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13 : Molding and Casting<


Learning Outcomes<

What did I learn this week ?

  • Safety :
    • Read a silicon Smooth-On safety sheet
  • Molding :
    • Use a vacuum forming machine
  • Casting :
    • Cast silicon


Assignments<

This thirteenth week's asignments are :

  • Group :
    • Review the safety data sheets for each of your molding and casting materials, then make and compare test casts with each of them
    • Compare mold making processes
  • Individual :
    • Design a mold around the process you'll be using, produce it with a smooth surface finish that does not show the production process toolpath, and use it to cast parts.

Group Assignment<

We agreed on documenting mainly the group assignment on Michel's page. However I will shortly explain what we did.

Our model is simple in order to easily observe casting materials properties :

Heating vacuum forming machine :

Machine instructions :

Safety Data Sheets

Cast :

Ecoflex hard to remove :

Results

Individual Assignment<

Let's create more tools for Patrick !

Let's try transparent plastic sheets this time :

Another silicon based rubbber (more solid for the tools) :

Its safety sheet :

Oops, forgot to add releasing agent ...

Let's try again with allen wrenches :

Installed them carefully in the molding machine :

Beautifull mold !

Release Agent Picture

Casting after 30 minutes (for the releasing agent to be dry) :

Still quite hard to remove... Maybe not enough releasing agent...

Two out of three worked, I hope Patrick will be happy ! Even if it looks more like candies than wrenches...