3D printed foundry hollowware - step change improvement to metal casting

3D 打印铸造空心器 - 金属铸造的逐步改进

• 批准号: 10045757
• 金额: $ 39.45万
• 依托单位: CAT INTERNATIONAL LTD
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Collaborative R&D
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=10045757
• 关键词: 3D; printed; foundry; hollowware; step

Metal components are required across many sectors including aerospace, automotive, manufacturing and construction. As such, cast metals in the UK generated sales of £1.89bn in 2017 (Cast Metals Foundation, Industry Census) with a global market of £123Bn in 2019 (Grandview Research, 2020). Liquid metal is cast into different and often specific shapes. Foundries use specialised ceramic hollowware (pipes, bends, funnels, downsprues) to construct paths, along which liquid metal flows. However, there are less than 10 manufacturers globally. Nearly all are heavier than needed, which means that metal cools rapidly as it flows through them. Foundries must therefore heat metal hotter than it would otherwise need to be, wasting energy.CAT International Ltd, a leading manufacturer of foundry filters and consumables, have developed a novel ceramic formulation (covered by a patent) and process that they now wish to apply to hollowware for use in the metal casting foundry sector (foundation industry). We will use Additive Manufacturing (3D printing) processes and proprietary ceramic formulation (ceramic materials combined with organic resin) that we have already developed to fabricate hollowware. We have undertaken initial work and seek to carry our further industrial research to optimise post treatment processes.By using our new innovative process, we seek to enhance performance throughout the supply chain. We will minimise materials wastage (scrappage and repair) associated with defective castings due to sub-optimal hollowware. We will allow foundries to pour at lower temperatures, reducing energy consumption. We will enable robust supply chains for a critical consumable, where we produce hollowware for foundries.Changes to the sector as a result of supply chain disruption and high energy prices, made worse by the Russia-Ukraine war give us impetus to drive efficiencies, in line with UK and global priorities to reduce waste and work towards net zero emissions by 2050\.

包括航空航天、汽车、制造业和建筑业在内的许多行业都需要金属部件。因此，2017年英国铸造金属的销售额为18.9亿英镑（铸造金属基金会，行业普查），2019年全球市场为1230亿英镑（Grandview Research，2020）。液态金属被铸造成不同的，通常是特定的形状。铸造厂使用专门的陶瓷空心器皿（管道、弯管、漏斗、落水管）来建造液态金属沿着流动的通道。全球只有不到10家制造商。几乎所有的都比需要的重，这意味着金属在流过它们时会迅速冷却。因此，铸造厂必须将金属加热到比正常温度更高的温度，浪费能源。CAT国际有限公司是铸造过滤器和耗材的领先制造商，开发了一种新型陶瓷配方（已获得专利）和工艺，他们现在希望将其应用于金属铸造行业（基础行业）的中空制品。我们将使用增材制造（3D打印）工艺和我们已经开发的专有陶瓷配方（陶瓷材料与有机树脂结合）来制造中空制品。我们已经开展了初步工作，并寻求进行进一步的工业研究，以优化后处理工艺。通过使用我们的创新工艺，我们寻求提高整个供应链的绩效。我们将最大限度地减少因次优中空件导致的有缺陷铸件造成的材料浪费（报废和维修）。我们将允许铸造厂在较低的温度下浇注，从而降低能耗。我们将为关键消耗品提供强大的供应链，我们为铸造厂生产中空制品。由于供应链中断和能源价格高企而导致的行业变化，以及俄罗斯-乌克兰战争的恶化，使我们有动力提高效率，符合英国和全球减少浪费的优先事项，并努力实现到2050年的净零排放。