While high-volume production relies on tried-and-tested injection moulding, the journey to get there – the crucial phase of prototyping, refining, and optimising – demands flexibility and speed.

Overcoming Industry Challenges

Traditionally, creating unique wax patterns for each design iteration quickly can be a bottleneck. We've utilised wax 3D printing technologies in the past, but many standard machines present a significant hurdle: incomplete burnout.

Imagine painstakingly designing and printing a complex wax pattern, only for it to leave behind stubborn ash residue within the investment mould during the burnout process. This contamination ruins the final casting, compromising surface finish and potentially the integrity of the part itself. It’s a frustrating setback!

Flawless Wax Patterns, On Demand

We knew there had to be a better way. After rigorous exploration, we identified and have now successfully implemented a process using advanced materials that burn out cleanly from the investment mould, leaving no trace behind. This breakthrough paves the way for castings with brilliant, perfect surface finishes – crucial for high-performance engine components.

And, we've taken it a step further, with the installation of our new, state-of-the-art Wax 3D Printing machine right here at PC1.

This isn't just another piece of equipment; it's a strategic capability that fundamentally changes our prototyping workflow. Why?

1. Unmatched Flexibility: We can now print virtually any wax pattern for any engine component, directly in-house. Need to test a radical new turbine design? Modify an existing bracket? We can generate the required wax pattern rapidly.
2. Accelerated Development Cycles: This in-house capability drastically cuts down lead times associated with outsourcing prototype patterns. We can go from digital design to castable wax pattern faster than ever before.
3. Production-Representative Quality: The precision and clean burnout properties mean the castings derived from these 3D-printed waxes are truly representative of final production parts. This allows for more accurate testing and validation earlier in the process.
4. Simplified Workflow: As highlighted in our latest update , the process is remarkably efficient – almost as simple as using a standard office printer, but for creating intricate, high-fidelity wax components.

This advanced 3D printing capability is the perfect bridge during the critical design and optimisation phase. It allows us to iterate, test, and perfect components with speed and confidence.

Once a design is finalised and validated ("locked down"), we then transition to the established methods for mass production – commissioning the injection moulding tools required to produce these components in volume efficiently.