Abstract
RP&M (Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing) is the most appropriate technology for the small-lot production system, because the production cycle is getting shorter owing to various needs of the consumer. In this paper, rapid tooling technology is applied to the casting process. The casting process has the ability to reflect complicated shapes in one process. But it has not been widely used to make a die and mold because of the poor surface quality caused by air bubbles on the surface of the casting product. In this study, the porous casting mold is fabricated from a mixture of plaster and water-soluble binder. The porous casting mold can improve the characteristics of casting products with the help of the vacuum sealed casting process. The vacuum sealed casting process is an advanced technology that removes the air bubbles between the porous casting mould and the liquid metal, thus making the surface of the casting product finer. The purpose of this paper is to develop a high quality shoe mold using porous casting mold and to apply the RP&M technology to the shoe industry.
