DTM announces Sand Casting material

From: Dr. Christian Nelson (nelson@dtm-corp.com)
Date: Thu Jun 27 1996 - 20:24:18 EEST


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 1996

Contact: Kent Nutt (512) 339-2922

DTM OPENS UP SAND CASTING FOR RAPID PROTOTYPING

SandForm Zr Casting Material Developed to Meet Advanced Casting Applications

Austin, Texas: DTM Corporation announced today the addition of sand casting as
a new application area supported by the company's rapid prototyping and
manufacturing technology. To address the sand casting application, DTM
announced SandForm Zr as the newest member of the DTM family of application-
specific rapid prototyping materials. DTM Corporation is the developer of the
SLS Selective Laser Sintering process and manufacturer of the Sinterstation
Systems family of prototyping products used to rapidly create three-dimensional
models, prototypes, production patterns, and prototype injection molds in a
variety of materials for a broad range of industrial design and manufacturing
applications.

Sand casting is used worldwide for the production of metal components used in
industries such as automotive and aerospace. Metal components produced through
sand casting include engine intake and exhaust manifolds, engine blocks, and
structural assemblies.

The SandForm Zr material was developed at the request of several key customers.
DTM provided early samples of SandForm Zr to several companies for their initial
evaluations, and their response has been positive, with requests for volume
quantities of the material.

The applications for SandForm Zr are anticipated to be primarily in the
prototyping and pre-production of sand cores. The sand core is the inner
positive pattern, within a mold, around which the molten metal flows. The
manufacture of complex cores is often the most difficult and time consuming
portion of the sand casting process. Using conventional techniques, a core is
fabricated by creating a positive, then a core box reverse is made from the
positive, and finally, sand is interjected into the core box to produce a sand
core positive. Metal is then poured into the resultant mold cavities and around
the core producing the final castings.

Using computer-aided design (CAD) data of core geometry and DTM's SLS process
and Sinterstation Systems, sand cores can be produced directly without the need
for creating an initial positive or producing a core box. This method can
provide pre-production molds for manufacturing, verification and testing, and
reduce the costs associated with traditional core production. DTM Sinterstation
Systems can produce sand casting cores in a number of hours. According to Larry
Andre, Vice President at Solidiform, Inc., an industry-leading foundry for sand
castings, "the manufacture of complex cores is a time consuming process. When
time is of the essence, the ability to generate premium quality cores directly,
without first making a core box, is a dramatic step forward for the sand casting
industry."

Another application for SandForm Zr is pre-production, or the creation of bridge
tooling molds, that allow small lots of the final product to be produced in
advance of the final production version. This allows the early detection of
design flaws at a stage in the development process where modifications are
relatively inexpensive when compared to making changes in production phases.
This rapid pre-production of sand casting copes and drags (sand casting molds)
expedites product testing and evaluation by all parties involved in the product
design process, such as marketing, engineering and manufacturing personnel.

Sand casting molds and cores are produced one layer at a time from coated,
powdered sand, using heat generated from a CO2 laser within a Sinterstation
System. The molds and cores are then quickly cured in an oven prior to use in
the sand casting process. Parts can be poured in a wide variety of metals
including aluminum, stainless steel, ductile iron and gray iron, and many
others.

Evaluation quantities of the new SandForm Zr Casting Material are scheduled for
availability in late July, 1996 with pricing set at $4.50 per pound.

DTM Corporation develops, manufactures and markets the Sinterstation family of
rapid prototyping products for application in the growing rapid manufacturing
marketplace. DTM has an exclusive worldwide license to Selective Laser
Sintering technology. The company's products are sold, serviced, and supported
directly through DTM in North America and in Europe through DTM GmbH (Germany).
DTM products are available through an extensive network of international
distributors throughout the Pacific Rim and South America.

------------------

DTM(TM), RapidTool(TM), SandForm(TM), Sinterstation(R), and SLS(R) are
trademarks and registered trademarks of DTM Corporation.

(C) DTM Corporation
All rights reserved

-- 
Dr. Christian Nelson                Phone: (512) 339-2922
DTM Corporation                     Fax:   (512) 339-7981
1611 Headway Circle, Bldg 2         email: nelson@dtm-corp.com
Austin, Texas  78754                http://www.dtm-corp.com/~nelson



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