A new rapid casting process based on gelcasting and stereolithography (SL) has been developed to fabricate integral ceramic moulds for complex castings. An overview of the fabrication process is demonstrated. It is shown that preparation for ceramic slurry, design of the process system, pyrolysis of the resin prototype, and integrity of the ceramic mould all play a significant role in the whole process. A hollow turbine blade with complex internal and external structure was taken as the case study to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed process.
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