In the context of market instability and increasing variability in consumer demands, the relevance of on-demand manufacturing is growing significantly, with additive manufacturing (3D printing) becoming a key tool for its implementation. Specifically, introducing 3D printing into the foundry industry allows for the production of metal castings with complex configurations, often impossible using traditional methods. This study aims to analyze and test an innovative algorithm for the digital design of porous metamaterials from Spherene Inc., with the goal of minimizing mass and controlling the properties of 3D-printed casting patterns for the Lost Foam Casting (LFC) process. Analysis methods included investigating the theoretical aspects of triply periodic minimal surfaces and their application in the Rhinoceros software environment for modeling unique porous structures. We designed and printed experimental polymer pattern parts, controlling parameters such as density, wall thickness, and open pore geometry. The results showed that the developed approach allows for the creation of lightweight yet strong patterns with spherical cavities and translational porosity, which is crucial for optimizing the gasification process. This porosity enables effective vacuum application from the casting mold to the pattern body, with directed gas removal. This minimizes the negative impact of gasification products on casting quality and allows for the use of the vacuum suction effect for metal. The practical value of this 3D printing research lies in significantly reducing the design and production time for casting patterns, increasing the adaptability of foundry enterprises to market changes, and implementing the on-demand manufacturing concept through the use of high-precision 3D-printed patterns compatible with existing LFC equipment.
Doroshenko et al. (Fri,) studied this question.