An interview from the show floor of RAPID 2018

Although 3D printing technologies do compete with conventional casting methods for certain applications, they more often compliment them. I spoke with several foundries and companies that support them at he RAPID + tct conference. All of them use 3D printing to make molds for at least part of their product lines. In the following video, one of those operators shows how the technology enables them to operate more efficiently and produce castings that would have been impossible.

Hoosier Pattern Inc. pioneered the use of 3D printing for foundry operations when it bought what is arguably the first commercial printer capable of making sandcasting molds back in 2013. As David Rittmeyer, Hoosier’s Customer care/support representative, demonstrates in this interview, that gamble has paid off handsomely as he shows off several examples of commercial products being cast using 3D printed sand molds.