Lost Foam Casting

Basics

- A metal casting technique where a plastic foam (such as polystyrene) object cut to resemble tje desired object is placed in greensand, then metal is poured through a spout leading to the buried 3D Print. The metal the melts and burnes out the plastic foam. This leaves a clean (hopefully) metal cast

- Is more easily repeatible than origional object to green sand empty cavity casting, but is still not a "permanent mold"

- Can introduce some more problems than origional object to green sand empty cavity casting due to the plastic not melting/burning completely, or this process causing the metal to cool to quickly

- Is simlilar to Lost PLA Casting

Techniques

By "The King of Random"

- This Video Casting a Gear

- This is another video of theirs demonstrating the technique

See Also

- Lost PLA Casting

- Digital lost wax for metal casting

Useful Links

-

• Wikipedia more general case of Investment Casting - [1]
• Wikipedia Lost Foam Casting - [2]
• Lost Foam Casting - form is burned out as metal pours, not requiring a separate step. Form is Milled for EPS or pink foam, put in mold, and cast with gas furnace using aluminum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bYVQ8ypHss
• Commercial version - printing in wax, milling smooth, then apparently melting out the form, then pouring. Very precise objects can be made. https://www.solidscape.com/high-precision-investment-casting-wax-3d-printer/
• Otherwise, you can do cotinuous cast of billet.
• Moldlay 3D printer filament - is there any advantage over PLA? https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=34&v=3RdwKWXnbrM
• 3D print to PLA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKgA6xGDu_c