Title: Study the effect of moulding sand properties for reducing shell wall thickness in zinc casting using three-dimensional printing

Authors: Tarsem Lal; Rupinder Singh

Addresses: Department of Production Engineering, Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Ludhiana, Punjab, India ' Department of Production Engineering, Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Ludhiana, Punjab, India

Abstract: This paper aims to study the feasibility of reducing shell wall thickness of zinc (Zn) shell casting using three-dimensional printing. Experimentation started from the design of benchmark, printing of shells at different thicknesses, followed by supporting the shells with dry, green and molasses sands. Prototypes of Zn were produced at different shell thicknesses of moulds cavities. Cooling curves were drawn to explore the cooling rate/solidification rate of molten Zn metal in hybrid shells of different thicknesses. The dimensional accuracy of castings produced was measured with coordinate measuring machine and some mechanical properties of castings were also tested to observe the effects of sand properties over the prototypes produced, when casted with shells of different thicknesses from 12 to 1 mm. It has been observed that it is feasible to reduce shell wall thickness recommended from 12 to 1 mm. While comparing hardness of the specimens produced, it was observed that the hybrid casted component with green sand shows more hardness in comparison to components casted with dry and molasses sand. Results also indicate that hybrid casted prototype with green sand at 3 mm shell thickness shows better dimensional accuracy and mechanical properties.

Keywords: 3DP; three-dimensional printing; sand properties; 3D printing; rapid casting; zinc alloys; dimensional accuracy; shell wall thickness; zinc casting; rapid manufacturing; rapid prototyping; cooling rate; solidification rate.

DOI: 10.1504/IJRAPIDM.2011.043458

International Journal of Rapid Manufacturing, 2011 Vol.2 No.3, pp.178 - 191

Published online: 18 Feb 2015 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article