Time-Compression Technologies Magazine Archive 2002 (and backfills for previous years)
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Author Kenneth Woodard, PE and John Gagnon
Source Time Compression Technologies. v6 n5 June, 2001, pp 23-6
Abstract Before rapid prototyping technology, parts would typically be machined from wrought stock to substitute for the castings. A prototype could be built early in the development phase of the project for some testing. Unfortunately, this did not completely solve the problem. Because cast geometry is difficult to reproduce exactly in a machined part and the alloys and their physical properties are not identical; machined parts are not legitimate for full design qualification. With a rapid prototyping machine and a cooperative casting foundry, accurate prototype investment castings can be produced in two weeks - without tooling and drawings. The process depends only on a solid computer model of the part. This computer model is sliced up by software, then the rapid prototyping machine builds a positive wax (or wax-like polymer) pattern directly from the sliced data. The wax pattern is then coated with a ceramic slurry shell, which is hardened. Next, the wax pattern is baked out, creating a hollow mold for casting. After casting, the ceramic mold is blasted away. In this way, the wax pattern is used in the investment casting process and consumed exactly as if it had come from production tooling. The only difference is that the wax pattern was produced directly from the rapid prototyping machine rather than from custom tools and an injection molding press. XX
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