Comparative Study of Conventional Wood-Pattern with 3D-Print ABS-Pattern to Enhance Quality of Castings

Abstract

Traditional foundry methods have a long lead-time and expensive manufacturing costs. Using wood as a pattern material makes it challenging to create intricate and thin curved patterns. For better-quality products, metal patterns can take the place of wood ones, but the price would go up. This work uses an ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) pattern in place of the wood pattern. Making ABS pattern involves the use of 3D printing technologies. ABS-patterns are made to be simple to create complex patterns with enhanced yield, pattern longevity, resistance to ramming forces, chemical reaction resistance, exact geometrical shapes, surface texture, and dimensional precision, as well as shorter lead times and lower lead costs. From the study, it is derived that 3D printing and ABS cast patterns would help the casting industry to face the present challenges of cost and quality.