L3-MFG-CAST-MOLD
ESSENTIAL
RESOURCES
Level 3 · hardware
Sand / Ceramic Mold Stations
Reusable Sand + Ceramic Mold Stations for Net-Shape Casting
Reusable sand + ceramic mold stations producing near-net-shape parts directly from molten metal, complementing 3D printing for high-volume runs.
Purpose
Reusable sand + ceramic mold stations producing near-net-shape parts directly from molten metal, complementing 3D printing for high-volume runs.
Context
Child of L2-MFG-CAST within the Lunar Ark system
Principles
- ▸Sand mold for one-time casting of large parts
- ▸Ceramic mold for repeated casts of standard parts
- ▸Lunar regolith viable mold sand (free aggregate)
- ▸Per-part mold design library
- ▸Robotic demolding via L1-ROB
Typical implementations
- ▸Foundry sand-casting heritage (terrestrial)
- ▸Aerospace investment casting
- ▸ISRU casting concepts
Lunar considerations
- ▸Lunar regolith natural mold sand (zero-cost)
- ▸Ceramic molds for high-volume parts
- ▸Robotic pouring from L3-MFG-SMELT-CAST
Specifications
Functional
| primary function | Reusable sand + ceramic mold stations producing near-net-shape parts directly from molten metal, complementing 3D printing for high-volume runs. |
| mold types | 30 |
Physical
| mass kg | 50 |
| materials | Lunar regolith mold sand, Ceramic mold liners, Cast iron flasks |
| vacuum compatibility | True |
Operational
| power consumption w | 0 |
| thermal range c | -40, 70 |
| lifetime years | 20 |
| mtbf hours | 200000 |
Interfaces
Provides
- Empty molds ready for pour
Requires
- Regolith feedstock
Cite this entry
Lunar Ark Codex. "Sand / Ceramic Mold Stations" (L3-MFG-CAST-MOLD). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://lunarark.com/entry/L3-MFG-CAST-MOLD
Licensed CC-BY-SA 4.0. You may reuse and adapt this entry with attribution, under the same licence.