CRP has been recognised as a leader in the use of Rapid Casting for motor sport applications throughout the world. These efforts have now yielded a breakthrough in this arena — Windform PS.
Windform PS is a new polystyrene-based material able to produce complex investment casting patterns. The sintered patterns are porous in order to allow wax infiltration, making them easy to handle and finish.
Windform PS patterns can undergo the typical rapid casting procedure, including autoclaves and flash firing steps, low-temperature furnaces and vacuum plaster casting methods.
Compared with other polystyrene materials available on the market, Windform has:
# Improved surface quality and details reproduction.
# Less “curling” effect on the first layers.
# Very low ash content suitable for highly reactive alloys, such as titanium, aluminium, magnesium, steel and nickel-based alloys.
It is particularly suited for the foundry and RP markets since the main applications are:
# Complex investment casting patterns.
# Casting with highly reactive alloys, in addition to typical cast alloys.
The casting structure is formed of an aggregate of grains, or polyhedral crystallites, which produce isotropy compensation, a solid metal that is an isotropic. Thanks to isotropy, FEM calculations are very close to the real behaviour of the part.
Rapid Casting with laser-sintered patterns also allows complete shape conception freedom, needing no even supports and reducing undercut and tool path problems during CNC machining. It also allows for perfect optimization of the project to the working conditions, making it possible to create a product along its mechanical stress axes, and to obtain a perfect reproduction of all details of the RP pattern, with tolerances and surface finishing of fully machined parts that are of a very high quality.
FS Precision Tech is an investment casting foundry. They cast complex castings for CRP in both Titanium and Steel. Greg Gregory, Technical Director of FSPT said “I find that Windform PS material works well with our process and produces castings of equal or greater quality than the standard material. FSPT would recommend using Windform PS as the rapid prototype material for any casting house”.
CRP Technology produces Windform PS powder and distributes the material worldwide. Windform PS ships in 10 kg stackable metal drums that are certified (CoC attached), as is standard with all Windform products. The recommended wax is a standard 100% paraffin wax (with melting point of about 54°C) and infiltration is for about 10” @ 70°C.
CRP continues to improve the Rapid Casting process because the company knows what its customers need. The adopted slogan is, “At 300 km/h, quality isn't optional, it's your life.” Their belief is that failure is far more expensive than quality.
http://www.tctmagazine.com/x/guideArchiveArticle.html?id=10310
No comments
Post a Comment