Rapid Tooling

Environmentally Friendly Sand Cores for Aluminum Casting

Voxeljet has introduced a fast direct binding process using an inorganic binder for the series production of sand cores used in aluminum casting.

The new inorganic binding material (IOB) system VX1000-S significantly increases the throughput rate and ensures high environmental sustainability during the printing and casting process. The 3D printer uses a special two-component binder system that is able to reconcile the technical requirements of 3D printing, core manufacturing, and the casting process: Component one is the liquid binder based on a modified mixture of alkali silicates, component two is a solid additive. According to Voxeljet, the layer time is reduced to 12 s and an output volume of approx. 54 l/h can be achieved. In addition, the inorganic materials only emit water vapor during the casting process. This significantly improves air quality and working conditions in foundries.

The VX1000-S IOB is designed to provide automotive manufacturers with a decisive competitive advantage. This technology has been developed for highly complex geometries that are particularly important for the precise temperature management of combustion engines, electric motors, inverters, and battery systems. The new technology enables, for example, the additive series production of water jacket cores used in light metal casting applications.

This article was first published by konstruktionspraxis.

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