Shot cascade device for cleaning 3D printed components

Abstract

A shot cascade apparatus for cleaning 3D sand binder printed products of surface debris such as residual silica from the printing of the product includes a series of vertically aligned structures including a shot supply hopper with an adjustable shot gate at the bottom that gravity discharges metal shot into downwardly aligned funnels nested within a container at the machine base, thereby allowing surface cleansing of the printed product. The supply hopper has an adjustable shot gate to control the amount of shot discharged, and the bottom of the funnel includes a sand separator nozzle that separates the steel shot from the residual sand and sucks the sand back into the nozzle and conveys it by suction to a location for collection. Below the container is a shot recycle pump that returns the steel shot to the supply hopper for immediate reuse.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] [CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 372,998, filed April 19, 2022, and U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 803,642, filed September 15, 2022, which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The disclosed invention relates to cleaning 3D printed products, such as 3D sand binder printed products. More specifically, the disclosed invention is directed to an apparatus for cleaning impurities or debris, such as excess sand, from the surface of a 3D sand binder printed product that remains on the surface of the product by applying a shot stream across the surface of the product after the printing process. [Background technology]

[0003] The concept of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus that utilizes a gentle form of deposited shot or pellets of metal, ceramic, or other equivalent type of material in a stream that covers the entire surface of a product prepared by a 3D sand binder printing process.

[0004] The 3D sand-binder printing process is a known form of additive manufacturing that involves blending sand, such as silica sand, with a binder, such as a dry acid binder, in a mixture. A liquid binder is deposited onto a layer of sand to form a mixture that can be built up layer by layer onto a flat surface and dried to produce a three-dimensional sand product, such as a mould core.

[0005] The apparatus is used to clean materials such as excess sand and / or debris from the outer surface of a 3D printed product, thereby preparing the product or mold core for use in a forming process, such as a metal forming process.

[0006] 3D sand-binder printing additive manufacturing has been around since the early 1970s. Essentially, 3D sand-binder printing additive manufacturing is the duplication of a computer-generated digital image with sand, binder, and a 3D printer, adjusting the sand and binder model or product that a user wants to see in terms of effectiveness, operational capabilities, and aesthetics before any final commercial product is developed or manufactured. Such printing is an example of the application of what is commonly called sand, but may include various chemicals in the form of dry acid binders, pastes, and liquids to build the three-dimensional aspects of the product or component formed by such a 3D sand printing procedure, and may be reinforced with filler materials such as solder paste, silica, silicates, and other types of materials or chemical components that can be added to the viscosity of the printing material.

[0007] When silica is an additive to the 3D printed binder liquid, when the final component is formed, there is a soft, granular surface on the formed product that needs to be removed to achieve the final version of the desired product. In the past, it has been common practice to use brushes or other soft-textured cleaners that can be used to manually wipe the surface of the formed printed product, such as the mold core, but if care is not taken when performing this procedure, if too much pressure is applied during the cleaning process, some of the actual desired surface of the mold core may be removed.

[0008] The concept of the present invention is therefore to provide a precisely functioning apparatus that applies the correct amount of steel, other metal, or ceramic beads to the formed product or mold core within the deposition area to complete the finish thereof, by what is identified as a shot cascade procedure, in order to effectively remove the residual sand from the mold core. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The present invention relates generally to surface cleaning of formed or cast products, which typically serve as models of potential commercial products, and more specifically to cleansing the surface of printed formed products, typically deposited by 3D sand-binder printing methods, to form such models of desired products.

