Pro Series Silicone Mold Tutorial | Electric Skateboard Controller
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 เม.ย. 2024
- **This is an advanced Mold Tutorial. Watch our Intro Mold Making Videos if you are new to mold making: • Great Video: How to ma... **
Watch how to turn high quality SLA 3D Prints into Patterns for building short to medium production silicone molds. We then cast high impact polyurethane parts to use in demanding applications.
www.BJBenterprises.com - Shop our selection of silicones or speak with our technical staff to help you pick the right one. We also have a huge selection of castable polyurethanes for making parts in the mold; from soft, flexible gels, tough rubber, on up to rigid plastics!
For more info on the Electric Skateboard Controller:
madmunkeymod@gmail.com
www.electric-skateboard.builde...
0:00 Introduction
0:38 BJB Silicone Mold Making & Urethane Casting Process
1:54 Sandpaper & Xacto Knife
2:06 Ideal Surface for Primer Adhesion
2:45 SEM High-Gloss Clearcoat
3:04 Trace Outline of the Pattern
3:08 Leave Room for Registration Keys
4:06 Metal Dowel Pins
4:23 Seal Gaps with Plastalina Modeling Clay
4:35 CA Glue Registration Bars
6:58 Remove Registration Bars, Styrene Blocks, & Clay
7:18 Add Acrylic Vent Dowels (using Insta-Cure CA Glue)
7:55 Apply Zip Mold Release
8:13 Spray Even Coat of Zip Mold Release
10:55 Vent Straws
11:13 6823 Orange
11:16 6824 Primrose Yellow
11:43 Double Cup Mix Method
12:41 Pointed Tips Make Removal Easier Prevents Damage to Part - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
By far the best instructional video on silicone molding and casting. Great work! Cheers and Thanks!!
Wow. Great craftsmanship!
Amazing. Very well put together and extremely easy to understand. I don't have, nor can I afford a Printer from FORM LABS so, I suppose I can whittle a little something from wood. I'm now looking forward to making some molds!! Thanks!
Great instructional videos.
Fantastic video, very thorough and professional looking molds and results. :)
Great. Detailed. To the point. good job
This is a very well made video, and great tip on using dowel pins for areas where screws will go. For my current project, I would have to smooth over screw threads
Really professional job!
I really appreciate when manufactures take the time to show how to properly use their products. Educational and inspirational video. I exclusively use SEM primers for my paint projects, I'll need to try your line of casting products next time I make an mold.
Thank you very much! Glad the video was useful. The SEM primer is great stuff and it isn't until you start using it you realize how well it works compared to so many off-the-shelf primers. Let us know if you need any assistance in your mold making projects. BJB sells great materials but our technical help is the key to success.
Best vacuum casting crash-course out there. Thank you very much!
Crash course, I see what you did there. 😁 Thank you for the comment!
@@bjbenterprises I'm not getting it - anyway I didn't try to insinuate it was boring :)
@@ralphzoontjens we thought you meant because he crashed on the skateboard. Never mind 😁
I know the end was a setup but damn can't tell you the number of times I've been right there. Good video. Thank you.
this video is great, thanks for all the details
Glad you liked it!
how did I get here? this is great but also one of the most complex set of procedures I've ever seen..
This is a more advanced mold-making tutorial so it's not surprising it looks complicated. The results of making a mold this way for production parts means that the cast pieces pop out with very little post-finishing work. There are easier ways to mold the same part, but you give up mold life and the parts require more post-finishing.
This looks complex, but once you actually do it it is a very simple and basic technique of mold making. The 3D printer of course can be substituted for any other object you want to replicate which can be made or acquired by any other means.
Great tutorial
Thank you!
Amazing
AWESOME! Great job on the video
very good
Elegoo mars 3 works billiant.. had multiple printers and honestly with a extra fan an additional heat sink on the heat break the geeetech i3 pro b is bloody awesome for $180 ... You do get what you pay for but you will get what you put in as well so for entry level I think it's awesome been able to print anything I like :) unlike my DaVinci or my Jaycar verti setup printer .. also this video was whicked helpful thankyou :)
that's just great ! Thanks for posting the video. Just got my own Form2. Can't wait to do molds with it! Would the Fuse1 also be suited for this or are the surfaces to rough ?
The light curing chamber seems to be constructed out of a nail polish lamp and a rotating jewlry display. Thats perfect. Would you tell me where you got it ?
Hi Herman, thanks for your comment. You can certainly make patterns for molding using either the Form 1 or Form 2 printers. SLA technology produces very fine detail so you will be able to get them ready for molding very quickly as seen in the video.
