Mechanical analysis of ceramic/polymer composite with mesh-type lightweight design using binder-jet 3D printing

3D printing technology has recently been highlighted as an innovative manufacturing process. Among various 3D printing methods, binder jetting (BJ) 3D printing is particularly known as technology used to produce the complex sand mold quickly for a casting process. However, high manufacturing costs, due to its expensive materials, need to be lowered for more industrial applications of 3D printing. In this study, we investigated mechanical properties of sand molds with a lightweight structure for low material consumption and short process time. Our stress analysis using a computational approach, revealed a structural weak point in the mesh-type lightweight design applied to the 3D-printed ceramic/polymer composite.