[0010] In the formation of a 3D printed product, the viscosity of the liquid deposited components that accumulate into a three-dimensional model is essential. Usually, some form of filler material that increases the viscosity of the deposited liquid will include a thickening component that allows the accumulation of the forming product by sand binder printing. One such component is the use of silica or fine sand, such as silicone, that is used to form the desired design, as previously described, and is generally deposited under computer control, the computer regulating the deposition of the liquid material under the digital control of such computer in printing the formed product. When such a product is formed, the silica aspect of the product generally leaves a sandy or rough type surface on the formed product that needs to be removed, and therefore the actual product as printed can be achieved by using such a printing process to provide the final product that the applicant desires. This particular sandy surface needs to be removed and can be accomplished in a variety of ways such as brushing, wiping, etc., but the preferred embodiment provided herein is the use of an apparatus that functions as a shot cascade device, whereby pelletized metal or ceramic, or related materials are deposited in the form of a stream onto the surface of the forming composition at just the right pressure, volume, and amount to remove the rough surface and ultimately result in the desired product.

[0011] The apparatus of the present invention includes a machine base supporting a contoured collection container for the shot material to be deposited on the product, and an internally located funnel-shaped member which fits within the machine base, and above these assembled components is a shot supply hopper where the shot is deposited and then discharged by gravity onto the product to be cleaned during operation.

[0012] The shot supply hopper, in operation, includes a shot gate that, when opened, allows a series of streams of steel shot media to fall downwards by gravity onto the formed printed product (held either by hand or other holding device in the path of the falling shot) to achieve surface cleaning if desired. The uncleaned 3D printed sand product is held within the shot stream and rolls or moves in all angular directions to ultimately place all surfaces of the product within the falling shot stream. The falling cleanser shot media pumps loose sand within the 3D printed support material away from the surface of the product, thereby performing a rapid powder removal process without any labor or human intervention brushing, vacuuming, or air blasting when cleaning the product surface. In this embodiment, the shot media primarily used is S230 steel shot. That particular shot has an average diameter of about 0.025 inches per particle and has been found to be most effective at cleansing most of the formed sand binder printed product. The size of the shot can be varied depending on the size of the sand particles to be removed from the surface of the product. The bottom of the shot supply hopper contains a pneumatic cylinder that actuates the hopper's shot gate, which drips shot media downward onto the placed product using eleven 1 / 2 inch diameter holes at a rate of approximately 18.5 lbs / min (1.5-2 lbs / min per hole) to accomplish cleansing. The size of the holes can be varied depending on the size of the shot. Although larger size shots can be used to clean larger sized products, this system is most beneficial for smaller, precise 3D printed products that are formed by a sand-binder printing process and need to be cleaned to the desired dimensions. The delivery rate, size of the shot, and time to hold the printed product under the shot gate vary depending on the size of the product, but typically a time period of 30 seconds to 4 minutes has been found to be most effective for small printed products by this method.Also, the variable tolerances of these parameters for the device and its operation may be plus or minus 5%.

[0013] The machine base for the apparatus also includes a container-like member, the interior of which is a funnel configuration, which somewhat complements the machine base and its insertion into the container, and from which the fed shot falls after cleansing, as described below, into the funnel and from the bottom of the funnel into the container in the machine base, where it is cleansed and separated from the removed sand components.

[0014] When the funnel is installed, the bottom exit point is a sand separator nozzle, which is connected to a vacuum source using a suction tube, and as the mixture of shot and removed sand components exits the bottom of the funnel, the sand separator nozzle allows the steel shot to bypass the separator while the lighter sand components are sucked into the nozzle via its suction tube, delivering the separated sand to another collection point where it can be cleaned and reused for further sand binder printing of other components. At the same time, the separated and collected shot dripping downward inside the container at the machine base is collected by the recycle pump and pumped through a shot recycle conduit and backed up to the shot supply hopper for further continuous use in further cleansing of the formed product during the application of this device.

[0015] The bottom of the shot supply hopper as defined above includes a pneumatic cylinder that actuates a shot gate as needed, which opens the shot gate and allows a continuous stream of steel shot media that falls through the gate to be used in the cleansing process. Uncleaned 3D printing product is held in the shot stream, below the hopper and below the gate, and moves or rolls around to place all surfaces within the shot stream as previously described.

