Part printed in Somos Element by Peridot Inc. to be fired out in investment casting process.
Since the dawn of 3D printing users have wanted to create sacrificial patterns to be used in casting applications. It is the next logical step from rapid prototyping.
In 1995 Professor Phil Dickens authored a paper on Conversion of RP (Rapid Prototyping) models to investment casting, and in a 2003 publication called, 'Developments in Rapid Casting' editor Graham Troman surmised, "This book should leave no doubts in the minds of readers that rapid casting is playing a significant role in the development of prototype castings."
3D Systems launched Quickcast material for stereolithography (SLA) in the early 90s and since, there have been relatively few developments, much to the frustration of potential super-users.
Take U.S. based product and tool development service bureau, Peridot. An early adopter in using stereolithography (SLA) patterns for investment casting, it has been reluctant to use it on jobs for clients like Whirlpool, Caterpillar, ITT Defense, and Taylor Made Systems. The main concerns are residual ash content, leftover elements that may affect alloys and the overall accuracy.
At RAPID in 2016 DSM Somos introduced a new material claiming to solve many of these problems. Former Product Manager at Somos, Clive Coady told TCT at the time, "In tooling we've seen Somos Perform come on line and revolutionise tooling for some companies, Somos Element is a material that could do the same for investment casting applications, thanks to its burnout properties and low antimony content."
After Somos Elements the launch at RAPID, Peridot's interest was piqued. The company decided to give the material a trial run for a foundry client manufacturing pump equipment.
"There is increasing demand from foundry customers for high-quality patterns that allow them to produce flawless, end-use parts quickly and efficiently," says Dave Hockemeyer, President of Peridot. "With Somos Element, finally we have a material that can be used to create patterns on an SLA machine that burns out and performs well in the foundry. It is a significant improvement on what we used to do with SLA patterns and means we can help customers produce clean, smooth parts. The customer was very pleased with the parts and has confirmed that they would like to continue using 3D printed patterns."
As machines get incrementally better, the importance of huge chemical companies behind the like of Somos ever increases. DSM, Somos’s parent company, has decades of expertise in formulating chemistry that solves problems exactly like the leftover antimony or residual ash, if this can be applied more companies like Peridot simply, will have to speed up the adoption.
Peridot says the Element material cuts investment casting costs and time to market by up to 20%. That pilot scheme is now a fully-fledged solution for the bureau.
“Somos Element is proving to be a very important innovation for Peridot," says Hockemeyer. "We have a long and rich history in metal casting products. Element is quickly becoming a critical part of our business as it provides us with a new, more reliable and better quality alternative to metal printing.”
