12. Molding and casting
For this week of molding, I used a wax bar to create my design on the CNC router. Later, I measured how much water my design could hold to estimate how much 3030 silicone I would need for the mix. For product A, every 100 ml required 10 ml of product B, which is the catalyst. In my calculations, it turned out that my design could hold 180 ml of water, which, when measured by weight, was 0.1823 kg. After conversions, I determined that I needed a total of 0.0202 kg of product B. In the images, you'll see how the combined weight of both products was 0.2083 kg, slightly exceeding what I needed. However, this was fine as there was still some product left in the mixing container.
Here you will find the group assignment with a little more information about the Molding and Casting.
Here you can find the datasheet for silicon 3030.
Problems
Some of the issues I encountered included the fact that the tool I had used to configure my G code for the router was broken, so I had to use another one. However, this resulted in some parts of my wax not being able to be cut because the tool wouldn't pass through them. Therefore, I had to manually wear down the wax a bit. Another problem arose when the holes in the roughing on the CNC became too deep, causing the material to overflow when poured. My solution was to cover them with some of the remaining wax cuttings and place a plastic barrier to prevent the wax from dripping. Another problem I faced was not knowing what to do next, so I decided to make a mold of silicon 3030 with the remaining wax to create a cat shape. However, it didn't turn out well because some parts remained unmelted. The solution was to melt a larger quantity.