[0016] During cleansing, the sand and shot mixture drips from the print product to the bottom of the funnel, where it flows from above across the top of the sand separator nozzle. The heavier steel shot media flows from above down through the nozzle to the machine base and into a shot recycle pump maintained below the machine base for reuse. The lighter sand removed from the surface of the cleansed product is drawn into the suction passage of the sand separator nozzle, collected in the created vacuum, and vacuumed out of the machine to a separate collection area. The sand component can be cleansed and reused for further sand binder printing.

[0017] The cleaned metal or ceramic shot that accumulates at the bottom of the machine base of the machine is removed by a shot recycle pump that is periodically controlled for a preset time period and then pumps the shot material back to a shot supply hopper at the top of the machine for a preset time period for repeated use.

[0018] Thus, the operator need only initiate operation of the machine, which allows the operation of the shot gate to control the discharge of shot material from the supply hopper, which deposits by gravity onto the retained product to be cleaned, and then the machine completes the cycle by allowing the steel shot to fall downward into the machined base for pumping back to the hopper for reuse, while the sand separated from the product is vacuumed by a suction tube into a nozzle at the bottom of the funnel for nearby collection.

[0019] It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide automation of the cleansing of 3D printed formed products through the use of a shot delivery means, without further manual involvement other than keeping the product in the stream of shots during use.

[0020] Another object of the present invention is to provide a shot delivery device that uses shot within a specific size and weight range, regulated with respect to time and shot flow, and deposits the sand binder 3D printing product for cleansing by application of gravity and without further manual intervention.

[0021] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide and simplify a method for cleansing a sand-binder 3D printed product or model.

[0022] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for rapidly cleansing a printed product under controlled conditions that allows the desired printed product to reach its determined dimensions for further testing and use.

[0023] These and other objects may become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the summary of the invention provided herein and understanding of the detailed description in light of the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front isometric view of the shot cascade apparatus of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a rear isometric view of the shot cascade apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an exploded view of a structure forming the shot delivery device of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a shot supply hopper having a pneumatically operable gate at the bottom for controlled delivery of the shot stream downward by gravity. [Figure 5A] 1 is an isometric view of a sand separator nozzle applied to the funnel structure of the apparatus, showing the flow path of deposited shot and sand removed from the surface of the apparatus. [Figure 5B] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sand separator nozzle showing removal of accumulated light sand from the apparatus by vacuum pulling. [Figure 6]Shown is separated shot depositing in the machine base and a pump to recycle the shot back into the supply hopper for reuse. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] As summarized above, the concept of the present invention is to provide a shot cascade device for use in cleaning 3D sand binder printed products, such as mold cores. As mentioned above, the present invention is designed to provide just the right amount of shot, whether it is metal type shot, ceramic type shot, or other equivalent type of small amount of pelletized material, in the form of a falling stream at the right flow rate, by applying a range of pressures to the printed mold core to remove any surface particulate material such as silica from the mold core, so that the finished mold core can be easily observed, handled, and processed to determine the physical structure and aesthetics of the mold core. The cleaned mold core can then be used for its intended purpose to cast or mold commercial uses, applications, or other end products for sale.

[0026] The structural components of the described shot cascade apparatus are constructed of materials such as metals, composites, or other equivalent types of materials that have sufficient structural strength to function in the intended manner described.

[0027] A front perspective view of the shot cascade apparatus 1 of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 1. As shown, the apparatus 1 is comprised of a series of generally vertically aligned structures comprising a machine base or framework 2. The base or framework 2 includes a supported container 3, which is designed to rest on the ground during use and application. Sufficient clearance is provided between the bottom of the container 3 and a shot recycle device in the form of a shot recycle pump 4, which during use serves to return spent, spent shot to a shot supply hopper 5 for reuse and for further cleansing of the printed product or mould cores. Within the container 3 is a funnel-like arrangement 6, which is added to be partially nested within the container as previously described, with some space left between the bottom of the funnel 6 and the bottom of the container 3 for placement of other operating components of the apparatus, as described below. As previously described, the funnel 6 has a series of handles (indicated at 7) for lifting and removing it from the container 3 as required for maintenance or cleaning of the apparatus, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0028] It can be seen that there is additional structural support (designated 8) and lateral supports 9 to hold the hopper 5 in a position vertically above the apparatus's combined funnel 6 and vessel 3. The hopper 5 has an open top and an interior volume configured to store a shot supply.

