Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 5

oldpumps, valves, andheavy equip- ment. One of the big problems for these industries is getting replace- ment parts when the tooling has been lost or destroyed. Foundries, pattern shops, or other service bureaus can use tools like the FARO ® Design Scan Arm to quickly capture millions of points of spatial data. The data can be used to create static 3Dfiles or fully functional CAD files to work with. For those found- ries whowant to tiptoe in, there are service bureaus specializing in 2D to 3D CAD conversions, as well as 3D scanning. Regardless, the turn- around time can range from a day to aweek per component. We have dealt with some foundries who are able to reverse engineer a part, and turn around a finished casting in under 3 days. I only see this time frame getting shorter. Also, email- ing the CAD file after reverse engi- neering the partmeans that you can send the files where they need to be for production, where the parts where they need to be used. This of course eliminates costly and time consuming shippingof parts all over the world. Foundries usingFAROor other arms can also perform digital part, vali- dating accuracy for their custom- ers before the castings ever leave the shop. Reporting is simple and very visual, as the inspection soft- ware lets you overlay 3D scan data of the actual part over the origi- nal CAD, with color coded maps showing how far off any surface of the casting is from the ideal. DIGITAL MANUFACTURING – THE TOOL THAT PULLS IT ALL TOGETHER Mostly, as the manufacturer of the RAM™3D printers, we tend towrite about howadditivemanufacturing is the glue that binds all this together. The truth is, 3D printing of sand molds is getting faster andmorecost effective, every day. But, there are other options. As we’ve mentioned in thepast, therearemultipleprocess paths to make metal parts using 3D printing, and there are a few other digital methods (likeCNC machining) that can go directly from CAD files to a sand mold, pattern, or core. Our primary focus is 3D printed sand molds and cores. The Viridis3D RAM123 prints sand molds fast enough that a foundry can get a file in the morning, and have a casting in heat treat the same day. There is no machining step or tooling required to start making sand molds. There are also newer 3D printing systems, producing rugged plastic toolingcomponents. Someof these systems would be ideal for the foundry industry as they produce very smooth surface finishes; rival- ing that of traditional wooden or urethane foundry patterns. The other path for digital manufac- turing that more foundries should consider implementing is invest- ment casting. For many small, thin walled parts, or high preci- sion castings, investment casting is the best way tomake parts. Using a 3D system, foundries can print wax patterns directly from CAD, with incredibly smooth surface finish andmany of these 3D printer companies have a range of materi- als that are optimized for different applications such as thin walls and bulkier parts. All the same argu- ments promoted for 3D sand print- ing hold true for 3D printed wax patterns: direct fromCAD, no shop floor interpretation, no tooling, and very fast turnaround. FOR THE NEXT 100 YEARS Foundries have been around a long time and most of them are large, multigenerational privately held businesses. In this day and age of rapid technology develop- ment, foundries need to be plan- ning on adopting the right tech to help them differentiate their spot in the market. Those who will be around for the next hundred years – the next 4 or 5 generations – will be those who have invested wisely in technology, integrated value adding solutions likeCAD, scanning, anddigitalman- ufacturing. Make sure your busi- ness is one of those looking ahead and plan to keep on learning and getting better. 23 Contact: Will Shambley [email protected] SEE IT IN ACTION! TAP FOR VIDEO