Application of ZP131 powder for manufacture of casting molds using ZCast technology for Al-alloys castings

The paper presents the results of studies on the possibility of replacing the special powder used for the manufacture of molds using the ZCast - 3DP technology with the universal ZP131 powder. The ZCast technology allows the direct generation of the molds using the three-dimensional printing process. The type of powder used in the process is designated as ZCast501. That enables printing the molds which can resist the temperature of an alloy poured into as high as 1100 °C. Preparing the equipment to print molds with 3DP-ZCast technology requires removing formerly used powder, cleaning and refilling the apparatus with ZCast501 powder. In case, when the 3DP equipment is used as a universal Rapid Prototyping device for building all purpose models, frequent powder refilling is time-consuming and costly. For this reason, research was conducted on the possibility of application of universal ZP131 powder as an alternative material for ZCast technology. The objective of the study was to determine the thermal resistance of such molds for aluminum alloy casting. The results showed that there is a possibility of using ZP131 powder as a material for casting molds.