The Path to Industry 5.0 in Art Casting

From Automation to Collaboration: The Core Shift from Industry 4.0 to 5.0

Today, the global industry is undergoing another stage of evolution. Before our very eyes, a transition from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0 is taking place. This is not just a formal change in numbers in headlines; it represents new technologies, new means of production, and, most importantly, a new place for humanity within this complex ensemble.

Art casting is one of the most ancient crafts, with a history spanning over five thousand years. It remains in demand today thanks to two factors: first, humanity’s innate attraction to aesthetics, and second, the desire to bring beauty to utilitarian objects. Culture and intellect demand that our homes, streets, offices, and public spaces be filled with objects that are not only functional but also expressive. Over the centuries, castings have become more precise, elegant, cost-effective throughout their lifecycle, and more environmentally friendly, all while retaining their exclusivity.

Moreover, there is a theory that the cities of the future will be extraordinarily diverse from an artistic standpoint. There will be virtually no identical houses or objects: customization will reach its peak, allowing every individual to express their personality. And perhaps it is art casting that will play a key role in this, as metals and their alloys remain the primary materials for durable goods.

Today, we are witnessing a new turning point. Industry 4.0 brought digital technologies, 3D printing, simulations, and sensors to art casting. But Industry 5.0 shifts the focus: technology should assist humans, not replace them. Machines take on the heavy and routine work, while the most valuable aspects – personal touch, creative vision, and artistic authorship – remain with the human.

What Does This Mean for a Timeless Craft Like Art Casting?

If everything once started with clay and plasticine, today it begins with a digital file. Modern software allows for the creation of highly complex shapes. And when dealing with a finished piece from which a silicone mold cannot be made, contactless 3D scanning is sufficient to digitize it, preserving every detail.

Next, the digital file becomes matter. Not long ago, this path was lengthy: a plastic (or previously, clay) model, a silicone mold, wax patterns, and assembly. Today, this route is significantly shorter. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), a powder now successfully used for additive printing, burns out without a trace, leaving a perfectly clean surface. The technology has proven its effectiveness and ensures a high level of quality. Wax printing, which began with jewelry, is confidently scaling up to larger formats. Furthermore, direct wax printing with controlled material deposition allows for bypassing plastic prototypes and silicone molds – the digital model is transformed directly into a wax pattern, ready for the ceramic shell to be formed.

And where monumental forms and scale are important, additive manufacturing of sand molds using binder jetting technology is successfully applied. This technology makes it possible to print large elements and assemble sand molds from them directly, without the need for pattern equipment or complex tooling. After assembly and pouring, we get a casting ready for finishing operations.

Before pouring, the melt can be simulated on a computer. Casting process simulation software allows for a preview of how the metal will fill the mold, where shrinkage will occur, and where a crack might form. In the real process, quality is monitored by temperature sensors: thermocouples are placed in different zones of the mold to control drying and temperature. Today, this is monitoring; tomorrow, it will be controlled modes where the system adjusts parameters on its own.

After the shakeout, the heavy routine begins: removing runners and gates, deburring, and rough cleaning (fettling). This is where robots with computer vision and AI-based analytics come in. They take on the dirty work, while the artisan retains the chasing – the stage where metal is transformed into a work of art.

Key Principles of Industry 5.0 in Art Casting

And here we arrive at the very essence of Industry 5.0: the place of the human. Imagine an online platform that takes customization to a new level. It is the first step toward the form of individual expression that everyone strives for. Anyone, from any corner of the world, can assemble a product from templates: a house plaque, an elegant frame, a family medal, a personal locket, or a decorative element. Why not a family bench? Or an exclusive lamppost – one of a kind, for a beloved garden.

A few clicks, and the digital model is sent to a production cluster where all resources are concentrated to achieve the best result, considering both ecology and economy. Technologies, systems, and machines perfectly embody it in metal, control the quality, package it, and ship it to the customer anywhere in the world.

Thus, art casting becomes both mass-produced and personalized. It will be closer, more accessible, offering mass exclusivity. A paradox? Not anymore – we are getting used to miracles.

A New Renaissance of Craft and Technology

We live in dynamic times. As recently as the 1990s and early 2000s, most art foundries around the world were using 19th century technologies. When studying the technologies of even forty years ago, it’s easy to imagine that those masters could have managed without electricity. Yet today, every other workshop has a 3D printer and a 3D scanner, is proficient with 3D modeling tools, and many are already considering the use of robots. The speed of change is astonishing!

What’s next? What new principles will Industry 6.0 bring? The most interesting part is that this story isn’t over. On the contrary, it feels like it’s just beginning…