Case Study: Boro Foundry Ltd achieves two-thirds lower costs and faster mould assembly with ExOne 3D sand printing

Boro Foundry cuts mould costs by two-thirds with ExOne

Boro Foundry Ltd faced the challenge of reverse-engineering and manufacturing a superheater header for a vintage steam locomotive. The original 1950s part was complex, with 56 internal holes that made traditional casting costly, risky, and time-consuming due to the high likelihood of core movement and defective parts. They turned to ExOne for a solution using 3D sand printing.

ExOne implemented a solution using its binder jetting technology to 3D print a sand mould set. This process, completed at its On Demand Printing Center, drastically simplified the mould to just three parts and one core. The result was a 66% reduction in cost, saving over £20,000, and a 75% reduction in mould assembly time from 14 hours to just 3.5 hours. ExOne's technology also eliminated the need for post-casting drilling and produced a high-quality, defect-free casting.

Boro Foundry Ltd