Building a Complete Ecosystem: How Prodways, Tethon 3D and LBBC Are Enhancing the Investment Casting Workflow

Investment casting is evolving. Foundries are moving away from traditional methods and embracing digital workflows that enable higher precision, repeatability, and process efficiency. From the design of intricate parts to their final casting, every step must align perfectly to meet today’s demanding quality standards.

To support this shift from traditional casting to digital workflows, Prodways, Tethon 3D, and LBBC Technologies offer a complete, integrated ecosystem — combining software, industrial 3D printing, advanced materials, and post-processing solutions into a seamless, end-to-end workflow.

A Turnkey Ecosystem Designed for Casting Challenges

Each partner contributes unique expertise that, together, addresses the specific constraints of investment casting:

⤷ Software — Tailored Guidance for Each Workflow

Depending on the project requirements, Prodways advises foundries on the most suitable software solutions to optimize design, manage print preparation, and ensure precise control over every step of the process. These solutions are adaptable to different foundry environments, enabling an integrated digital workflow.

⤷ 3D Printing — Prodways CERAM PRO 365 with Patented MOVINGLight® Technology

The CERAM PRO 365 printer provides high-precision additive manufacturing for ceramic molds, shells, and cores, enabling superior surface quality, repeatability, and complex geometries. The patented MOVINGLight® technology ensures controlled polymerization for consistently accurate and robust parts.

⤷ Materials — Tethon 3D Silica SiCast 1200

The Silica SiCast 1200 ceramic slurry is optimized for Prodways printers, ensuring reliable sintering, dimensional stability, and high mechanical performance.

⤷ Post-Treatment — LBBC Technologies

LBBC offers a complete HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) range of leaching systems, engineered to efficiently remove ceramic cores and shells while maintaining part integrity. This robust family of leachers ensures clean, defect-free castings ready for downstream finishing, scaling easily to different production volumes and alloy requirements.

From Digital Design to Finished Casting: A Fully Integrated Workflow

This ecosystem enables foundries to connect every stage of production efficiently:

Design and optimize digital parts using software suited to the project’s needs, with Prodways’ guidance to choose the optimal solution.
3D print ceramic molds or cores on the CERAM PRO 365 printer with patented MOVINGLight® technology using Silica SiCast 1200 from Tethon 3D.
Cast the metal with maximum precision and consistency.
Leach and clean efficiently with LBBC’s HPHT range of leaching systems, ensuring perfectly finished parts.

Proven Experience and Trusted Solutions

While each solution — software, 3D printing, materials, and post-treatment — has been successfully implemented independently in numerous customers, experience shows that combining them provides synergistic benefits. Many of them have already validated these technologies separately, demonstrating their reliability, quality, and practical suitability for casting applications.

This accumulated experience allows Prodways, Tethon 3D, and LBBC to offer a fully integrated ecosystem that truly understands and addresses the realities and constraints of the casting process. Foundries adopting this approach can confidently transition from traditional methods to digital manufacturing, knowing they are supported by tested and proven solutions.

Driving Innovation, Efficiency, and Sustainability

By integrating digital tools, additive manufacturing with patented MOVINGLight® technology, and automated post-processing, foundries can reduce waste, shorten lead times, and improve part consistency.

At the same time, this digital workflow supports sustainable production practices, using optimized materials and energy-efficient post-processing systems, in line with the growing demand for environmentally responsible manufacturing.

A Partnership Built for the Future

As investment casting continues to evolve, this collaboration demonstrates how complementary expertise can create new value for foundries worldwide.

“Our goal is to provide a complete, turnkey ecosystem that bridges additive manufacturing and traditional casting,” says Vincent Icart, Deputy Managing Director at Prodways.

“By combining software guidance tailored to each project, the CERAM PRO 365 printer with patented MOVINGLight® technology, Silica SiCast 1200 material, and LBBC post-treatment solutions, we’re helping foundries unlock a new level of precision, efficiency, and sustainability — all within a digital workflow designed for real-world casting challenges.”

Building a Complete Ecosystem: How Prodways, Tethon 3D and LBBC Are Enhancing the Investment Casting Workflow.