With the continuous advancement of technology, 3D printing technology has gradually come into our view, with news about 3D-printed houses and 3D-printed cars emerging one after another. However, 3D printing technology was initially mainly used in casting. Its emergence has brought about significant changes to the traditional casting industry. Today, we will analyze the advantages and disadvantages between 3D additive printing and traditional casting one by one.

I. Priced by Quality, Eliminating Extra Costs of Complex Molds

In traditional manufacturing, the more complex the shape of an object, the harder it is to create the mold, and the higher the production cost. For example, in the automotive industry, the creation of molds for over 1,000 sets of products, with precision measured in millimeters, makes the cost of producing a single set of products self-evident. For 3D printers, pricing is based on the cost of printing materials, so the cost of products with complex shapes does not increase. Creating a gorgeous, complex-shaped mold does not consume more time, skill, or cost than printing a simple block. 3D printing breaks the original manual pricing model, allowing the price of molds to be determined by the quality of the product itself.

II. Simple Operation and Short Production Cycles

3D printing uses computer-controlled 3D printers to complete the creation and printing of molds. As long as there are different digital drawings and materials, the 3D printer can print them out in a short time. This not only saves labor costs and professional technical requirements but also reduces the enterprise's physical inventory. The printed molds can be directly used for casting and forming, minimizing the cost of long-distance transportation of molds.

3D-printed molds are formed in one piece, breaking away from the deep processing required in traditional manufacturing technology. This stimulates the design space of mold designers, making complex and cumbersome machinery simpler, thereby saving assembly labor and deep processing costs.

III. Mixed Use of Materials and Fewer By-Products

In 3D printing, photosensitive resin, as a type of rapid investment casting technology, has replaced the wax injection investment casting used in traditional casting. With its low ash content, low smoke emission, high strength, dimensional stability, internally reinforced structure, high dimensional accuracy, smooth surface quality, no need for additional new processes or equipment, and the fact that 3D printing is an additive technology that produces no extra by-products, it is highly favored by mold developers and manufacturers.

IV. High Mold Precision and Small Product Errors

The layer thickness in 3D printing is produced to a standard of 0.05mm, and the precision after forming can reach 0.03mm per 100mm. Products printed using multi-jet fusion technology can achieve precision of approximately 40 microns, directly meeting the standards for aerospace and precision instrument casting, and satisfying the quality requirements of various industries. Three-dimensional images scanned via 3D scanning can accurately replicate the dimensions of the original part.

The advantages of 3D printing are unattainable by traditional manufacturing. It will not only replace the production and processing of products in traditional manufacturing but will also play a pivotal role in applications across all industries.