Casting process is as old as the Pyramids, but still plays a significant role in the modern day manufacturing, but undue product lead times and initial expenses are often the bottlenecks. Some or all of these issues could be addressed to varying degrees, with the advent of 3D printing and rapid tooling. In particular, the direct production of complex sand moulds through 3D printing became a viable and economic process route for the rapid manufacturing of small to medium scale components. However, the current materials options are limited, proprietary, and the science of material consolidation is largely unknown. The research presented in this thesis addressed this gap, experimentally evaluating and ascertaining the consolidation mechanisms with varying material combinations.