Washout

CONCR3DE enables to print advanced Washout materials, engineered for the fabrication of intricate composite tooling, from rapid prototyping and low-volume production to high-throughput industrial-scale manufacturing.

Benefits of 3D printing washout materials

Binder jetting technology allows the production of washout parts for hollow composite components featuring enclosed geometries and complex undercut features. This innovative manufacturing system offers a significant reduction in both cost and lead time, by eliminating the traditional process of constructing a mold for the core, or milling it from solid material, this technology significantly streamlines the production timeline.

CONCR3DE's suite of washout materials presents notable advantages stemming from their predominantly ceramic composition, typically ranging from 80% to 90%. This substantial ceramic content confers upon these materials a lower Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) when contrasted with materials composed entirely of polymers. This reduced CTE is a critical attribute, minimizing dimensional fluctuations in response to temperature variations and thereby enhancing the precision of fabricated components.

Furthermore, CONCR3DE's washout materials offer a sustainable alternative to conventional solvent-based sacrificial tooling materials by being fully water-washable and employing environmentally conscious binders.

Recognizing the diverse requirements of various applications, CONCR3DE offers three distinct washout solutions: the traditional Gypsum, the ready-to-use Sand, and the Washout Ceramic, which provides enhanced mechanical properties with streamlined handling. These materials are differentiated by their CTE, reclaimability, washout properties, material strength, and operating temperature in autoclave, allowing users to select the most appropriate option for their specific project demands and desired outcomes.

Process

CONCR3DE's Washout process uses binder jetting to 3D-print water-soluble mandrels for complex composite parts. It involves digitally slicing the design, precisely jetting of the binder, drying for strength, automated powder removal, and applying a water-soluble coating to prep for composite layup and control surface finish.

Description
This water-soluble material is a perfect tooling material for carbon-fiber and other composites benefiting of excellent surface finish and low coefficient of thermal expansion

Powder & Binder

PS1004 Gypsum Powder
BS1001 Mineral Binder (Aqueous)
SS1002 Washout Coating (Optional)

Benefits

Fully water soluble
High quality surface finish
Print highly complex geometries
Powder can be fully recycled
Biodegradable binder

Application Examples

Tooling of composites

Printers

Armadillo Gray*
Elephant Gray*
Armadillo White

* This printer-material combination is not a Plug-and-Play solution. The printer hardware is ready to print this material. Software settings vary based on the specific source powder. The settings are either available for licensing separately or can be customized to your powder by our team.

Description
This water-soluble material offers a unique solution for the creation of molds in advanced composite manufacturing, allowing really fast dissolvment when exposed to water.

Powder & Binder

PS1005 Sand Powder
BS1002 Sol Binder (Aqueous)
SS1002 Washout Coating (Optional)

Benefits

Fully water soluble
High quality surface finish

Application Examples

Reclaimable and reusable material

Printers

Armadillo Gray*
Elephant Gray*
Armadillo White

Description
This high-performance, water-soluble material features excellent mechanical properties, granting strong, accurate, and sustainable sacrificial tooling in advanced composite manufacturing.

Powder & Binder

PS1007 Cer Powder
BS1003 Sol-C Binder (Aqueous)
SS1002 Washout Coating (Optional)

Benefits

Fully water soluble, strong
High quality surface
Strong
Easy to washout
Biodegradable binder

Application Examples

Reclaimable and reusable material

Printers

Armadillo Gray*
Elephant Gray*
Armadillo White

Powders & Binders

Powders
PS1004 Gypsum Powder
PS1005 Sand Powder
PS1007 Cer Powder

Binders
BS1001 Mineral Binder (Aqueous)
BS1002 Sol Binder (Aqueous)
BS1003 Sol-C Binder (Aqueous)

Other
SS1002 Washout Coating (Optional)

3D printed tooling for complex composites

CONCR3DE is excited to showcase our new Washout materials, a solution for complex tooling of composites. Please read along for a technical sneak preview of material, which is already used by some of our advanced customers in the aerospace and racing industry.

Armadillo Gray

Create smaller parts or test shapes before printing full-scale objects or elements. This small-scale printer features all applicable add-ons for printing stone and concrete materials, including an integrated control station and the Reduction Insert.

Elephant Gray

Our large-scale Elephant Gray can print with incredible detail in sizes up to 2 x 1 x 1 meters. This enables scaling up to industrial production after small-scale testing to create full product batches in a single run.

Technology

Binder jetting 3D printing is based on two key elements: a powder and a binder. The powder can be a concrete, metal, ceramic, or other material you want to bond in powder form. The binder is a liquid, which acts as an adhesive between powder layers.

Our experts will gladly advise you on the available options.

Learn more