Foundry and 3D Printing Laboratory
- Name of laboratory: Foundry and 3D Printing Laboratory
We conduct research in the field of casting technology of non-ferrous metal alloys, mainly aluminium alloys, magnesium alloys, bronze, brass and nickel and cobalt superalloys. The use of various 3D printing technologies allows us to quickly design and produce casting patterns of any shape. We have the ability to make casting moulds for sand and investment casting. We have equipment that allows us to control the chemical composition and analyse the course of the crystallization process of casting alloys. The laboratory is of a research and didactic nature. In addition to scientific research, laboratory classes in subjects related to foundry, rapid prototyping and 3D printing methods, as well as demonstrations and workshops popularizing science and technology are carried out here.
2. Laboratory equipment (list)
- resistance furnaces with the possibility of using a protective atmosphere (up to 1000°C),
- 2 vacuum resistance furnaces (chamber ∅ 150, height 200 mm, up to 1000°C),
- 2 vacuum induction furnaces: VSG 02 by Balzers (capacity 0.2 l) and IS 5/III by Leybold-Heraeus (capacity 2 l),
- thermal imaging camera with a measuring range from -50 to 1500°C,
- optical emission spectrometer (OES) with standards for non-ferrous alloys,
- 2 digital temperature recorders for thermal derivative analysis (ATD),
- laboratory roller and ribbon mixers for the preparation of moulding sands,
- automatic tampers and laboratory shakers for making moulds, cores and samples,
- equipment for testing technological properties of moulding sands,
- universal apparatus for testing the mechanical properties of moulding sands,
- tooling for pre-finishing of castings and ingots,
- a set of tools for the production of moulds in divided boxes,
- a set of ingot moulds and a die for casting ingots of typical shapes,
- vacuum chamber with a pump (∅ 250, height 250 mm),
- overpressure chamber with a compressor (∅ 250, height 250 mm),
- 5 FDM 3D printers (prints dimensions up to 210 × 210 × 250 mm),
- SLA resin 3D printer (prints dimensions up to 120 × 60 × 150 mm),
3. Research offer and scope of services (research opportunities)
The furnaces available in the laboratory enable the production and inoculation of alloys as well as the drying and firing of casting moulds and cores. Multi-channel digital temperature recorders enable precise, contact measurements and thermal derivative analysis (ATD), which allows to determine characteristic changes occurring during solidification (e.g. solidus and liquidus temperatures, eutectic transformation temperatures or crystallization range). The OES spectrometer allows us to control the chemical composition of non-ferrous alloys at each stage of the research. 3D printers enable the production of casting patterns and core boxes of any shape for the needs of manual moulding in divided and non-split boxes, as well as investment casting. Apparatus and tooling for moulding allow for the production of moulds and, using, among others green sand, fired ceramic and chemically or thermally hardened sands. The thermal imaging camera enables the measurement of the temperature distribution for moulds and cooling castings. A set of standard patterns enables the production of moulds to assess the flowability and reproducibility as well as the linear and volumetric shrinkage of the tested casting alloys. The line for measuring the mechanical and technological properties of moulding materials allows for the assessment of their resistance to compression, shearing, stretching and bending, measurement of permeability, friability, moisture content, binder content and sieve analysis.
Implementation of research and services:
- 3D printing of prototypes, casting patterns and core-boxes,
- production of metal alloys from basic components,
- thermal analysis of the crystallization and solidification processes,
- quality control and chemical composition analysis of non-ferrous alloys,
- making castings in dies and sand or investment moulds.
- Person responsible for Laboratory (contact details)
Tomasz Mikuszewski PhD, Eng.
e-mail: Tomasz.Mikuszewski@polsl.pl
tel.: +48 32 6034420
