Casting System provides metal parts prototyping.
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Press Release Summary:
MetCast(TM) system produces accurate metal parts in as little as 3 days from wax master. Complete system includes ceramic encapsulation unit for creation of ceramic mold, kiln to burn out master and fire mold, MPA 300 caster to melt metal and fill mold under vacuum, and water jet for removal of ceramic mold. MPA 300 caster holds 3 liters of molten metal and has cylindrical casting flank capability of 13 in. in dia by 19 in. height.Original Press Release:
MPA 300 Vacuum Metal Casting Machine Offers Prototyping Solution for Die Cast Applications
January 25, 2002. Farmington Hills, Michigan. MCP Systems announces availability of the MetCast(TM) process for fast and low cost metal parts prototyping. The cornerstone of this
process is the new MPA 300 vacuum metal casting machine. As a fully automated metal caster, this machine replicates production properties of aluminum die cast alloys. The complete turnkey system produces accurate metal parts in as little as 3 days from a wax master.
Although new to the North American market, this equipment is proven with more than 20 worldwide installations. Universities and service bureaus join automotive, medical, and electronic companies as the first adapters of the technology. The system processes all non-ferrous metals (excluding magnesium) with melt temperature under 1200°C. This flexibility, along with the ability to use models from any current free form modeling method, offers customers a wide range of options to produce production-intent parts for prototypes.
The MPA 300 caster holds 3 liters of molten metal and has a cylindrical casting flank capability of 13" in diameter by 19" in height. Similar to investment casting, MetCasting uses a lost wax system. The complete system includes a ceramic encapsulation unit for creation of the ceramic mold; a kiln to burn out the master and fire the mold; the MPA 300 caster to melt the metal and fill the mold under vacuum; and a water jet for removal of the ceramic mold from the completed cast metal part.
The MetCast process starts with a master of the desired part as a wax or other "burn-out" type of model. After adding gates and risers, ceramic slurry encapsulates the master in a casting
flask. Mixing and pouring the slurry under vacuum removes all entrapped air bubbles, ensuring fine and even grain structure in the mold. This results in replication of precise detail in the final cast part. Firing the flask in a kiln melts the pattern and cures the mold. Next, the induction chamber at the top of the MPA 300 melts the metal while the casting flask in the bottom chamber automatically seals against the upper unit. A fully automated PLC controller aids in this clean, laboratory-type process. The casting process begins when the alloy reaches
casting temperature. As the plunger rises, molten metal flows into the mold with vacuum assisting the total fill of all features. The casting process completes in 3-6 minutes.
After removing the flask from the MPA unit, it cools to room temperature. Finally, a water jet blasts away the fragile ceramic mold with high-pressure water. Removing gates and runners completes the process. The final product is a high quality, cast metal prototype.
The first commercial installation of the MPA 300 system in North America is at Solid Imaging, Ltd. in Rochester, NY. Kim Phillips, President, says "The MetCast process is a marriage of low tooling costs with the use of production alloys. We are meeting customers' prototype needs in the turnaround time that is critical to their businesses. We have successfully produced parts in 319, 356, 383, and 390 aluminum alloys in as little as 3 days from CAD file to finished metal prototype. This system excels at producing 5-25 parts in a couple of weeks in production materials. The timing, quality, physical properties and costs delight automotive, consumer electronics, and medical customers."
About MCP Systems
The MCP Group is a world market leader in supplying vacuum oriented casting equipment. MCP equipment is used for replicating Rapid Prototyping models to produce prototype and
low-run quantities for superior quality plastic and metal parts. With over 40 years of experience in plastics and metal tooling technology, MCP pioneered the fusible metal core process for producing automotive plastic inlet manifolds as well as polyurethane vacuum cast molding. MetCast vacuum metal casting technology is their latest innovation for metal parts prototyping. Technical centers are located in Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, and Belarus, as well as two United States centers in Fairfield, CT and Farmington Hills, MI.
