MATERIAL SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING A MOLDED PART USING A WATER-SOLUBLE CASTING MOLD

Abstract

A material system for producing a water-soluble casting mold, comprising at least one water-soluble material for building a casting mold in a layering method, as well as comprising at least one material for sealing the surface of the casting mold. The water-soluble material is a material for building the casting mold using a powder bed-based layering method. The sealing material is preferably water insoluble. The material system may also include a free-flowing, hardenable material, which is preferably a hydraulically setting material. The materials of the casting mold are preferably dissolved with the aid of an aqueous solution, and in particular with the aid of a heated aqueous solution.

Claims

1. A material system for producing water-soluble casting molds, comprising: a) at least one water-soluble material for building a casting mold in a layering method, which comprises at least one particulate material as well as at least one water-soluble binder; and b) at least one material for sealing the surface of the casting mold.

2. The materials system of claim 1, wherein the at least one water-soluble binder comprises at least one inorganic compound.

3. The material system of claim 2, wherein the organic compound includes a sodium silicate, or a potassium silicate.

4. The material system of claim 2, wherein the organic compound includes a sheet silicate.

5. The material system of claim 1, wherein the at least one binder includes at least one polysaccharide, at least one salt, or at least one water-soluble polymer.

6. The material system of claim 5, wherein the at least one binder includes the polysaccharide including a sucrose or a starch.

7. The material system of claim 5, wherein the at least one binder includes the at least one water-soluble polymer including a protein, a polyvinyl alcohol, a polyvinyl acetate a polyvinylpyrrolidone or a mixture thereof.

8. The material system of claim 1, wherein the material for sealing the casting mold includes a wax, a fatty acid, a water-insoluble polymer, a stearyl alcohol, a cetyl alcohol, or a mixture thereof.

9. The material system of claim 8, wherein the water soluble binder has a solubility in water of greater than 1 g/liter at ambient conditions, and the material for sealing has a solubility in water of less than 1 g/liter.

10. The material system of claim 9, wherein the material for sealing is liquified upon heating above its melting temperature.

11. The material system of claim 9, wherein the sealing material is dissolved in an volatile, organic solvent for applying to a surface of the casting mold.

12. The material system of claim 9, wherein the sealing material smooths out surface roughness of the casting mold.

13. The material system of claim 12, wherein the sealing material closes pores of the casting mold caused by the particulate material.

14. The material system of claim 1, wherein the casting mold is dissolved in an autoclave at about 80 C., wherein the sealing material can then be removed from a molded part without residue.

15. The material system of claim 14, wherein a hardening material is included for molding a part, wherein the hardening material is a material that transitions from a free-flowing state to a hardened state by means of a chemical reaction.

16. The material system of claim 15, wherein the hardening material is a hydraulically setting material that hardens due to the formation of a crystalline structure.

17. The material system of claim 15, wherein the hardening material hardens by a polymerization reaction.

18. A casting mold produced from the molding system of claim 1, wherein the casting mold is formed by a layering method from at least one water-soluble material including at least one particulate material and at least one water-soluble binder; and at least one sealing material sealing a surface of the casting mold and smoothing out roughness of the surface; wherein the sealing material is a water-insoluble material.

19. The casting mold of claim 18, wherein the casting mold dissolves in water in an autoclave at 80 C., upon which the sealing material is capable of being removed from a molded part without residue.

20. The casting mold of claim 18, wherein pores of the casting mold due to the particulate material are penetrated by the sealing material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] In the drawings used to explain the exemplary embodiment:

[0052] FIG. 1 shows a casting mold, which includes a negative impression of a molded part, and a core;

[0053] FIG. 2 shows the layer graduation and porosity of the molded part;

[0054] FIGS. 3a, 3b show two types of sealing;

[0055] FIG. 4 shows an immersion bath, including a casting mold;

[0056] FIG. 5 shows the filling of the casting mold with a hardening material;

[0057] FIG. 6 shows a first specific embodiment of a bath for dissolving the casting mold;

[0058] FIG. 7 shows a second specific embodiment of a bath for dissolving the casting mold;

[0059] FIG. 8 shows a third specific embodiment of a bath for dissolving the casting mold; and

[0060] FIG. 9 shows an atomizing chamber for dissolving the casting mold.

[0061] In principle, identical parts are provided with identical reference numerals in the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] FIG. 1 shows water-soluble casting mold 1, which is used in a specific embodiment of the method according to the invention. Casting mold 1 has a negative impression 3 of the outer shape of the molded part to be produced. A core 4, which is disposed within negative impression 3, is also shown in the exemplary embodiment illustrated. Casting mold 1 has a filling opening 2 for the purpose of filling casting mold 1 with a hardening material. Additive layering methods may be used to produce molds 1 and cores 4. Due to the extraordinary degree of freedom in selecting the particulate material, a 3D printing method is particularly preferably used.

