CASE STUDY: Taking the bite out of sandcasting CLIENT: Jason Christopher PROJECT: Crocodile Sculpture FDM for Sand Casting An Objective3D Case Study “The team at Objective3D produced these parts flawlessly using their Fortus Production systems. The FDM printing process saved me hours of meticulous modelling work and the parts themselves proved durable enough to withstand the rigours of the foundry, as well as providing a great finish for the mould surface.” Jason Christopher www.jasonchristopherartist.com The Aim: To produce a FDM pattern to be used for sandcasting a complex metal sculpture (model) which will be bronze electroplated as the piece de resistance in an art exhibition. The 3D Printing requirements: As the Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) model was to be used as a mould for sand-casting, the parts had to be strong enough to withstand the pressure of the moulding process, able to be sanded to a high surface finish and cost effective to reduce the overall expense of the project. Jason Christopher designed the sculpture for manufacture - this ensured the design could be split in half and cast effectively. With this in mind, the same process was applied to the 3D Printed model. The team at Objective3D Parts sectioned the build file to allow sections to be built simultaneously across six in-house Fortus FDM 400 production systems. This substantially reduce production time and costs, reducing the estimated build time from 400 hours to only 180 hours. This also drastically reduced material costs as no support material was required due to the clever work of Objective3D’s engineers. The pattern was also built with a T20 tip in sparse filled and ABS-M30 which lead to additional time and cost savings. After the 3D Printing: The 3D Printed model was meticulously prepared for shipping and sent to the Client who assembled the parts, filled and sanded the joins and applied several coats of primer and paint filler to the entire model for a smooth surface finish. From here, the pattern is complete and ready for casting. At the foundry, the pattern is used to create a negative impression in compacted sand. This is then carefully prepared for the pour by cutting in runners and rises to allow for draw (metal shrinkage). The mould is then closed ready for the metal pour. The metal is left to cool in the mould before the sand is excavated leaving the raw cast behind. The runners and rises are removed manually, before the two casts are machined to allow for tapping screws which will hold the two sides together. Once assembled, the cast is cleaned of any leftover sand, grease and oil before being electroplated in bronze, giving its’ final dramatic appearance. OBJECTIVE3D, 33-35 YAZAKI WAY, CARRUM DOWNS, VIC AUSTRALIA 3201 www.objective3d.com.au 3D Printed Benefits: The FDM pattern is reusable ABS-M30 is stable over time Production time was halved Artists time can be spent creating additional works and not modelling just one