WEEK 14 – Molding and Casting

This week focused on the complete process of molding and casting. The assignment included both a group and an individual component. The group work focused on reviewing the safety data sheets of the casting materials, comparing test casts, and comparing mold making processes. The individual work focused on designing and producing a mold around the selected process and using it to cast different materials.

For my individual assignment, I created a mold based on a 3D scan of a person. The scanning process was performed using a Creality 3D scanner. The scan generated an OBJ file, which was later edited and sculpted in Blender Studio. In Blender, I corrected imperfections, cleaned the geometry, and designed the mold around the scanned model.

The mold was designed as a block that covers the scanned model and generates a hollow negative cavity. This cavity was used to cast three different materials separately: paraffin, plaster, and chocolate. The quality of the final casts was compared according to surface finish, detail reproduction, ease of casting, demolding, and material behavior.

The Creality 3D scanner was used to capture the geometry of a person. A 3D scanner works by collecting spatial information from the surface of an object or person and converting that information into a digital mesh. The final output was an OBJ file, which contains the 3D geometry of the scanned person.

The scanning process required slow and continuous movement around the subject to capture as much geometry as possible. Areas with shadows, hair, small details, or reflective surfaces can generate imperfections, so the final mesh required digital correction.

After obtaining the OBJ file, I imported the model into Blender Studio. The scan contained imperfections such as holes, rough areas, uneven surfaces, and unwanted geometry. These imperfections were corrected using sculpting and mesh editing tools.

Blender was also used to prepare the mold. A cube was created around the model, and the scanned shape was subtracted from the cube to create a negative cavity. This cavity represents the space where the casting material is poured.

The scanned and corrected model was also printed using an Anycubic Photon M3 Plus. This is a resin 3D printer that uses light to cure liquid photopolymer resin layer by layer. Resin printing was selected for the scanned figure because it provides high detail and a smooth surface finish compared to standard FDM printing.

The mold was printed using the FLSUN V400, an FDM 3D printer. FDM printing creates objects by depositing melted filament layer by layer. For the mold, I used TPU, a flexible filament that can bend and deform without breaking.

TPU was selected because flexibility helps during demolding. A rigid mold can trap the cast object, especially when the shape has undercuts or curved details. A flexible mold allows the material to be released more easily.

Before casting, the group reviewed the safety information for each material used in the process. This helped identify risks related to heating, dust, skin contact, food safety, ventilation, and personal protection.

The final casts were evaluated according to their surface quality, detail reproduction, material behavior, and demolding result. Since the original model came from a 3D scan, the quality of the digital cleanup directly affected the final casting quality.

The following files are available for download. They include the scanned model, corrected files, mold design, and printing files.

This assignment showed how digital fabrication can connect scanning, modeling, mold making, and casting into one workflow. Starting from a human scan made the process more complex because organic shapes require cleaning, sculpting, and careful mold design.

Printing the mold in TPU was useful because the flexibility helped with demolding. However, the FDM process can leave visible layer lines, so the orientation and print quality are very important for achieving a smooth surface finish.

Comparing paraffin, plaster, and chocolate helped me understand that each material behaves differently. Some materials capture detail better, others demold more easily, and others require more careful temperature or mixing control.

In conclusion, this assignment successfully integrated 3D scanning, digital sculpting, mold design, 3D printing, safety review, and casting. The scanned person was converted into a digital OBJ file, corrected in Blender, and used to generate a mold cavity.

The TPU mold was printed with the FLSUN V400 and used to cast three different materials: paraffin, plaster, and chocolate. The results were compared according to surface quality, detail reproduction, and ease of demolding. This process helped me understand the relationship between mold design, material behavior, and casting quality.