원심 주조를 사용하여 얇은 섹션과 격자 금속의 간접 제작

Executive Industry Relevance

This indirect additive manufacturing approach enables cost-effective production of complex lattice metals, addressing limitations of direct metal AM such as high cost and material constraints. By combining 3D-printed sacrificial patterns with centrifugal casting, the method expands material selection and supports rapid prototyping of lightweight structures. It provides a scalable pathway for early-stage evaluation of lattice geometries in materials discovery workflows.

Strategic Applications in Biopharma R&D

Early Discovery & Target Validation

• Scientific Value: Enables interrogation of structure-property relationships in lattice architectures for biomimetic material design.
• Operational Value: Supports rapid iteration of lattice geometries using polymer printing before metal commitment.

Screening & Assay Development

• Scientific Value: Produces reproducible lattice metal samples with controlled wall thickness and unit cell dimensions for mechanical testing.
• Operational Value: Standardizes sample preparation via precise sacrificial pattern volume calculation and centrifugal casting parameters.

Translational & Preclinical Research

• Scientific Value: Facilitates evaluation of aluminum and copper alloy lattice systems for potential use in implantable or device applications.
• Operational Value: Enables assessment of casting defects related to premature solidification, informing process optimization for translational reliability.

Pipeline & Workflow Integration

The method fits within early discovery to preclinical workflows by providing a bridge between digital design and physical validation of lattice metal prototypes.

• Discovery Biology: Supports hypothesis testing on how lattice geometry influences mechanical response in simulated physiological environments.
• Screening: Delivers quantifiable outputs such as dimensional fidelity and defect formation under controlled process parameters.
• Analytics: Enables correlation of centrifugal speed (425 RPM), melt temperature (482°C), and flow velocity (8.03 m/s) with casting success.
• Translational Research: Highlights material-specific challenges, such as copper alloy premature solidification, critical for risk assessment in device development.
• Enterprise Reuse: Establishes a reusable platform where sacrificial patterns can be redesigned for different lattice systems without changing core casting infrastructure.

Operational & Enterprise Impact

• Scientific Value: Reduces mechanistic ambiguity in linking processing parameters to final lattice integrity.
• Operational Value: Improves reproducibility through idazable steps: pattern volume measurement, six-hour burnout, and controlled quenching.
• Strategic Value: Lowers capital barrier to lattice metal exploration by avoiding direct metal AM equipment.
• Portfolio Impact: Enables go/no-go decisions on lattice material systems based on casting success and structural fidelity.

Implementation Considerations

• Requires expertise in CAD design, polymer 3D printing, and metal casting safety protocols.
• Needs access to centrifugal casting capable of 425 RPM, furnaces for burnout at 482°C, and metal melting via acetylene torch.
• Demands standardization of investment mixing and burnout schedules across teams to ensure mold integrity.
• Requires adaptation of process parameters when changing lattice geometry or alloy system (e.g., Al vs Cu).
• Limited by mold fragility during post-processing, particularly for thin-walled aluminum lattices requiring low-pressure sandblasting.

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