Assessment of surface waviness of casting patterns made using 3D printing technologies

Abstract

The application of 3D printers significantly improves the process of producing foundry patterns in comparison to traditional methods of their production. It should be noted that the quality of the surface texture of the foundry pattern is crucial because it affects the quality of the casting mold and eventually the finished casting. In most studies, the surface texture is examined by analyzing the 2D or 3D roughness parameters. This is a certain limitation because, in the case of 3D printing, the influence of technological parameters is more visible for irregularities of a longer range, such as surface waviness. In the paper, the influence of the 3D printing layer thickness on the formation of waviness of the surface of casting patterns was analyzed. Three 3D printers, differing in terms of printing technology and printing material, were tested: PJM (PolyJet Matrix), FDM (fused deposition modeling) and SLS (selective laser sintering). In addition, the surface waviness of patterns manufactured with traditional methods was analyzed. Surface waviness has been measured using the Form Talysurf PGI 1200 measuring system. Preliminary results of the research showed that the layer thickness significantly influences the values of waviness parameters of the surface in the casting patterns made with FDM, PJM and SLS additive technologies. The research results indicated that the smallest surface waviness as defined by parameters Wa, Wq and Wt was obtained for patterns printed using the PJM technology, while the highest was noted when using the FDM technology.

Keywords

• 3d printing
• foundry industry
• casting pattern
• surface waviness