Application of Rapid Prototyping to the Investment Casting of Test Hardware (MSFC Center Directors Discretionary Fund Final Report, Project No. 98-08)

NASA/TM-210384, Cooper, K.G. and Wells, D., Application of Rapid Prototyping to the Investment Casting of Test Hardware (MSFC Center Directors Discretionary Fund Final Report, Project No. 98-08), George C. Marshall Space Flight Center Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama 35812, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Washington, DC 205460001, Prepared by the Materials, Processes and Manufacturing Department, Engineering Directorate, June 2000, pp. 24, Format(s): PDF 5033k

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Investment casting masters of a selected propulsion hardware component, a fuel pump housing, were rapid prototyped on the several processes in-house, along with the new Z-Corp process acquired through this project. Also, tensile samples were prototyped and cast using the same significant parameters. The models were then shelled in-house using a commercial grade zircon-based slurry and stucco technique. Next, the shelled models were fired and cast by our in-house foundry contractor (IITRI), with NASA-23, a commonly used test hardware metal. The cast models are compared by their surface finish and overall appearance (i.e., the occurrence of pitting, warping, etc.), as well as dimensional accuracy.

Keywords:	rapid prototyping, solid freeform fabrication, casting, modeling
Subjects:	Engineering: Engineering (General)
ID Code:	532
Deposited On:	30 July 2002