Among the Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies, the Binder-Jetting printing technology is a method of spraying an adhesive on the surface of powder and laminate layer by layer. Recently, this technique has become a major issue in the production of large casting products such as ship-building, custom vehicles and so on. In this study, we performed research to make actual mold castings and increase mechanical property by using special sand and water-based binders. For use as a mold, it has a strength of more than 3MPa and permeability. Various experiments were carried out to obtain suitable them. The major process parameters were binder jetting volume, binder types, layer thickness and heat treatment condition. As a result of this study, the binder drop quantity was measured to be about 60 pico-liter, layer thickness was 100μm and the heat treatment condition was measured about 1,000℃ and compressive strength were measured to be more than 5MPa. The optimum condition of this experiment was established through actual casting of aluminum. The equipment used in this study was a Freeforms T400 model (SFS Co., Ltd.), and the printing area of 420 * 300 * 250mm and resolution of 600dpi can be realized.

Sand casting 3D printing uses a binder jetting method to produce a mold having complicated shape by spraying a binder on sand coated with activator. Appropriate heat treatment process in sand mold fabrication can increase the degree of polymerization to improve flexural strength. However, long heat treatment of over 24 hours decreases flexural strength and reliability due to chemical bond decomposition through thermal degradation. The main role of the activator is to control the reaction rate between the polymer chains. As a result, when the activator composition is increased from 0.15 wt% to 0.25 wt%, the flexural strength is increased by 218 N/cm2. However, excess activator (0.40 wt%) has been shown to decrease reliability without increasing flexural strength. The main role of the binder is to control the flexural strength of the specimen. As the binder composition is increased from 2.00 wt% to 4.00 wt%, the flexural strength increases to about 255 N/cm2, indicating the maximum flexural strength increase. Finally, the reliability of the flexural strength of the fabricated specimens is evaluated by a Weibull plot. Weibull modulus calculations are used to evaluate the flexural strength reliability of the specimens, and maximum reliability value of 11.7 is obtained at 0.20 wt% activator composition. Therefore, it is confirmed that this composition has maximum flexural strength reliability.

기계가공으로 인한 사고는 작업자에게 치명적인 경우가 많다. 이러한 사고는 완벽한 가공지그을 통해 대부분 예방이 가능하지만 제품설계초기 후가공과 양산 공정은 고려되지 않고 설계되어 기계가공 시 재해로 연결되는 경우가 빈번히 발생하고 있다. 사형 주조법은 수작업으로 손쉽게 제품을 생산하는 장점을 가지는 반면 치수오차가 다른 양산공정 보다 크다는 단점을 가진다. 이런 사형 주조품을 기계 가공할 때 제품의 치수편차로 인해 불안전한 고정및 과다한 절삭, 제품이탈, 공구파손, 장비와 공구의 빠른 수명감소 등의 다양한 문제가 발생 하지만 사형주조의 특성상 개선하기 어려운 문제로 인식되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 원형의 용기형태의 제품을 사형주조 후 기계가공 하는 것을 금형으로 대체하기 위한 셸몰드법을 제시하고 셸몰드로 만든 셸주형으로 주조함으로서 표면조도 평균 Ra9.94㎛의 기계가공에 준하는 표면을 구현하였다. 외형의 정밀한 제품을 대량 생산하여 가공공정의 간소화 및 평균 두께 편차를 줄임으로서 제품파손 및 제작 시 발생할 수 있는 안전사고예방에 긍정적인 영향을 주었다. 기계가공전 제품의 치수정밀도를 높여 안전성, 생산성향상, 가공 공정단축, 환경개선 등을 이 가능함을 확인하였다.