The Digital Foundry

Digital processes and new additive manufacturing technologies are poised to deliver massive time and cost savings: Production workflows that now take weeks will be done in hours. Product runs can be smaller, serving more discriminating markets. Customers will place new expectations on foundries to deliver parts faster.

3D Systems calls this revolutionary set of technologies the Digital Foundry. It will transform the investment casting market.

3D Systems is the only additive manufacturing company to offer a comprehensive additive investment casting solution, with dedicated products for every stage of your metal casting workflow. From powerful software solutions for CAD design, reverse engineering, file repair and final part QA, to an extensive range of 3D printing solutions, offering a choice of wax or plastic master patterns and 3D printing workflow processes.

Analog foundry practices

Benefits of Adopting the Digital Foundry

  • With new additive technologies for investment casting foundries will:

    • Be able to produce low volumes of casted parts from a CAD model in 24-48 hours
    • Reduce costs of tooling
    • Eradicate the time it takes to produce tooling
    • Reduce costs and space used for tooling storage
    • Deliver 'unmoldable'  products

3D Systems Complete Additive Investment Casting Solution

  • Investment Casting software rendering

    1. CAD Design and Repair

    With Geomagic Design X you can scan and reverse engineer parts. Generate solid models from scan data and repair models.

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  • Investment Casting metal part

    2. Optimized for Additive

    With 3D Sprint you can apply chemical etching offset. Apply scale compensation for metal shrinkage. Digitally create and position gates and vents. Create sectioning of large parts and joints. Prepare and optimize files for printing.

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  • 3D print master patterns for Investment Casting

    3. 3D Print Master Patterns

    With 3D Systems SLA and MJP technology 3D printing solutions you can choose between plastic and wax master patterns.

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  • a person standing next to an investment casting part in an industrial setting

    4. Quality Assurance

    With Geomagic Control X check for deformation after master pattern printing and after metal casting. (Back to step 1)

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Wax vs QuickCast: How to Choose the Right 3D Printing Technology

  • 3D Systems ProJet MJP 2500 IC Wax Cast Turbine

    MultiJet printing (MJP) for Wax Casting Patterns

    Developed for the investment casting professional, the ProJet MJP 2500 IC wax 3D printer produces hundreds of RealWax™ patterns at a significantly lower cost and in less time than traditional pattern production for low to medium-volume jobs. Delivering quality, accuracy and repeatability, it generates wax patterns that fit in existing investment casting processes, making it ideal for customized metal components, bridge manufacturing and low volume production.

    View the Infographic >>
  • 3D printed SLA casting pattern and casted part

    Investment Casting Patterns with SLA QuickCast

    The QuickCast build style is an SLA print methodology developed by 3D Systems to answer a pressing need for the investment casting industry. The speed advantages and the high accuracy and quality of 3D Systems’ SLA technology have made QuickCast one of the most popular and effective methods for 3D printed casting patterns. 3D Systems’ castable resins are also available in antimony-free varieties for aerospace castings.

    SLA master patterns are ideal when you need: accurate, high yield, large size, complex, lightweight investment casting masters with high dimensional stability over years - and in transit.

    QuickCast Diamond: The Industry's Only Master Patterns Designed for Light-Weighting and Consistent Strength

    • Up to 30% lighter parts
    • More consistent pattern strength across X,Y,Z geometries
    • More accurate and functionally stable master patterns  
    • Higher out of printer success
    • Less manual finishing and labor expense
    QuickCast Diamond Brochure >>

    Accura Fidelity

    QuickCast® investment castings patterns printed with Accura® Fidelity™ lead to an increase in casting yields. Designed for a variety of castable metals, this antimony free, low viscosity clean burn resin is perfect for titanium alloy.

    Combined with cutting edge software, Accura Fidelity quickly creates large, lightweight, and easy to handle casting patterns through our industry-leading QuickCast process.
     

    Accura Fidelity Datasheet >>

3D Systems 3D Printers and Materials for the Digital Foundry

Our MJP and SLA 3D printers and materials deliver exceptional value, part accuracy, fast speed and production-grade casting patterns. Explore the options below to find the printer and material that's right for you.

QuickCast SLA Plastic Technology

MJP Wax Technology

Customer Application Stories

  • The Digital Foundry with Invest Cast and the ProJet MJP 2500 IC

    The Digital Foundry in Action at Invest cast with the ProJet MJP 2500 IC 3D printer

    Invest Cast is making the foundry digital with 3D Systems' ProJet 2500 IC with RealWax materials for production-grade investment casting patterns that can deliver CAD to finished casted parts in 24 hours.

    Read the Customer Story >>
  • Vaupell Saves Time and Money with Accurate 3D Printed Casting Patterns

    Vaupell Saves Time and Money with 3D Printed Investment Casting Patterns

    Vaupell is using QuickCast®, the stereolithography (SLA) process developed by 3D Systems for investment casting, to deliver unprecedented speed and quality to its customers at a fraction of the cost of traditional methodologies. 

    Read the Customer Story >>