Additive Manufacturing Case Studies

Solve Complex Challenges with 3D Printing

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Waupaca Foundry Additive Manufacturing Solves Problems, Mitigates Risk

3D printed core prototypes are cost-effective, faster and more adaptable

Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, uses layers of material to create a part based on a digital design. 3D printed core and mold technology offers multiple benefits in the development and production of iron castings: faster launch of parts, reduced cost and improved quality.

Waupaca Foundry uses additive manufacturing to:

Aid in iron casting design development and program launch
Test and verify part performance prior to production
Improve dimensional control for iron castings with complex geometry
Replace the need for core box tooling on low-volume production parts

3D printing helps Waupaca Foundry deliver more value. Collaborative engineering, 3D printing and use of iron and sand flow simulation software offers the flexibility to test iron casting designs faster, allows for multiple iterations of geometry, and mitigates risk—all before investing in hard tooling costs.

Waupaca Foundry has successfully used 3D printing to solve OEM customer quality issues and downtime, while eliminating supply chain instability in iron casting manufacturing.

Click on the case studies below to discover how Waupaca Foundry has used additive manufacturing technology to solve common challenges OEMs and their Tier 1 suppliers face. Benefits of 3D printed prototypes have included reduced costs, faster turnaround times, reshoring manufacturing and mitigating supply chain risk.

Additive MFG

Risk Avoidance and a Fast Turn with 3D Printing

Waupaca Foundry leveraged 3D printing to provide an improved casting design 2-3 weeks ahead of the customer’s lead time. This solution offered the customer flexibility to test the design faster, mitigated risk, and provided a cost savings.

#3dprinting #oem #off-highway

Additive MFG

Innovation and Problem-Solving Mitigate Supply Chain Risk

Through collaborative engineering and a prototype 3D-printed core assembly, Waupaca Foundry provided a solution that could improve quality, delivery and cost for a compressor body already in production. It also meant reliably changing the iron casting manufacturing process from horizontal to vertical molding, as well as reshoring the part to a U.S. supply base—with complete peace of mind.

#3dprinting #supplychain

Additive MFG

Getting Down to the Core of Additive Manufacturing

Additive Manufacturing, also known as 3-D printing, streamlined casting design to production and revolutionized the way Waupaca Foundry delivered value to its customers and solves supply chain risk. The iron casting supplier installed its first sand 3D printer in 2022 to automate core production and create one-piece complex cores that were once multi-piece assemblies.

#3dprinting #supplychain

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