Additive evaporative foundry: Skuld brings 3D printing into foundries of the US defense sector

The US Department of Defense is shifting its focus in additive manufacturing from pilot projects to large-scale implementation in foundries. The goal is to accelerate tooling and spare parts production, enable more complex geometries and secure domestic supply chains. A central role is played by Skuld, a manufacturing technology company from Piqua, Ohio, which closely links 3D printing with metal casting through its technology known as AM Evaporative Casting (AMEC).

In the AMEC process, polymer-based or foam models are additively manufactured and then cast using the lost-foam method. The printed model evaporates during casting, eliminating the need for conventional pattern demolding.

“We’re striking a balance between traditional casting methods by using lost-foam casting,” said Sarah Jordan, CEO of Skuld. “It’s faster than lost-wax casting and more precise than sand casting, eliminating the need for machining. As a small company, we can move quickly and think creatively. Innovation is our core value, and we explore new ideas, materials, and methods that others might overlook or deem impossible.”

Lost-foam is faster than investment casting but offers higher dimensional accuracy than conventional sand casting, which often reduces the need for mechanical post-processing. To this end, Skuld has developed the Lightning Metal micro foundry system LM16 and a container-based Conex system that combines casting and printing technology in a single mobile unit. Universities, service bureaus or military maintenance depots can use it on-site to prototype parts, reproduce them via reverse engineering and quickly provide replacements.

“As a small company, we can move quickly and think creatively,” Jordan explains. “Innovation is our core value, and we explore new ideas, materials, and methods that others might overlook or deem impossible.”

Under an SBIR contract, Skuld is working with the REACT Lab at Tinker Air Force Base to integrate AMEC into an existing foundry for flight-qualified aluminum parts. In parallel, the company is validating its process chain as part of the IMPACT 2.0 project funded by OSD ManTech at America Makes. In the study “Speed with Evaporative Casting for AISI 4340 Steel,” a roughly 400-pound steel component, including a reverse-engineered Tiger tank muzzle brake component, was recast in a very short time based on a 3D scan.

“We’ve significantly reduced production times by going from reverse engineering to casting large, complex parts in as little as two days, showcasing the effectiveness of our hybrid approach for in-house manufacturing capabilities at DoD facilities,” said Jordan. “What took years now takes days and inches us closer to achieving our goal of broad commercialization.”

In the long term, Skuld aims to integrate additive casting processes directly into military and industrial sites to enable organic manufacturing with short supply paths. For additive manufacturing, the combination of 3D-printed evaporative patterns and locally deployable micro foundries opens up an additional option for providing complex metal parts in series production or for legacy components without long tooling and delivery times.

“We anticipate that this process will gain widespread adoption not only by the DoD but across the entire industrial sector,” Jordan said.