PREREQUISITES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF 3D TECHNOLOGY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL PRODUCTS AND EXAMPLES OF ITS APPLICATION

Abstract

A brief overview of modern additive manufacturing equipment, 3D technologies and leading companies in this field is provided. Such production for the modeling and optimization of casting structures and the production of metal products corresponds to the concept of Industry 4.0, aimed at obtaining competitive products quickly, conveniently, variably, with minimal personnel and the desire to exclude the subject from the technological cycle of production, close to the requirements of the consumer, including industrial and construction hardware. 3D technology, which includes the optimization of structures by digital methods, is an effective means of reducing the cost and weight of metal structures, reducing metal consumption. At the current transition stage to mass additive production, there is a need for a gradual combination of digital and traditional technologies in the process of industrial development on an innovative basis, which is an effective mechanism for overcoming the crisis phenomena of the war and post-war periods. In this regard, the use of 3D technology for obtaining cast metal structures, in particular those made by casting according to gasifying models, has significant opportunities. There are three examples of the application of 3D technology for printing metal structures, in the process of manufacturing lightweight openwork castings, which includes printing a foundry sand mold, and during 3D milling of a one-time foundry pattern from polystyrene foam. As one of the key drivers of Industry 4.0, 3D technologies, according to experts, are capable of standing on a par with traditional technologies, and in the near future, replacing at least half of the existing machine park and procurement equipment. There is a lot of talk about what is holding back the active use of 3D printers by enterprises, but the most common limitation is the unwillingness of the enterprises themselves to rethink, engineer their production, put it on the rails of digital technologies; certainly, it is difficult, but necessary to maintain their competitiveness.