The Business Value of Sand Casting 3D Printers in the Foundry Industry

From a foundry's perspective, industrial sand 3D printers can deliver significant business value. Here are some of the key points that foundries are most concerned about:

Improve foundry efficiency

• Reduced mold costs: With industrial sand 3D printing there is no need to make expensive molds, reducing overall production costs.
• Increasing productivity: Additive manufacturing enables rapid production of sand molds and cores, shortening lead times and increasing productivity.
• Reduced labor costs: Automated 3D printing of sand molds minimizes the labor costs associated with traditional manual molding and core making processes.

Improvement of casting quality

• Improved accuracy and consistency: Industrial sand 3D printing ensures accuracy and consistency in the production of sand molds and cores, resulting in higher quality castings.
• Reduced defect rate: Additive manufacturing minimizes the risk of human error, reducing defect rates and the need for rework or scrap.
• Production of structurally complex parts: Sand 3D printing is capable of producing complex geometries and detailed designs that are difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional methods. Think back, don't you often come across pieces with very complex structures that are so costly or even impossible to produce using traditional casting methods that you end up having to give up on the order. With sand mold 3D printers, these are no longer problems.

Cost savings and competitiveness

• Reduction of material waste: Industrial sand 3D printing minimizes material waste, reduces costs and lowers environmental impact.
• Reduced production costs: Additive manufacturing can reduce production costs by as much as 50% compared to traditional methods.
• Improving competitiveness: Foundries using industrial sand 3D printing can gain a competitive advantage in terms of cost, quality and delivery time.

Design and production flexibility

• Design for Additive Manufacturing: Industrial sand 3D printing enables foundries to produce complex designs that were previously impossible or impractical.
• Rapid Prototyping and Production: Additive manufacturing enables rapid prototyping and production, allowing foundries to respond quickly to changing customer needs.
• Production Flexibility: Sand 3D printing enables foundries to produce small batches or one-off castings, ideal for small production runs or prototyping.

Other key advantages

• Improved security: Industrial sand 3D printing reduces the risk of accidents and injuries associated with traditional molding and coremaking processes.
• environmental benefit: Additive manufacturing minimizes material waste, reduces energy consumption and enables the use of recycled materials.
• Data-driven production: Industrial sand 3D printing enables data-driven production, enabling foundries to monitor and optimize their production processes in real time.

By adopting industrial sand 3D printers, foundries are able to increase efficiency, improve casting quality, reduce costs and increase competitiveness, ultimately realizing increased profitability and business success.

Traditional foundries face a number of challenges and difficulties, including:

• Tooling costs and lead times: Making molds and models is a time-consuming and expensive process that can take weeks or even months to complete.
• Labor costs and shortages: Foundry work requires skilled labor, which may be difficult to find and retain in areas with labor shortages.
• Material waste and energy consumption: Conventional casting processes lead to significant material waste and energy consumption, which can increase costs and have an environmental impact.
• Quality control and defect rates: Achieving consistent quality and minimizing defect rates can be challenging, especially for complex geometries and high volume production.
• Complexity and design constraints: Conventional casting methods make it difficult to produce complex geometries, fine designs and thin-walled castings.
• Increased global competition: Foundries face increasing competition from low-cost producers in other regions, making it difficult to maintain profit margins.
• Environmental and safety regulations: Foundries must comply with increasingly stringent environmental and safety regulations, which can be both time-consuming and expensive.
• Customer demand for faster delivery: Customers are demanding shorter lead times and faster delivery, which can be difficult for traditional foundries to meet.
• Fluctuations in production volume: Foundries are often faced with fluctuating production volumes, which can make it difficult to maintain efficiency and optimize resources.
• technological obsolescence: Traditional foundries may struggle to keep up with technological advances, such as additive manufacturing, which may render their processes obsolete.

To overcome these challenges, many foundries are adopting new technologies, such as industrial 3D printing, to improve efficiency, reduce costs and increase competitiveness. SANDY Technology has introduced a number of specialized foundry-readySand 3D PrinterThe process covers SLS (selective laser sintering), binder jetting, and foundry partners can focus on it.