The UV curing chamber was built based on Formlabs DIY instructions, but we made a nicer box with reflective paneling inside. Here is the build info: forum.formlabs.com/t/uv-cure-chamber-design-dimensions-and-pics/11192
Hi, great video, the most helpful i found. I have a question how to make a textured part with a rougher surface with high grain?
If you apply the texture to the 3D Printed pattern, or print the Pattern with the texture already included, the silicone mold will produce that surface very well. Is your concern how well the parts will release from the mold with a texture or how to add the texture to the molded surface? Once the silicone mold is made, you cannot go back and add texture. You want to have the texture included in the original pattern.
If I want my part to have a texture of a 'Popcorn Ceiling' (not the best example but close). I think SLA isn't an option in my case due to size and FDM due to lower detail. Is there another way? I was thinking about painting it with a special roller.
Yes, you can apply the desired texture with a paint application technique. The silicone mold material will copy the surface texture you produce on the pattern. There are a variety of paint systems that can produce rough textures. You may want to seal the pattern with a clear coat to make sure the silicone doesn't have a curing problem. You can learn more about this in our intro mold making video: th-cam.com/video/iRj6xzNx7P4/w-d-xo.html
and we have it in our lunchroom!
Haha, no we have a very clean R&D room. Thanks for watching!
BJBEnterprises : i figured.. only a little visual humor. video was very detailed and good!
very informative. How many times can you cast in that mold before needing to make a new mold?
Always a great question. Many professional mold shops quote 25-30 parts out of a production mold but many individuals report as much as 50 parts if the part is simple and the casting material isn't too hard on the silicone tool. It's a "your mileage may vary" situation with many factors involved including desired surface finish, tolerances, etc.
Plase what is name of risen used it in casting in silicon mold please
Hello BJB, such quality video is amazing Thank you!!
Now i have a question, for mass production product, like laptop/phone plastic frame/case
wich i'm planning to build (custom laptop manufacture), do you have an idea of where i can find the ressources to get knoweldge for that field?
I've designed and printed a working prototype but for sure i can't 3d print mass production, the quality and the finition is not like what's on the market.
Thanks again :)
Our production customers typically look at casting parts in this process for several hundred to a few thousand parts using tools built for production. If you are making parts in the tens of thousands of parts, you will typically find injection molding starts to become more cost effective. If the parts are large, you might also look at the RIM urethane casting process which is used for some specialty parts in high volume production. We have many customers that specialize in producing parts from prototype all the way to production and will use our urethane casting process for short to medium production. It is cost effective in certain quantities and changes to design are easier to make in this stage vs full scale injection molding. It is hard to recommend resources since we don't understand the scope of the project or part details.
Ho thank you for that one! these process are amazing, now i see more clearly how plastic parts are made.
can i have your mail to send you some picture about what i'm looking in order to get your expert view? your help will for sure return the favour in the next years.
You can send technical inquiries to: info@bjbenterprises.com
i will, thanks
Very nice and informative video
May I ask , would it be wrong to degas the casting resin in to the mold and not before?
Would it cause problems ? Like bleeding parting lines?
Good question. We would not recommend degassing the cast urethane in the mold because it will bubble and expand up and out of the mold, creating a mess and you'll lose material out of the cavity. The best method is to thoroughly degas the material prior to pouring into a mold that has proper venting and fill port location. If the mold is very complex, pressure casting after the material is poured in will often help with stubborn bubbles but is not always necessary. There is a method called "Vacuum Casting" in which a lower level of vacuum is used to assist pulling material into the cavity but it uses specifically set up equipment to do it.
BJBEnterprises
Thanks for the quick answer .
I made a mold and the vent holes are not exhactly at the edge of the part , I ve also made the ports 2 mm in diameter. I will cast up resin
And I was thinking to 1 degas the resin before 2 cast re resin and 3 put it all under vacuum again .
If I would 3 d printed a mold like this I would 3 d print the flange of the mold also , and save time from all the work you do before you cast the silicone .
If you are using a 3D Printed mold, this means that the mold flange may not seal as well as a silicone mold and may be at more risk of pulling air bubbles through the edge of the flanges. Also, the vents would need to be on the flange surfaces or you will need to drill out cured urethane in the vents every time you cast a part. If you would like us to take a look at the mold, you can send pictures and questions to: info@bjbenterprises.com
No no , you didnt get it right , i 3d printed the exchact negative of the the whole mold , instead of printing the part and have have a lot of job to do , you can print the exhact negative of the mold from the begining and the cast the silicon on it ,so what you do on this video from 2:59 to 4:45 is not necessery cause its already made from the 3d printer , (ok you have to print 2 istead of one but i think its better).
