Manufacturing of herringbone gear model by 3d printing assisted investment casting

Abstract

3D printing technology and investment casting are used to manufacturing of a herringbone gear. Four kinds of gating system are designed and the numerical simulation of the four gating systems are executed. It is determined that the optimal casting mode of herringbone gears is the top casting system. Subsequently, the investment mold is made with PLA material by 3D printing technology and the mold shell is made of gypsum. Finally, experiment is performed to verify the validation of the top gating system. The results show that the combination of 3D printing technology and investment casting can effectively improve casting accuracy and production efficiency.