[0029] At the bottom of the hopper 5, as also shown in Figure 4, is a gate mechanism 10. The gate mechanism 10 is in operative communication with the hopper 5 and the shot supply stored therein. The gate mechanism 10 may be pneumatically, manually, or electrically operable to shift by means of an operating lever arrangement 11 to fully or partially open or close the shot supply hopper 5 to regulate the rate at which the shot stream is discharged or discharged from the hopper 5 as may be required during operation of the apparatus. The gate mechanism 10 may be operable in other equivalent manners to selectively regulate the shot stream being discharged or discharged from the hopper 5.

[0030] As mentioned above, the hopper is designed to function as a shot gate that, when opened, allows a continuous stream of steel or other material shot media to fall downward by gravity and impact the placed 3D printed product or mold core for surface cleansing.

[0031] 2, there is a substantial gap or open area 12 between the bottom of the hopper 5 and the upper edge of the funnel 6, generally designated 12. At the location of this open area 12, an operator may hold the printed product or mold cores by hand or with a tool in the path of the steel shot media being discharged or ejected from the hopper 5 or falling by gravity from the hopper 5 to effect abrasive cleansing of any residual surface deposits of silica or sand aspects of the printing material forming the printed product or mold cores. It is hoped that the shot stream only removes its surface inclusions of sand, if desired, and does not in any way penetrate into the actual formed product itself, which is preserved entirely for further use in the development of a particular commercial product. For example, the 3D printing product is, for example, a housing body of a gasoline discharge nozzle, which is eventually molded in aluminum or other metal, and the pre-developed product is 3D sand binder printed by the above-mentioned methods known in the art, so that examples and ideas of the product configuration of the desired nozzle can be easily conceived when forming a commercial gasoline discharge nozzle housing before the model components can be used for forming a mold for casting the commercial product. The operator can hold the product in its space 12 for cleansing or use other types of gripping tools to support the product in the stream of shot media that falls during the cleansing process. The operator can easily observe when the product is completely cleaned on the surface during use and operation and when the product is held in its space 12 while performing the surface cleansing process, since the open area 12 of the device is open.

[0032] The bottom of the shot gate 10 can have a series of openings along its bottom surface 13 and a series of openings in the sliding portion 11 of the lever cylinder of the gate mechanism can be shifted to fully or partially align with the openings in the bottom surface 13 of the gate to control the amount of shot that, during function, is discharged from the opening in the bottom of the hopper 5, through the openings in the sliding portion 11 of the lever cylinder, and through the openings in the bottom surface of the gate mechanism 10.

[0033] 3, the sand separator apparatus includes a sand separator nozzle 14 operatively associated with the bottom of the funnel 6. The sand separator nozzle 14 is connected to a suction tube 15 through which a vacuum source is applied, and functions as follows.

[0034] As can be seen in Figure 5A, nozzle 14, which is secured by a fixture and positioned through an opening in the side of funnel 6 shown in Figures 1 and 3, has an extension 16 that is located below the bottom opening of funnel 6. The combined mixture of sand removed from the surface of the product being processed and metal shot dripping from the bottom of the funnel flows from above across the upper front face of the separator nozzle as generally shown by shot flow path B, represented by a series of circles in Figure 5A, exposing the sand and shot mixture to the lower open end 17 of the nozzle during operation. A suction tube 15 is connected to an integral fitting 18 at the upper end of nozzle 14 as shown, and when the nozzle is operational, the heavier steel shot portion of the abrasive cleaner, being denser than the combined sand and shot mixture, falls downwardly over the open end 17 of the nozzle as shown by path B. At the same time, as shown in the schematic diagram of path A in Figure 5B, suction from tube 15 draws the lighter sand into the open end 17 of the nozzle, where it returns to a collection area for reuse in the component formation process. Thus, as can be easily seen, the heavier steel shot falls out the end of the open end 17 of the nozzle, while the lighter sand is drawn back into the open end 17 of the nozzle, transported and collected, and reused. Typically, this type of granular material is relatively expensive, and cleaning and reuse is recommended from an expense standpoint.

