Purpose: of the present study is to verify the feasibility of decreasing the shell thickness in rapid shell casting based upon three dimensional printing technology in order to evaluate the dimensional accuracy for aluminum castings. Rapid prototyping has been in evidence for the past twenty years and is being widely used in diverse areas, from the building of aesthetic and functional prototypes to the production of tools and moulds for technological prototypes. Design/methodology/approach: Further consistency with the tolerance grades of the castings has been checked as per IT grades along with mechanical properties of the aluminium castings. Starting from the identification of component/87benchmark, technological prototypes are produced with different shell thicknesses. Measurements on a coordinate measuring machine allowed calculating the dimensional tolerances of the castings produced. Findings: The research proved that the shell thickness having value less than the recommended one is more suitable from dimensional accuracy and economic point of view. The result indicates that at 5 mm shell thickness, hardness of the casting is improved by 3.79%. Further production cost and production time has been reduced by 54.6% and 55.4% respectively in comparison to 12 mm recommended shell thickness. Practical implications: The analysis procedure is better for proof of concept and for the new product, for which the cost of production for dies and other tooling is more. Originality/value: The 3DP technique at different shell thicknesses (12 mm to 2 mm) provided satisfactory results, limited at present to the field of light alloys. This process ensures rapid production of pre-series technological prototypes and proof of concept at less production cost and time.
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