A few years after the Great Recession of 2008, Mark Lamoncha, president of a modest Ohio business making patterns, molds and cores for a shrinking foundry industry, made a risky decision that he hoped would re-energize the business founded in 1959 by his father and help it thrive under its third generation led by his son, Brandon.

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On paper, the math didn’t make perfect financial sense, but the industry was changing and presenting new challenges. The number of U.S. foundries was dropping, from about 5,000 during the heyday enjoyed by his father, Russell, to about 900.

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So, Lamoncha decided to take a risk, and in 2016, he partnered with Youngstown State University and America Makes to install a sand 3D printer — an S-Max from The ExOne Company — in his facility. The new machine directly printed sand molds and cores from digital design files, which his foundry customers […]

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