[0035] Meanwhile, as the steel shot falls from the bottom of the funnel 6 into the vessel 3, it falls by gravity to the bottom end of the vessel 3 and into the shot recycle pump 4 where it is likewise collected and transported through a shot recycle conduit 19 to the top of the shot supply hopper 5, into which it is discharged and reapplied to the continuous cleansing process of the components being cleaned.

[0036] Explaining the apparatus 1 in more detail with reference to Figures 1-6, the framework 2 of the apparatus is essentially comprised of four vertical pillars 22 arranged relative to one another in a three-dimensional rectangular configuration. Each pillar 22 is fixed to a support vessel 3 and a hopper 5, and mounts the support vessel 3 and the hopper 5 in their vertically spaced relative positions shown in Figures 1 and 2. This also mounts the gate mechanism 10 and the funnel 6 in their vertically spaced relative positions shown in Figures 1 and 2. Thus, the vertical pillars 22 support the shot supply hopper 5 in the elevated position shown in Figures 1 and 2, with the gate mechanism 10 fixed to the bottom of the hopper 5. The gate mechanism 10 is held by the vertical pillars 22 directly above the open area 12. The vertical pillars 22 support the vessel 3 and the funnel 6 directly below the open area 12. The shot recycle apparatus or shot recycle pump 4 is supported by the vertical pillars 22 by fixing the pump 4 to the bottom of the vessel 3.

[0037] The support vessel 3 has an upper portion 23 of a rectangular configuration. The rectangular configuration is defined by four rectangular side walls 24 of the upper portion 23. The support vessel 3 also has a lower portion 25 defined by four side walls 26 of a trapezoidal configuration. The trapezoidal configuration of the four side walls 26 of the lower portion 25 of the vessel 3 converge towards each other at a bottom opening of the four trapezoidal side walls 26. The shot recycle pump 4 is in communication with the bottom opening defined by the bottom of the four trapezoidal side walls 26.

[0038] The four side walls 24 of the upper portion 23 of the vessel 3 extend around and engage beneath four panels 27 which constitute the funnel 6. The side walls 24 support the funnel 6 and suspend it inside the vessel 3 with an interior volume separating the exterior of the funnel 6 from the interior of the vessel 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the four panels 27 of the funnel 6 are each trapezoidal. The four panels 27 are secured together with the trapezoidal arrangement of the panels 27 converging downwardly towards each other as they extend downwardly from the side walls 24 of the vessel 3. The four funnel panels 27 extend downwardly and converge towards each other to a bottom opening of the funnel 6 which is located just above the sand separator nozzle 14 previously described. The side walls 24 of the upper portion 23 of the vessel support and suspend the funnel 6 above the four side walls 26 of the lower portion 25 of the vessel, defining a space or interior volume between the funnel panel 27 and the side walls 26 of the lower portion 25 of the vessel. The sand separator nozzle 14 is disposed and housed within the space or interior volume. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, an opening 28 in one of the side walls 24 of the upper portion 23 of the vessel provides access to the sand separator nozzle 14 within the space. The suction tube 15 and fitting 18 of the sand separator 14 pass through the opening 28.

