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\.

航空航天、汽车、制造和建筑等许多领域都需要金属部件。因此，2017 年英国铸造金属销售额为 18.9 亿英镑（铸造金属基金会，行业普查），2019 年全球市场规模为 1,230 亿英镑（Grandview Research，2020）。液态金属被铸造成不同的且通常是特定的形状。铸造厂使用专门的陶瓷空心器（管道、弯头、漏斗、直浇道）来构建液态金属流动的路径。然而，全球制造商不足10家。几乎所有的部件都比需要的重，这意味着金属流过它们时会迅速冷却。因此，铸造厂必须将金属加热得比原本需要的温度更高，从而浪费能源。CAT International Ltd 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铸造行业（基础行业）的空心器皿。我们将使用我们已经开发的增材制造（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因空心器皿质量不佳而导致铸件缺陷所造成的材料浪费（报废和维修）。我们将允许铸造厂在较低温度下进行浇注，从而减少能源消耗。我们将为关键消耗品建立强大的供应链，为铸造厂生产中空器皿。供应链中断和能源价格高企（俄罗斯-乌克兰战争使情况变得更糟）导致该行业发生变化，这将激励我们提高效率，符合英国和全球减少浪费并努力到 2050 年实现净零排放的优先事项。