15. Molding&Casting

1.1 Assignment requirements:

  • individual

design a mold around the stock and tooling that you’ll be using, mill it (rough cut + (at least) three-axis finish cut), and use it to cast parts

  • Group

review the safety data sheets for each of your molding and casting materials, then make and compare test casts with each of them

1.2 Preparation

1.3 My workflow of the week

Design 3D files -> Build the mold using wax and silicon rubber -> use resin to cast

2. How i did it

2.0 Heroshot of the week

  • Successful One: I made a temple this week!

HeroShot

HeroShot

  • Failure prototype:

HeroShot

2.0-00 Bill of Materials

Name Qty note
AB&PU resin 1 mixing rate 1:1
silicon rubber & Curing Agent 1 Rate mixing it is 100:2
Wax 1

2.0-0 Safety Datasheet

For the materials i used 1 AB resin and PU resin:

  • Need to use gloves to take them out as it is harmful to health.

  • When stirring them together, need to be careful as it generates a lot of heat.

2.1 Fusion360 design my mold

First i decided to cast an temple as following.

1

Make a postive mold - 66.42mmX45.9mmX14.4mm

2

2.2 Failed experience Making the mold

2.21 Making Wax

  • I started going to use wax to do the mold. Finally it turned out to be fail because of the wrong type of wax i was using

蜡颗粒

  • Put the wax pieces into a china cup and then put the cup into a pot with water in it. Heat with 90 degree temperature until it melts to liquid form.

蜡块融化成液体

  • Use silicon mold to make a shape of box with dimension ‘12cmX8cmX2cm’ and pour the melted wax into it.

蜡块导入硅胶模具

x2

  • Put it into a fridge and wait it to be solidified.

蜡块成型

2.22 Making wax mold

  • Set up the CNC(ArtCAM is used as the CAM tool)

CAM设置

  • Set the size of the canvas(75*52)

CAM设置

  • Import the 3D file

CAM设置

CAM设置

CAM设置

  • Set the toolpath(Default)

CAM设置

  • Choose the tool(20 degree 0.1mm mill)

CAM设置

CAM设置

CAM设置

  • Simulate the milling

CAM设置

CAM设置

CAM设置

  • Save the toolpath

CAM设置

CAM设置

  • Start milling and wax mold is done

Milling

2.23 Making rubber mold

  • Silicon rubber and its curing agent mixing rate: 100:2 (pair of gloves to be wore is important)

Silicon_Rubber_Box

Silicon_Rubber_Melt

  • Pour into the wax mold

Rubber_into_Wax

  • HeroShot of my mold!

HeroShot_Mold

2.3 Failed experience of Casting

  • Mix the 2 resins together 1:1 and then melt them.

Resion_box

1:1

Mix

  • Pour the liquid into the mold

resin_to_mold

  • Wait for 60 mins and done!!

resin_to_mold

resin_to_mold

resin_to_mold

2.4 Successfully molding and Casting

  • I bought a new wax, with harder material compare to the previous one. It came as a brick.

resin_to_mold

  • Same as progress 2.22(Making wax mold) and Done the wax mold

resin_to_mold

resin_to_mold

  • Same as process 2.23(Rubber Mold), Silicon rubber melt and put it into the wax mold (pair of gloves to be wore is important). Then done the mold in silicon rubber.

resin_to_mold

resin_to_mold

  • Same as 2.3(Casting).Poured in the resin

resin_to_mold

  • Take it out and cut

resin_to_mold

3. Problems Occurred & Solutions

3.1 The first time fail to mold and cast

It turned out to be the wrong material of the wax i used for molding. That was figured during the regional review section and i bought another kind of Wax and had a Successfully one later.(Also documented above)

5. My design files