[0039] As shown in Figures 1-4, the three-dimensional configuration of the hopper 5 is defined by four hopper sidewalls 29 having a trapezoidal configuration. The four hopper sidewalls 29 are secured together such that the trapezoidal shapes converge toward one another as they extend downward to the bottom opening of the hopper 5. The gate mechanism 10 is secured to the bottom of the hopper sidewalls 29 above the bottom opening.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 4, the gate mechanism 10 has a number of openings 32 that pass through the gate mechanism and exit from the bottom surface 13 of the gate mechanism. As previously mentioned, the holes or openings 32 have a diameter of 1 / 2 inch to allow steel shot, for example, S230 steel shot, to pass easily through the openings 32. The slide portion 11 of the lever of the gate mechanism 10 also has holes of the same size that pass through the slide portion 11. During operation of the gate mechanism 10, the holes through the slide portion 11 can be moved relative to the holes or openings 32 through the bottom surface 13 of the gate mechanism to allow the shot stream 34 to easily flow from the hopper 15 through the gate mechanism 10, or to completely stop the shot stream from the hopper 15 through the gate mechanism 10, or to adjust the rate at which the shot stream 34 passes from the hopper 5 through the gate mechanism 10. In this manner, the gate mechanism 10 can be adjustably operated to adjust the rate at which the shot stream 34 flows from the hopper 5 and exits the gate mechanism 10 as the shot stream 34. Although the shot stream 34 has been described as being discharged from the gating mechanism 10 by gravity, it is pointed out that the gating mechanism 10 may be modified to discharge the shot stream from the gating mechanism 10 other than or in addition to gravity. For example, a source of air pressure may be in communication with the gating mechanism 10 to discharge the shot stream from the gating mechanism by air pressure. Such modifications may direct the shot stream in a direction having a horizontal component, rather than having to be directed downward.

[0041] The above provides examples and analysis of the structural components that make up the assembly of a shot cascade machine and how they can be used continuously to clean components formed by a sand binder 3D printer.

[0042] Variations or modifications of the subject matter of the present invention may occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the development as described herein. Such variations, within the spirit of the present invention, are intended to be included within the scope of protection of any patent claims that may become effective based on this development. The summary of the invention described herein and the description of the preferred embodiment as shown in the drawings are generally given for the purpose of illustration only. Such variations, within the concept of the present invention, are intended to be included within the scope of protection of any patent claims that may become effective based on this invention.

Claims

1. A shot cascade apparatus for use in surface cleaning of components, A base for holding a shot collection container below the aforementioned component, wherein the container collects shots and impurities that fall after the surface impurities of the aforementioned component have been cleaned, A funnel nested within the container held by the base, for collecting the shots and surface impurities flowing down from above into the funnel after the shots have struck the component being cleaned, wherein there is a gap between the bottom of the funnel and the lower interior of the container, and a separator nozzle positioned in the space between the bottom of the funnel and the lower interior of the container is configured to separate the shots from the surface impurities removed from the surface of the component being cleaned by the falling shots, A shot supply hopper provided above the funnel, wherein there is an open space between the bottom of the shot supply hopper and the upper edge of the funnel, and the open space is configured to allow the components to be cleaned to be placed in the open space between the bottom of the shot supply hopper and the upper edge of the funnel from outside the apparatus, and to hold the components in the open space with the shots falling from the shot supply hopper, thereby achieving surface cleaning of the components by the falling shots colliding with the components in the open space, and furthermore, the open space is configured to allow observation of the components held in the open space during cleaning by the falling shots, A gate mechanism located at the bottom of the shot supply hopper, wherein the gate mechanism is capable of adjusting the release of the shot stream from the shot supply hopper and allowing the shot to drip downward by gravity from the shot supply hopper and the gate mechanism, Equipped with, The combination of the shot supply hopper, the funnel, and the shot container is configured such that the shot supply hopper and the gate mechanism are spaced perpendicularly to each other, above the funnel and below the shot supply hopper, separated by the open space, in order to position the components to be cleaned below the shot supply hopper, the funnel is able to collect a mixture of the shot and the impurities cleaned from the components, and as the shot and impurities fall into the container, the separator nozzle is configured to separate the surface impurities from the shot, and the shot falls into the container for further collection. Shot cascade device.

