How Sand 3D Printing Supports the Manufacturing of 126KV-1100KV GIS Casings: A Customer Case Study

In the field of high-voltage electrical equipment manufacturing, the research and production of 126KV-1100KV GIS casings is a highly challenging task. Particularly during the prototyping and mass production stages, traditional processes often struggle to meet the strict requirements for precision, quality, and fast delivery. However, by leveraging sand 3D printing technology, we provided the customer with an innovative and efficient solution. Below is an in-depth look at this case.

Prototyping Stage: Fast Validation with High Standards

Challenges:
During the GIS casing prototyping stage, the customer needed to quickly validate the structure and performance of the new product while meeting a series of stringent requirements:

1. The casing must encapsulate SF6 gas, ensuring excellent gas-tightness.
2. Internal functional components require conductivity, with uniform and defect-free surface quality.
3. The sealing surface must meet a porosity level higher than grade 1, and pass both gas-tightness testing and comprehensive flaw detection.
4. Prototypes needed to be completed in a short time to enable rapid product iteration and upgrades.
5. Traditional processes involved high mold costs and long cycles, which could not meet the required delivery timelines nor accommodate real-time design model modifications.

Solution: 3DP Sand Mold + Low-Pressure Casting
We adopted sand 3D printing (3DP) combined with low-pressure casting to provide an efficient and flexible prototyping solution:

• Significantly Reduced Lead Time: By using sand 3D printing, we directly printed sand molds and performed low-pressure casting, achieving a delivery time of 5-7 days per prototype, dramatically shorter than traditional processes.
• Flexible Adjustments: Without the need for molds, 3D printing allowed real-time design model modifications, meeting the frequent adjustment needs of the R&D stage.
• Guaranteed Quality: Combining sand 3D printing with low-pressure casting ensured that the prototypes achieved uniform, defect-free surfaces, meeting the stringent requirements for sealing and flaw detection.

This solution enabled the customer to quickly complete the validation of the product's structure and performance, laying a solid foundation for subsequent mass production.

Mass Production Stage: Combining Quality and Efficiency

Challenges:
During the mass production stage of GIS casings, the customer faced similar high standards for quality and precision:

1. The casing must encapsulate SF6 gas, requiring exceptional gas-tightness and reliability.
2. Surface quality needed to be uniform and free of any defects.
3. The sealing surface still required a porosity level higher than grade 1, along with successful gas-tightness testing and comprehensive flaw detection.

Solution: Metal Mold Low-Pressure Casting
For mass production, the customer adopted metal mold low-pressure casting, leveraging the proven process parameters optimized during the prototyping stage to achieve efficient and high-quality mass delivery.

• Efficient Production: Metal mold low-pressure casting ensured both production efficiency and product consistency.
• Stable Quality: By building on the optimized process parameters from the prototyping stage, mass production maintained the same high standards for surface quality and gas-tightness.

Conclusion: Core Advantages of Sand 3D Printing

This case clearly demonstrates the core advantages of sand 3D printing technology in manufacturing complex parts:

1. Rapid Response: Directly printing sand molds eliminates the need for mold-making, enabling fast prototyping and flexible adjustments.
2. Efficient Iteration: Quickly completing product structure and performance validation supports rapid iteration during the R&D stage.
3. Quality Assurance: The technology meets strict requirements for defect-free surfaces and ultra-high sealing performance.
4. Cost Savings: Eliminating the need for molds significantly reduces costs during the prototyping stage.
5. Seamless Transition to Mass Production: The process enables a smooth transition from prototyping to mass production through low-pressure casting.

This case showcases the immense potential of sand 3D printing technology in the field of high-precision manufacturing. It provides customers with a comprehensive solution from R&D to mass production and highlights the technology's ability to drive breakthrough innovation and value across industries.