76th CMXG starts sand casting aluminum parts
Published July 29, 2023
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. (AFNS) –
Man wearing fire suit pouring molten aluminum
Ted Fetchik, a 553rd Commodities Maintenance Squadron welder, pours molten aluminum into a mold at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., June 1, 2023. The 76th Commodities Maintenance Group and the Reverse Engineering and Critical Tooling Lab have recently added the ability to sand cast in aluminum, creating parts weighing up to 120 pounds through its newly launched foundry. (U.S. Air Force photo by Paul Shirk)
PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RESThe 76th Commodities Maintenance Group and Reverse Engineering and Critical Tooling, or REACT, Lab at Tinker Air Force Base have added the capability to sand cast aluminum parts in-house.
By 3D printing casting molds from sand, aluminum parts weighing up to 120 pounds can be cast in its newly launched foundry. The 76th CMXG is able to produce up to Grade B standards and is perfecting their process to soon have capability to produce Grade A castings, meaning the casting is nearly flawless.
https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3472573/76th-cmxg-starts-sand-casting-aluminum-parts/