2. The shot cascade apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shot supply hopper includes a shot gate in the gate mechanism to adjust the amount of shot released from the shot supply hopper as it falls onto the arranged components in order to achieve surface cleaning.

3. The shot cascade apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the separator nozzle operates under vacuum to vacuum-suction the removed surface impurities, such as silica, while allowing heavier shots to fall into the container during their collection.

4. The shot cascade apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a shot recycling pump located below the container, the pump being operated to pump the shot collected through a recycling conduit so as to be stored in the shot supply hopper for reuse in surface cleaning of further components.

5. The shot cascade apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the provided shot is steel shot, and the dominant surface impurities removed from the components include silica.

6. A device for cleaning the product, A hopper having an internal volume configured to store a shot supply, A gate mechanism that is operably in communication with a shot supply stored in the hopper, and is configured to release shot in a stream from the hopper, A funnel positioned below the gate mechanism, Between the bottom of the hopper and the upper edge of the funnel, there is an open space adjacent to the gate mechanism, the open space is positioned relative to the gate mechanism, and the components to be cleaned by the falling shots are placed in the open space, and the components are held in the stream of the falling shots within the open space, so that the components are surface-cleaned by the falling shots colliding with them within the open space, and furthermore, the open space is configured so that the components being cleaned by the falling shots can be observed from outside the apparatus, A separator nozzle positioned below the open space, which is operable to separate shots that have passed over the product from material removed from the product, A device equipped with the following features.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising the gate mechanism configured to discharge shots from the hopper in a stream pattern solely by gravity.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising the gate mechanism configured to adjust the speed at which shots are discharged in a stream from the hopper.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a framework operably connected to the hopper and the gate mechanism, the framework supporting the hopper and the gate mechanism above the open space.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a funnel positioned below the open space to receive the shot stream that passes through the open space and enters the funnel.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a shot recycling device positioned below the funnel, configured to receive shots from the funnel and recycle the received shots to the hopper.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising the separator nozzle being operably associated with the funnel and configured to receive a mixture of the shots from the shot stream and the material removed from the product from the funnel, and to separate the material from the shots.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising the material being sand.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a framework operably connected to the hopper, the gate mechanism, and the funnel, the framework supporting the hopper and the gate mechanism directly above the funnel, with the open space above the funnel and below the hopper and the gate mechanism.

15. An apparatus for cleaning sand from the surface of a product formed by 3D sand binder printing, A hopper having an internal volume configured to store a shot supply, A gate mechanism located below the hopper, which is operably in communication with the shot supply stored in the hopper and configured to control the stream of shot stored in the hopper to be discharged from the hopper and the gate mechanism, An open space located below the gate mechanism and the hopper, wherein the open space is configured to hold the product to be cleaned by the falling shots within the open space, to hold the product within the shot stream discharged from the hopper and the gate mechanism, to surface clean the product and remove sand from the surface of the product by the impact of falling shots on the surface of the product within the open space, and further, the open space is configured to allow observation of the product held within the open space during cleaning by the shot stream, A separator nozzle positioned below the open space, which is operable to separate shots that have passed over the product from sand removed from the product, A device equipped with the following features.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a funnel positioned below the open space, the funnel being configured to receive the shot stream discharged by the gate mechanism, passing through the open space and into the funnel, and to receive sand cleaned from the surface of the product into the funnel.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a shot recycling device positioned below the funnel, configured to receive shots from the funnel and recycle the received shots to the hopper.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising the separator nozzle positioned below the funnel, configured to receive shots discharged from the hopper and colliding with the surface of the product in the open space, to receive sand cleaned from the surface of the product, and to separate the sand from the shots.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising the separator nozzle being operably connected to a vacuum pressure source, wherein the vacuum pressure source is configured to separate the sand from the shot.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a framework operably connected to the hopper, the gate mechanism, and the funnel, the framework supporting the hopper and the gate mechanism directly above the funnel, with the open space above the funnel and below the gate mechanism.

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