Engineering
Most casting problems are cheapest to fix on the screen. We work the tooling out before we build it.
From print to pattern model
We build a solid model of the pattern from your 2D print, or work directly from your 3D model. That model carries everything the finished part does not show: shrink allowance for your alloy, draft on every vertical face, machining stock where the casting gets machined, and core prints for every core.
Working from a model means the CNC cuts exactly what was designed, repeat orders and replacement patterns match the original, and changes are made once, in one place.
What we check before we cut
- Parting line
- Where the mold splits, chosen to keep the pattern drawable and the flash where it is easy to grind off.
- Draft and shrink
- Taper so the pattern pulls clean from the sand, and size allowances matched to the alloy you pour.
- Cores
- Core layout, print size and how each core is supported and vented.
- Gating and feeding
- Where metal enters and how the casting is fed, built around your foundry's practice.
- Machining stock
- Extra material where surfaces get machined, and datums the machine shop can locate from.
- Molding method
- Loose, plated or match plate, chosen for your molding line and order volume.
Files we work from
3D models (CATIA, STEP, IGES, Parasolid, SolidWorks), 2D drawings (PDF, DXF, DWG), a sample casting or an existing pattern. If all you have is an old part, we can work from that too.
Want a castability review?
Send the model or print and tell us the alloy. We will point out anything that will cause trouble in the mold.