Eliminate 12-week tooling delays and €25,000+ CAPEX commitments during early R&D. We deliver functional prototype castings in serial-grade ductile iron, grey iron, and stainless steel in 10–14 days using 3D-printed sand moulds directly from CAD—with seamless scale-up to high-volume DISA production.
Tool-Less Castings via 3D Sand Printing (Binder Jetting)
Traditional casting development requires machining hard aluminium or cast iron matchplates before pouring a single test piece—locking R&D teams into expensive redesign cycles if bench tests fail.
By combining industrial binder jetting 3D sand printing with induction melting at our partner foundry facilities in Coimbatore, we pour fully dense, metallurgically authentic castings directly from your 3D STEP model:
⚡ 10–14 Day Delivery
Moulds and complex hydraulic cores print layer-by-layer in furan/silica sand in 24 hours; castings are poured, fettled, CNC proof-machined, and air-freighted to Europe in under two weeks.
💰 €0 Pattern Capital Expenditure
No pattern plates, coreboxes, or CNC cutter path tooling costs. Test geometry changes (wall thicknesses, rib designs, draft variations) between iterations with simple CAD uploads.
🔬 Identical Serial Metallurgy
Unlike 3D-printed plastic or SLS metal which have anisotropic grain structures, our prototype castings are poured in the exact same furnace heats as series production (EN-GJS-400/500, CF8M, NAB).
Prototyping Technology Comparison
Selecting the optimal prototype pathway based on your project volume, geometry complexity, and validation timeline:
Prototyping Pathway
Tooling Investment
Typical Turnaround
Batch Range
Ideal Application
3D-Printed Sand Moulds (Binder Jetting)
€0 (Tool-less direct from CAD)
10–14 Days
1 to 50 pcs
Functional test-bench validation for heavy pumps, valve bodies, brackets, and motor frames.
Rapid Investment Casting (3D Wax Pattern)
€300–€1,200 (Rapid wax mould / SLA)
2–3 Weeks
1 to 100 pcs
Thin-walled impellers, precision medical/fluid parts, and complex stainless/NAB geometries.
CNC Machining from Billet
€0 (CAM programming only)
5–7 Days
1 to 5 pcs
Immediate geometric fit checks and kinematic validation before casting simulation.
High-Speed Serial Tooling (Automated DISA)
€6,000–€18,000 (Metal pattern matchplates)
6–8 Weeks (Level 3 PPAP)
500 to 100,000+ pcs/year
Full serial production with minimum piece cost, guaranteed JIT delivery, and maximum consistency.
Metrology & Quality Validation
Every prototype shipment includes full engineering qualification records delivered by STALFE SAS:
3D Optical Coordinate Scan: Full color deviation heatmap overlaid against your nominal STEP model to verify casting shrinkage and machining stock.
EN 10204 3.1 Material Certificate: Optical emission spectrometer melt chemistry and tensile test results from test bars poured with the casting.
Microstructural Metallography: Optical micrograph confirming nodule count (>80%) and pearlite/ferrite ratio per ISO 945.
Pressure Testing: Hydrostatic pressure testing up to 40 bar or helium leak detection for fluid-handling components.
100% Tooling Credit on Serial Conversion
We design prototypes with full serial production in mind from Day 1:
Production-Ready DFM: All prototype gating designs are modeled in MagmaSoft to mirror production DISA and green sand kinematics.
Tooling Amortization: When you convert from prototype to series contract with StålFe, prototype engineering costs are credited toward your serial production tooling.
Guaranteed Lead Time: Once test bench approval is signed off, series matchplates are machined in parallel to compress production ramp-up.
French Consignment Stock: JIT delivery from warehouses in the Paris Region / Île-de-France, Le Havre, and Lyon.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close are 3D-printed sand prototype castings to serial production parts?
They are identical in density, grain structure, and mechanical properties. Because they are poured from the same induction furnace heats into chemically bonded silica sand, their tensile strength, yield, and elongation match the EN 1563 / EN 1561 specifications of series parts.
Can prototype parts be delivered fully CNC machined and ready for bench testing?
Yes. Our multi-axis CNC machine shop proof-machines or finish-machines prototypes to drawing tolerances (down to ±0.008 mm), including tapping, reaming, O-ring groove turning, and surface grinding.
What information is required to get a 10-day prototype quote?
Simply upload your 3D CAD model (.STEP or .IGES), 2D drawing showing critical tolerances and surface finishes, target material grade, and the required test quantity (e.g., 2–5 pieces). We provide a guaranteed quote and delivery timeline within 48 hours.