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、制造和建筑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GB(铸造金属基金会，行业普查)，2019年全球市场为1230亿GB(Grandview Research，2020)。液态金属被浇铸成不同的形状，而且往往是特定的形状。铸造厂使用特殊的陶瓷中空器皿(管道、弯头、漏斗、下斜板)来建造通道，液态金属沿着这些通道流动。然而，全球只有不到10家制造商。几乎所有的金属都比所需的重，这意味着金属在流经它们时会迅速冷却。因此，铸造厂必须将金属加热到比其他情况下需要的温度更高的温度，从而浪费能源。铸造过滤器和耗材的领先制造商CAT国际有限公司开发了一种新的陶瓷配方(专利涵盖)和工艺，他们现在希望将其应用于金属铸造部门(基础行业)使用的中空器皿。我们将使用我们已经开发的添加剂制造(3D打印)工艺和专有陶瓷配方(陶瓷材料与有机树脂相结合)来制造空心器皿。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。通过使用我们新的创新工艺，我们寻求提高整个供应链的绩效。我们将最大限度地减少材料浪费(报废和修复)与缺陷铸件由于次优的中空器皿。我们将允许铸造厂在较低的温度下浇注，减少能源消耗。我们将为一种关键消费品启用强大的供应链，我们在那里为铸造厂生产空心器皿。供应链中断和能源价格高企导致的行业变化，以及俄罗斯和乌克兰战争的恶化，给了我们提高效率的动力，与英国和全球减少浪费的优先事项保持一致，并努力在2050年前实现净零排放。