metal-3d-printing-metal-3d-printer-service.html

http://www.laserrepro.com/dmls/

Comprehension is not understanding. Understanding is not wisdom. And it is wisdom that gives us the ability to apply what we know, to our real world situations

 

[KENAT]

Selective Laser Sintering is another term you might want to look up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_laser_sintering

We got an aluminum part quoted and it was very expensive as I recall.

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[mcgyvr]

How large is your object?

There are a few sites with pricing and for bronze your are looking at something like
50x50x50mm build area.

Up to 5 cm³ model volume: $38.50
For every extra cm³ above 5 cm3 till 40 cm³: add $8.80


maximum price for a model with a volume of 3 cm³ will be $38.50
The maximum price for a model with a volume of 8 cm³ will be $38.50 + (8-5) * $8.80 = $64.90
The maximum price for a model with a volume of 11 cm³ will be $38.50 + (11-5) * $8.80 = $91.30

 

[andran]

thanks for the replies.

the object is 4 1/4 ft high with an OD of approx 2 ft, wall thickness is around 1 inch. so it is a fairly large object...

 

[KENAT]

andran, I'm guessing a part that size will be pretty expensive. The aluminum part we quoted was kind of an open box only about 4X4X9" and it was several thousand $ as I recall.

Plus that size may be pushing the limits for some machines.

Cost of rapid prototype parts - and I assume this goes for SLS/DMLS though I've only seen the one part quoted - typically is highly dependent on size for several reasons including amount of material, time on machine & availability of big enough machines.

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[MikeHalloran]

I'm not aware of an RP machine with a build envelope that large. ... which doesn't make it impossible.

I'd be inclined to try making a pattern in RP 'bricks' of wax or plastic, bond them together, and then use the foundry facilities you have in the normal way to build a shell or mold, burn out the wax, and pour metal.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[rakuday]

Andran,

Parts of that size are not made by RP technique. SLS machines definitely do not have such a big envelope. Casting will continue to be a cost effective approach.

 

[andran]

Thanks for all the information guys.

much appreciated