QuickCast™ is an accurate, consistent, strong, fully drained, completely sealed, pattern that is 10 to 35% lighter than those built with other polymers and ordinary build styles.
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Early in 2005 we made two important observations: 1) The existing stereolithography photopolymers were not engineered specifically for the investment casting process, and 2) the existing polymers were no bargain. That’s when we set out to develop the best investment casting photopolymer and build style system. The requirements were clearly stated: Low water absorption (mitigates in-vat swelling, and post cure mass gain and distortion), high green strength (important in accuracy and minimizing mass of the final pattern), and low and stable viscosity (assures consistent drainage results and keeps cost down—by not replacing large vats of material).
A year of testing and refining produced Solid Concepts' new SC 1000 investment casting photopolymer. To date, Solid Concepts has qualified this material along with our new advanced build style at over two dozen foundries in the United States and Canada. The result: accurate, consistent, strong, fully drained, completely sealed patterns that are 10 to 35% lighter than those built with other polymers and ordinary build styles. Lower mass for a given volume leads to significantly higher yield. This is accomplished with more complete burnout and lower expansion forces on the shell system.
Solid Concepts understands that each foundry is unique; that’s why we developed five different types of pattern surface finishing options to be fully compatible with each foundry’s preferred face coat. We have raised the bar in consistently producing patterns with walls as thin as 0.060”. All patterns are fully inspected and pressure tested prior to our special packaging and delivery.
Lower Cost is achieved with SC 1000. 1) Our cost is lower—we pass along the savings. 2) This material is more stable, reducing the over-all cost of operation. 3) Patterns made with SC 1000 demonstrate higher yield both in SLA part building and more importantly during flash firing. We offer aggressive pricing to encourage higher volumes; often demonstrating that a tooling/wax approach is more expensive and a higher risk.
Lighter Weight patterns are sought af ter by knowledgeable foundries. These QuickCast patterns are up to 35% lighter than conventional stereolithography patterns. This translates directly to higher yield in the casting process. Propor tionately less ash is produced and thermal expansion forces are minimized during flash firing.
Production Capacity is a given at Solid Concepts. We have ten large frame SLA Systems (20" cube build envelope) and six smaller (10" cube) systems. Capacity translates to better on time delivery. All of these systems are kept at peak performance by regular maintenance.
Large Part Expertise has come with fifteen years in the business. We take on large projects that others cannot or will not. We have assembled and inspected even larger parts. For large parts, experience with custom assembly fixtures and large part packaging is a must.
New Build Style and SC 1000 make these patterns truly unique. This build style and photopolymer combination has already been approved by most major US foundries. This proprietary build style offers complete internal draining and excellent final surface sealing.
