Via www.exone.com
S-Print
World-leading total castings solutions provider Grainger & Worrall has enhanced its portfolio of prototyping technologies by investing more than £500,000 in an S-Print HHS sand printer. The technology enables the UK-based company to provide its customers with an additional innovative and highly advanced rapid prototyping solution.
Grainger & Worrall’s new addition is the first commercially available installation of its type in Europe that utilises a high heat strength (HSS) binder paired with low-expansion sand mix to create highly intricate core structures, directly from CAD data. The toolless casting technology also provides greater design freedom by enabling the construction of previously unfeasible internal geometry, when compared with directly-milled sand moulds.
Compared to printed furan technology, the HHS sand print process produces up to 250 per cent stronger cores that are able to maintain even greater geometric stability throughout the casting procedure. Indeed, this makes it suitable for use with both iron and steel. In addition, the use of a phenol-based binder and silica synthetic blended sand offers significant advantages in the stability of aluminium castings.
Edward Grainger, director of Grainger & Worrall, commented: "Our commitment to delivering market-leading programmes for our client base means we are seeking constantly to improve our infrastructure and capabilities. Our latest investment will further enhance our ability to offer customers, across the automotive, motorsport and aerospace sectors, greater benefits in terms of time, cost and performance.
"The past sixty years has seen Grainger & Worrall develop and maintain a reputation for technical excellence, quality and service. The addition of the S-Print HHS sand printer will allow us to continue to deliver ground-breaking innovation for our clients, now and in the future."
The equipment has been housed in a purpose-built production facility at Grainger & Worrall’s Bridgnorth site and feeds cores to the company’s six foundries. The purchase of the HHS sand printer is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to invest in leading edge technologies that will keep it at the forefront of total casting solutions for the automotive, motorsport, transport and aerospace sectors.
