P. I. Castings Ltd is a leader in the production of cast metal Rapid Prototypes having been involved for 20 years since the first stereolithography machine arrived in Europe. Only a couple of independent investment casting companies in the UK have their own Rapid Prototyping equipment and we are one!
P. I. Castings can take your CAD designs and turn them directly into a pattern, which can be used to produce investment castings in our usual range of metals including aluminium, steel, stainless, brass, bronze, zinc, etc.
Apart from using our own 3D Printer, we have made thousands of castings with all the other Rapid Prototyping techniques, including Stereolithography, Quickcast, Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Laminated Object Modelling (LOM) and rubber mould methods. There is no single technique which is suitable for all applications and we will advise you on the most suitable to produce your component.
DESIGN FOR RAPID PROTOTYPES
The required component must be designed as a 3-D solid or surface representation. All of the required design features such as corner radii and machining allowances must be included in the CAD design, as they will be faithfully reproduced on the model. It is essential to discuss technical and design details with our engineers at an early stage to ensure that the component features are suitable for the casting process.
SIZE, TOLERANCE AND SURFACE FINISH
P. I. Castings have made Rapid prototypes with dimensions up to 660mm. Dimensional tolerances depend on the configuration of the part and would be wider than normal investment casting tolerances produced from conventional tooling. Depending on the process used, the models may not have as fine a surface as a normal investment casting, but it is possible to smooth the models to give a generally acceptable surface finish.
MATERIAL
Parts can be cast in our very wide range of materials, including Low Alloy steels, Stainless steels, Nickel and Cobalt based alloys, Carbon Steels, Magnetic irons, Aluminium, Zinc, Brass and Bronze.
COST
The cost of making models will depend on size, configuration, quantity and the technique used. The height of the model particularly affects the model build-up time and cost. In the casting operations, the largest influence on price is the quantity required as well as the complexity and the material.
DATA REQUIRED
For producing models, an STL file of the solid 3D CAD data is required. If you do not have an STL facility, then please send an IGES solid model file and we will convert it. Any STL files should be set at the finest definition, i.e. the chord height needs to be at 0.01mm to minimise any flats on curved surfaces.
FURTHER INFORMATION
We can give you invaluable guidance on the most appropriate and cost-effective technique to suit your requirements. Please contact us before committing yourself to the wrong process!
P.I. Castings Ltd Davenport Lane, Altrincham, Cheshire, England WA14 5DS
Tel: +44 (0) 161 928 5811 Fax: +44 (0) 161 927 7023 Email: admin@pi-castings.co.uk |