[0063] Based on a sectional view, FIG. 2 shows an example of layer structure 5 as well as resulting porosity 6 of a casting mold 1 produced with the aid of a powder bed-based layering method. In the 3D printing method used, a coater applies particulate material or a mixture of particulate material and binder in layers onto a building platform, each layer 5 being precisely leveled. A binder or a liquid that activates the binder is subsequently applied with the aid of an ink-jet print head. This application corresponds to a sectional view of the mold to be produced. Current layer 5 is lowered, and the cycle begins all over again with a new coating. The cycle repeats until the totality of the sectional views results in the desired casting mold 1. Following a certain rest time, casting mold 1 may be removed, and the unbound particulate material may be cleaned therefrom. A drying step or a heat treatment may be subsequently carried out for solidification purposes. This step must be set in such a way that the water solubility of casting mold 1 is not lost.

[0064] Two ways to seal the surface of a casting mold 1 using a water-insoluble material are shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b. FIG. 3a shows a superficial seal, the water-insoluble material having formed a sealing layer 9 on the surface of casting mold 1. Pores 8 between individual particles 7, which form an open-pore network, are apparent beneath sealing surface 9. Sealing surface 9 prevents the hardening material from entering pores 8 when casting mold 1 is filled therewith, which would cause the surface properties of the casting produced with the aid of the hardening material to deteriorate. FIG. 3b shows a sealing method, in which water-insoluble material 10 penetrates and thus seals the network of pores 8. The latter sealing method takes place, in particular, when using a water-insoluble material which has a low viscosity. Depending on the viscosity of the water-insoluble material, mixed forms of the two sealing methods in FIGS. 3a and 3b also result.

[0065] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of an immersion bath 11, which enables a casting mold 1 to be introduced into liquefied, water-insoluble material 12. A seal over the entire surface of casting mold 1 may be achieved relatively quickly by introducing a casting mold 1 into an immersion bath 11 of this type.

[0066] The sealing step is necessary to prevent the casting mold from interacting with the hardening material and to ensure a high surface quality. For example, no water may penetrate the casting mold while it is being filled with concrete, since the loss of water would cause the flowability of the concrete to be lost, and only an unsatisfactory filling of the mold would be achieved thereby. In addition, the seal may help achieve better surface qualities. A chemical reaction between the hardening material and the binder or particulate material of the casting mold may also be prevented.

[0067] FIG. 5 shows the step of filling casting mold 1 with hardening material 13. Hardening material 13 is filled into negative impression 4 in free-flowing form via filling opening 3 of casting mold 1. A vibration 15 may be applied to casting mold 1 with the aid of a suitable device, such as a shaking table.

[0068] The filling of the casting mold may be carried out as a pure gravity casting process. No special precautions need to be taken for this purpose. The hardenable material should have a low viscosity, and the design of the casting mold should allow displaced air to escape through the rising level of the material.

[0069] FIG. 6 shows a molded part 16 after material 13 has been hardened in a bath 17 made of an aqueous solution 18. In illustrated bath 17, aqueous solution 18 is heated to speed up the dissolution of casting mold 1. In the specific embodiment illustrated, particulate material 20 of the dissolved casting mold collects on the bottom of bath 17, while the melted, water-insoluble material forms a layer 19 on the surface of aqueous solution 18. This layer 19 may be subsequently simply skimmed off the surface of aqueous solution 18 and reused, while particulate material 20 may be filtered out of aqueous solution 18.

[0070] FIGS. 7 and 8 show two other preferred specific embodiments of a bath 17 containing an aqueous solution 18. In the specific embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, molded part 16 is additionally set in motion in aqueous solution 18 with the aid of a grating 21. In the specific embodiment in FIG. 8, molded part 16 is shifted in the aqueous solution with the aid of a gripper 22, which grips molded part 16 or is cast therein.

[0071] Another specific embodiment for dissolving casting mold 1 is shown in FIG. 9. In this specific embodiment, molded part 16 is held within an atomizing chamber 24, hot water being sprayed onto casting mold 1 or onto molded part 16 via multiple spray heads 25. The water collecting on the bottom of atomizing chamber 24 may be subsequently separated from the dissolved material of the casting mold as well as from the water-insoluble material through suitable filters, heated with the aid of a heating element 23 and resprayed onto the casting mold or onto molded part 16 via spray heads 25 with the aid of pumps 26 (26.1, 26.2).