As one of the top Indian pump manufacturers and global pump suppliers, Sintech has spent over three decades designing world-class pumps for each sector’s diverse needs. We are proud to state that our pumps play a crucial role across industries. Our expert team provides our customers with expert pump knowledge and dedicated support. Our R&D team continually strives to introduce new products while improving our existing range’s features and performance. We are continuously enhancing pump efficiency and reliability, with the double goals of long-term benefits for both our customers and the environment.
Sintech: An Emerging Market Leader in 3D Printing in the Pumps Industry
Recently, we have started investing in 3D printing. Though 3D printing has been around for a long time now, we are among the earliest pump manufacturers in India, exploring this revolutionary technology’s possibilities. Our focus on 3D printing was motivated by two fundamental objectives: the first was to quicken the pump design and development cycle (rapid prototyping) and accelerate pump parts production (rapid manufacturing). The high precision and accuracy offered by the 3D printing technique make it possible to enhance our pumps’ efficiency and reliability. The Technical Details At Sintech, we currently use 3D printing for two primary techniques.1. 3D Printing for Sand Casting
Sand Casting is one of the oldest manufacturing techniques. It has been around for centuries. In simple terms, this process uses a mould made from a special type of sand. This mould acts as a negative impression to create the desired component. The process is quite simple – molten metal is poured into the sand mould to create the desired shape. Once the metal solidifies, it produces the desired shape. Voila – the casting is ready! Once cooled down, the casting is extracted.
While sand casting is a versatile process, it has its limitations:
Mould making is expensive.
The moulds are non-reusable – Not possible to keep the sand intact while removing the casting.
Lower accuracy
The rough finish of the casting, hence post-treatment, is required.
By leveraging 3D printing, we can significantly reduce the costs and overcome the other limitations of sand casting. It’s now possible to 3D print moulds to be used for sand casting. At Sintech, we use a technique called as Binder Jetting to 3D print moulds from sand. Binder jetting allows moulds to be printed layer-by-layer. These printers use a binder to glue together each layer along with the sand, thereby making the sand moulds strong and durable. The two materials that we’re currently using to 3D print sand moulds are – Zircon and Silica.
Advantages of 3D Printing Sand Moulds
Cost reduction
Fast and automated mould building process
Higher accuracy
Can handle large parts
Incorporating 3D printing along with our sand casting process, helps us create uniform and accurate moulds. This means we can now produce the same part again and again without having to start from scratch. This allows for the highest precision and accuracy.
2. 3D Printing for Investment Casting
Also known as lost was casting, investment casting is another ancient manufacturing technique that dates back millennia. It’s a simple but ingenious process. In this method, a hollow cast is made from a wax master pattern. This mould is filled with the liquefied metal, resulting in the final product. Compared with other casting processes like sand casting, investment casting offers higher accuracy and a smoother surface finish. It’s mainly used for functions that require low volume production and changing prototype designs.
The traditional process of investment casting has two significant limitations:
It’s expensive
And, it’s time-consuming
3D printing helps to overcome both these bottlenecks. Instead of using wax moulds, we can now rely on 3D printed investment moulds. The 3D printed moulds work the same way as traditional wax moulds. The only difference is that instead of using wax, we now create a pattern using PolyCast, which significantly lowers the production time. Also, 3D printed parts are directly printed from a CAD file, thereby making it easy to achieve efficient results every time.
Using 3D printing for investment casting makes it easy to produce low-volume prototypes at a lower cost and within a shorter time. When compared with sand casting, PolyCast moulds have a stronger structural bond.
3D Printing Enhances Production and Performance in the Pump Industry
3D printing has been a boon for Sintech. It helps us decrease our turnaround times and increase the overall efficiency of the process while reducing overheads. The reduction in costs translates to significant savings for our customers. Besides the price and time-factor, 3D printing also offers added benefits like superior performance and enhanced accuracy. Wrapping up, our R&D team is so excited to explore the other possibilities offered by this revolutionary technology.