A review of additive manufacturing technology and its application to foundry in China

The application of additive manufacturing technology is one of the main approaches to achieving the rapid casting. Additive manufacturing technology can directly prepare casting molds (cores) with no need of patterns, and quickly cast complex castings. The combination of additive manufacturing and traditional casting technology can break the constraint of traditional casting technology, improve casting flexibility, and ameliorate the working environment. Besides, additive manufacturing promotes the realization of “free casting”, greatly simplifying the processing procedures and shortening the manufacturing cycle. This paper summarizes the basic principle of additive manufacturing technology and its development situation domestically and overseas, mainly focusing on the development status of several main additive manufacturing technologies applicable to the foundry field, including three-dimensional printing, selective laser sintering, stereolithography, layered extrusion forming, etc. Finally, the future development trend of additive manufacturing technology in the foundry field is prospected.