FAQ

Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about 3D sand printing.

Which sizes and how quickly can the 3D sand printer print? What about required space? How about speed? 

Modular designs generally allow sand molds to be produced that exceed jobbox size. Molds for components with a diameter of three meters have already been printed.

Which material is used?  

Silicia sand and furan resin.

Is the finished component printed? 

No. The sand mold is produced using 3D sand printing. The cast product is produced in this mold. The sand mold is lost once the product has been cast, and the sand is recycled.

How many cores can be produced in a single print run? 

Depending on the size of the cast product, cores are arranged in a program-optimized way to make optimum use of space.

Can the sand be reused?

Yes. Sand that has not been printed can be 100% recycled in the printer. Printed sand is recycled into the molding processes of the foundry.

How sustainable is 3D sand printing? 

3D sand printing is an essential part of the green casting processes in the voestalpine Foundry Group. Because the pattern is no longer necessary, the CO2 used in the process step can be reduced by up to 30% by selectively applying a binder and optimizing the use of resources.

How is the production process affected by 3D sand printing? 

The unstable processes of pattern making and molding by hand are obsolete. This leads to a positive effect on downstream processes such as reduced welding requirements and fewer defect remedies, higher level of dimensional accuracy, fewer material addition and more homogeneous surface quality.

Which shapes can be printed? 

There is generally no limit to printing, but the casting must meet basic physical prerequisites such as gating-feeding and saturation.

Which advantages do customers have with respect to 3D sand printing? 

Short supply times, freedom of design, production advantages such as the substitution of welded structures, weight savings, process reliability, costs reduced by eliminating process steps along the component supply chain and sustainability.

How can my company benefit from 3DSP? 

(Rapid-) prototyping, reverse engineering for spare components, small-size serial production and larger-size serial production in the event of high component complexity.

Does the voestalpine Foundry Group also offer engineering services? 

The customer always retains its own product expertise. We provide support for customers in design engineering and in the optimization of technological benefits.

Who provides the 3D data? 

The 3D file is generally provided by the customer. Our technical experts will be happy to share their design and reverse engineering expertise upon request.

Which materials are possible? 

There is no restriction to the existing portfolio.