Molding and casting

This week, I learned how to make molds and created some fun earrings.

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1.1 Assignments of the Week

• Group assignment:

1.Review the safety data sheets for each of your molding and casting materials

2.Make and compare test casts with each of them

3.Compare printing vs milling molds

• Individual assignment:

1.Design a mold around the process you'll be using, produce it with a smooth surface finish, and use it to cast parts

1.2 Group Work

link

1.3 Individual Work

1.3.1 Design

This is the final model.



1.3.2 printing

In Week 05, I learned and used an FDM printer and noticed that the printed objects, while sturdy, had noticeable layer lines and the quality wasn't as good. So I chose to use LCD for manufacturing. Here is a comparison of the printing results between FDM and LCD.



The process of LCD involves the following steps:

1. Select branch, configure printing settings, total time required is 5h18min35s.



2. "Start curing! Use ultraviolet laser or UV LED light source to irradiate liquid photosensitive resin, curing layer by layer to create the object."



3. After printing is complete, tilt and drain the resin for half an hour.



4. Add industrial ethanol (above 98 degrees) and place it in an ultrasonic cleaner for 5 minutes.
5. Air dry in a ventilated area.
6. Remove supports and polish the surface.
7. Place in a secondary curing machine for 35 seconds.

1.3.3 Molding and Casting

1. I mixed components A and B of the silicone in a 1:1 ratio, removing 3g of the cup's weight, resulting in a total weight of 66g for the combined AB mixture. Then, I stirred slowly to prevent bubbles from forming.



2. Allow to stand for 8 hours , wait...



3. After pouring the silicone mold, I'm use plaster powder to make the earrings. Here are the materials I'm getting ready:



4. The ratio of plaster powder to water is 10:3. I slowly mix the appropriate amount of material and then pour it into the silicone mold.



5. Let it stand for one hour.



6. To color it.



7. Attaching earring components, including clips (for friends without pierced ears), connectors, etc. I previously designed some earrings using acrylic cut with a laser cutter in the lab, and they include a pair of yellow accessories that work well.

So pretty! They sway beautifully in the wind! Thanks to my model.