OK, I see what you are saying now. If you are making only one part, you need to print 2 different patterns that includes the registration keys/pockets and any other details. In our video, you would need to print 4 different patterns to make the 2 molds. If you are not worried about the surface finish of the cast parts, you don't have a lot of work to do other than sealing the SLA patterns with Primer.
Would you recommend using snap fit features with cast parts for easy assembly?
Snap fit features are certainly possible if you avoid having too much of a bending moment. The reason is injection molded plastics like ABS or Nylon typically have much higher elongation properties compared to thermoset resin systems in the same durometer and stiffness category. This is why you wouldn't have much success with living hinges on the stiffer urethane products. BJB's cast urethane products are formulated to achieve high physical properties for simulating injection molded plastics and rubbers for real world use, so it is good to understand how to apply them in highly engineered applications and parts. Great question and thanks for the comment!
Okay I LOVE BJB products but now I live in New Zealand and I can't get them, when are you going to distribute them here. things like the TC range?
Hi Simon, thanks for the shout out. Just so you know, Barnes has a new retail store in New Zealand that carries a range of BJB products. If you have any questions on BJB materials, don't hesitate to contact us at: info@bjbenterprises.com
they only stock one BJB product.
As funny as the ending was, I learned a few more tips with this process.
Awesome, win-win!
Hi. good day to you. Thank you for sharing a very detailed video. I have a question, Wouldn't the air present inside the mold cause air bubbles on the poured PU resin and affect the quality of the output?
That is always the challenge to producing good quality cast parts. How do you deal with getting the material in the mold without introducing air bubbles? There are several techniques to help avoid the issue and they are very different from technologies like injection molding. If you are new to this process, you should watch our intro video that explains many of the other techniques used to produce air free parts. This video is an advanced tutorial for those already familiar with casting polyurethane into silicone molds. th-cam.com/video/iRj6xzNx7P4/w-d-xo.html&lc=z23hslhqhseygphq504t1aokgwdg3rikfqviu41htwqpbk0h00410
Can I ask how many copies/time will such silicon molds last? Thanks for this video!
Always a great question. Many professional mold shops quote 25-30 parts out of a production mold but many individuals report as much as 50 parts if the part is simple and the casting material isn't too hard on the silicone tool. It's a "your mileage may vary" situation with many factors involved including desired surface finish, tolerances, etc.
There's also a wear-in period and a wear-out period, where the produced parts will look slightly different coming from the first few castings and after the mold starts to break down. How many parts a mold can produce will (in addition to molding and casting materials) depend on what's acceptable in terms of defects and post-processing.
What do you do with all the used paint cans? Do you clean and re use them?
For silicone you could potentially re-use them after pulling the cured silicone out. Urethanes not so much. Because we manufacture in volume and package many of our products in these metal cans, we have used them out of convenience over the years. We are now selling some nice HDPE mixing containers on our webstore so they would be better suited for this. www.bjbenterprises.com
i want to buy your product for a project but i'm french i don't really understand all you say, how many products i have to buy?:
for sillicone what product?
for the separation?
for créate the plastique and what plastic choose?
do you do a package?
I would suggest watching our other mold making videos that are better for beginning students of mold making. We don't make a list or a kit of mold making materials because choosing the materials depends on what type of part you are making. Other companies will sell you a "kit" to make things easy, but many times they are not the correct materials for your application. th-cam.com/video/iRj6xzNx7P4/w-d-xo.html&list=PL_Aij55CbyPn970pKV9bHfK-HXnIGzxIs&index=12
any tips for removing the part from the mold? Having issues removing the vents/sprues which is locking my part into the mold
Are you using BJB's vents and sprues on your mold? Our vents have points on them so you can break/twist them off before trying to demold the part. Compressed air is one of the best methods to help release parts without stressing the silicone mold. Make sure you use safety goggles and/or face shield while using compressed air to do this. If you are using BJB's vent/sprue supplies, it's best to call us directly for the best technical assistance. 714-734-8450 or email info@bjbenterprises.com
do you have any suggestions on determining where to place the vent holes? and how many? looks like you're aiming for corners but not sure how to determine which thickness and how many to use
This particular part had a lot of tricky geometry so we ended up with a lot of vents (more than usual). When the part is angled up like we do on most of our molds, every spot that could become a trap for air (corner) that's where we put a vent. If the wall thickness is thin, we used a smaller 1/8" vent. On thicker wall sections we used the 1/4". If there were many vents in a concentrated area due to geometry, we used the 1/8" vents because you need some space around each vent (a buffer of silicone material). On simpler parts, we concentrate on finding corners but still it's hard to explain in text. For a good visual on how we do it, it's best to watch our intro mold making video to see our strategy: th-cam.com/video/iRj6xzNx7P4/w-d-xo.html
@@bjbenterprises thanks! had another question for you. I see there is another strategy for filling 2 part molds, commonly known as a squish mold. In a squish mold, you fill the negative side of the cavity and then lay the other half of the mold on. Is there any benefit to the pour method shown in this video vs the squish mold?
