Investment casting (IC) has benefited numerous industries as an economical means for mass producing quality near net shape metal parts with high geometric complexity and acceptable tolerances. The economic benefits of IC are limited to mass production. The high costs and long lead-time associated with the development of hard tooling for wax pattern moulding renders IC uneconomical for low-volume production. The outstanding manufacturing capabilities of rapid prototyping (RP) and rapid tooling (RT) technologies (RP&T) are exploited to provide costeffective solutions for low-volume IC runs. RP parts substitute traditional wax patterns for IC or serve as production moulds for wax injection moulding. This paper reviews the application and potential application of state-of-the-art RP&T techniques in IC. The techniques are examined by introducing their concepts, strengths and weaknesses. Related research carried out worldwide by different organisations and academic institutions are discussed. List of AbbreviationsABS Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene ACES Accurate clear epoxy solid AIM ACES injection moulding CAM-LEM Computer-aided manufacturing of laminated engineering materials CMB Controlled metal build-up CTE Coefficients of thermal expansion DMD Direct metal deposition DMLS Direct metal laser sintering DSPC Direct shell production casting FDM Fused deposition modelling IC Investment casting LENS Laser engineered net shaping LG Laser generating LOM Laminated object manufacturing LS Laser sintering MJS Multiphase jet solidification MMA Methyl methacrylate MM II Model Maker II PC Polycarbonate POM Precision optical manufacturing PS Polystyrene RIC Rapid investment casting RP Rapid prototyping RP&T Rapid prototyping and tooling RT Rapid tooling RSP Rapid solidification process SDM Shape deposition modelling SGC Solid ground curing SL Stereolithography SLS Selective laser sintering 3D-P 3D printing Background on investment casting (IC) and rapid prototyping (RP)Investment casting (IC), or "lost-wax" casting, is a precision casting process whereby wax patterns are converted into solid metal parts following a multi-step process [1]. IC enables economical mass-production of near net shaped metal parts containing complex geometries and features [2, 3] from a variety of metals, including difficult-to-machine or non-machinable alloys. To produce precision components, the near net shape of castings can reduce machining time and cost to bring components into specifications.
Although investment casting (IC) provides an economical method for the mass production of metal parts with complex and intricate features, the relatively long lead times and high tooling costs involved in the manufacture of metal moulds for the fabrication of sacrificial IC wax patterns lead to cost justification problems for customised single casting, small and medium quantity production. The application of rapid prototyping (RP) technologies to fabricate complex sacrificial IC patterns can result in significant reduction in the costs and lead times associated with single part or small quantity production. Previously, the authors assessed the suitability of the fused deposition modelling process, in particular ABS models, for creating sacrificial IC patterns [1]. The current research looks into the feasibility of employing patterns fabricated by Model Maker II (MMII) as sacrificial IC patterns to produce metal castings rapidly. In addition, an indirect approach involving the utilisation of silicone rubber moulding with an MMII-fabricated master pattern to produce sacrificial IC wax patterns is investigated. The dimensional accuracies and surface qualities of the final metal castings generated from the RP-produced patterns are presented. Cost and lead time comparisons are also carried out and presented.
Rapid prototyping (RP) has already proven itself in the electronics industry as a method for shortening the product development time cycle. In the development of the optical pickup unit (OPU), extremely high precision is needed to make a functional model. Very often, in the design phase of the product development cycle, the prototype of the OPU is machined from a single piece of aluminium block to make the working sample. In this project, a comparison of the machined aluminium sample, RP samples from various RP processes and that moulded out from the injection moulding machine is made on surface finishing as well as dimensional accuracy. Finally, a comparison of tooling cost, piece part cost and lead time of obtaining the parts is also discussed on the different prototyping and manufacturing processes.
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