From the course: 3D Printing: Short-Run Production
Join today to access over 22,600 courses taught by industry experts or purchase this course individually.
Molds and casting
- [Female Voice] 3D printing can be used to make a final part but can also replace some of the process for more traditional manufacturing methods. The processes for making metal and composite parts can be simplified significantly by using additively manufactured molds, bucks, forms, and patterns. - [Male Voice] For some applications, 3D printing metal directly is too expensive or otherwise impractical. In that case, 3D printing can be used to make a mold for a traditional casting method like sand casting or lost wax. Industrial parts are often made with sand casting. This photo shows a piece that was printed first in PLA. The PLA part is then pressed into a mix of sand and oil. Then the PLA part is removed. The hollow where the PLA part was now has liquid metal poured into it. This technique has some limitations in resolution and surface finish but is very low cost. Jewelry and more precise metal parts are often made by a…
Download courses and learn on the go
Watch courses on your mobile device without an internet connection. Download courses using your iOS or Android LinkedIn Learning app.