The Impact of a 3D-Printed Mould on the Quality of an AlNiCo Alloy Casting

The article discusses the use of Binder Jetting (BJ) technology for producing casting moulds and compares it with the traditional sand-moulding method. This 3D-printing technology enables the fabrication of complex geometries at lower cost than other metal-printing methods, but it is subject to material limitations and poses a risk of chemical contamination in castings, which may be particularly detrimental for alloys with specific functional properties. In this study, AlNiCo alloy castings were produced using three mould variants: a traditional bentonite-bonded mould and two 3D-printed moulds fabricated from different sand–resin systems. The analysis showed that the printed moulds introduced only trace amounts of organic elements into the castings. However, their use resulted in increased surface roughness and certain dimensional deviations. Metallographic examinations showed that the printed moulds did not introduce any detrimental structural changes; in fact, the mould printed using so-called synthetic sand produced a finer internal microstructure. Although printed moulds exhibit certain imperfections, they enable the production of castings with an internal structure comparable to that obtained using conventional methods while providing greater design flexibility.