AccuCast process eliminates need for a parting line

AccuCast is a lost mold technology application based on Cubital America Inc.'s (Troy, MI) solid ground curing (SGC) methodology. The process permits the making of fast, accurate mold tools for casting and uses a new approach to mold partition that eliminates the need for a parting line.

The process is targeted for use when a multi-part mold is needed to cast parts with a complex shape and many undercuts. The lost mold technique combined with a modular mold partition approach enables easy and safe release of any part, with any geometric shape, from the mold.

The combination of SGC technology and a wax-in-shell (WIS) build style helps achieve a fast build time. The wax is enclosed by a photopolymer shell that together serve as the final building material. The shell defines the part geometry and preserves the encapsulated wax from the water used during the regular dewaxing process.

The capability to cure an entire layer simultaneously lets SGC technology deliver a high layer-building speed. This yields a build volume capability of 500 3 350 3 180 mm in 24 hours, regardless of the number of parts in the build area or the total bulk of resin cured.

Accuracy in the range of plus or minus 0.1 mm and no curl effect were observed in bulky parts with dimensions in the range of 450 3 300 3 50 mm.