Pattern tool making in days not months
The fabrication of patterns to produce mold tools can be time consuming and labor intensive. With TriMech 3D Printing Service we can 3D print accurate casting master patterns for sand, investment, and urethane molds, to deliver faster production at a lower cost than machining.
3D printing your designs allows you to increase pattern complexity without adding cost.
We 3D print your Casting Master Patterns
- Utilizing a 3D printing service can eliminate many of your common business issues including a lack of skilled pattern makers, high costs and lead time of complex patterns with traditional manufacturing.
- Creating castings using traditional methods in combination with 3D printing allows you to save costs and create functional molds faster.
Casting Master Pattern Material Profile
Learn more about the benefits of FDM printed parts
Melron Corporation makes architectural hardware using the sand casting process.
Watch the video to see how Melron uses 3D printing to create their casting master molds faster than competitors.
Improved fabrication of molds
3D printing casting master patterns means less production errors with the ability to test mold designs:
Less Production Errors
Using the traditional method of a metal pattern means the potential for problems, such as incorrect shrink compensation and design flaws. This means the initial pattern often must be redone, which adds to the expense and lead time.
Our 3D printed patterns do not have these issues, making it more cost effective for production budget.
Advanced Materials
To replace the machined pattern, a 3D printed pattern must withstand the ramming forces that are applied to the mold, be abrasion-resistant, and be unaffected by the chemicals in the binders and mold release.
Materials offered by Stratasys® like acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), PC-ABS and ULTEM 9085™ thermoplastic resin meet all of these requirements.
Pattern Prototypes
3D printing makes it possible for us to produce a pattern that can also serve as a prototype for form and fit evaluation.
The strength of the materials used in the 3D printing process makes it possible to put the printed component into an assembly and perform testing. If any problems are discovered, we can usually make the changes requested and build a new pattern in about 24 hours.
Client Benefits
A simple, cost-effective alternative method for producing complex casting master patterns
Solving common casting master pattern production issues
Common business issues that 3D printing solves for manufacturers include reducing the need to find skilled labor, high costs, and lead time of complex patterns.
Here are the direct benefits:
- Improved efficiency
- Automated pattern making
- Around the clock, unattended operations reduces costs
- Lower your labor expense, frees your workers to perform other tasks
- Offload pattern work
- Reduces pattern shop burden
- Higher throughput without expansion (workers, facility, equipment)
- Automated pattern making
- Lead time savings
- 30%-70% has been realized when compared to the lead time for machining patterns
- Cost savings
- 60%-80% has been realized when compared to the lead time for machining patterns