@@flat__stan If you are only making a few simple parts, or are trying mold making for the first time, then a squish mold is fine for simple projects. Squish molds are very crude and can trap a lot of air unless the part is extremely simple. You also end up with a lot of wasted material spilling over the sides of the mold and the parts will require more time to clean up the flashing. The use of a pressure tank to deal with trapped air bubbles may help offset the lack of air vents as well. Every mold making technique has trade-offs and it's good to know what each method offers in the end.
@@bjbenterprises thank you! trying my first mold soon and this was very helpful
Do you have any suggestions for short run temporary molds for a water bottle?
The first question is do you want it food safe to drink from? If so, you aren't going to use a cast urethane. You could get away with a proper platinum silicone surface, but that's flexible and you would likely need a rigid shell. Blow molded or injection molded thermoplastic is how it is done on a large scale, so you could fake it with rotocasting but it wouldn't be food safe. Would need more parameters to steer you in the right direction.
I'm curious how many parts you could make with a single silicone mold
Great question. There are several factors to determining mold life but a low number is 25-30 parts and a high number is up to 50+ parts. You will typically see the surface become more and more dull and parts become harder to demold. Rigid cast urethanes are harder on tools than softer urethanes, and type of mold release used also has a factor. Silicone molds excel in dealing with undercuts and fine surface detail Their non-stick nature allows easy molding against a variety of pattern materials without having to worry about epoxy or urethane tools (which require a lot of mold release) trying to stick to the pattern.
how can I identify Poly casting material in hardness?
how do I know it is going to be hard like a plastic or soft like rubber?
Let me try and understand your question. Are you asking how to choose a material that is a specific hardness (Durometer)? Or, are you asking if you can mix the materials to achieve different Durometer? BJB manufactures hundreds of different formulas that will cure to different Durometers. You can't simply mix the material differently to make a hard or soft material. You would want to know the desired properties of the finished part and choose the right product for the application. We offer cured sample coupons to help the choosing process if you don't know exactly what you need. We also offset many injection molded plastics to simulate properties in our casting materials (like ABS, Polypropylene, HDPE, flexible rubbers, etc). You might also want to watch our video on Durometer: th-cam.com/video/Q6jn223_1Mw/w-d-xo.html
Hi, some friends of mine are printing masks for doctors fighting corona but the process is very slow. So i examine other methods like this one. You said already it takes 6-8 hours for the silicon to dry. Is there other kinds of silicone dries faster? How long time polyurethane needs to dry? Any other suggestions? They print only bottom frame which is like a bended stick the rest is ready cut parts which are not problem.
Cheers and i wish u goold health...
There are a couple things to consider. Yes there are faster silicones but can you get it in the mold without bubbles fast enough? Platinum silicones love heat, so you can take a silicone that normally takes several hours to cure at room temperature and put it at 50-65C (125-150F) and it will come out in 30-45 minutes. Also, you do not want to use a polyurethane material for flexible masks, it does not have the same skin safety as platinum silicone. You could use polyurethane for other rigid straps/frames where it is not touching skin for long periods.
Hello!! If I wanted to create model kit style mold, like runners from the Bandai Gundam Line, how would I do it? Or how would you approach it?
Great question. It would be similar in approach to how we set up the fill ports and vents in this video but the "runners" will be parallel with the part instead of perpendicular like these vents. You would have these runners along the parting flange instead of going through the silicone walls like our video. If you aren't quite sure how to do this still, an email or phone call to our tech line would be the best because this is difficult to instruct over a TH-cam comment.
How did you decide on the vent locations?
The part we are making in the video has a lot of intricate detail and places for bubbles to get trapped so it was more challenging than normal, but the strategy to place vents is the same. You need to establish where you will fill from and the vents will be placed at corners and high points as they radiate from that starting pint. In many cases, we angle/tilt the mold to force a low point and then higher points become logical venting locations. You have to really look at the part and examine where bubbles will rise and become stuck because there is no direct path to a vent. It may help to watch our intro mold video for a simpler explanation: th-cam.com/video/iRj6xzNx7P4/w-d-xo.htmlm21s
How do u make Skrew hole,
I tried using platinum cure silicone to cast an sla print today. The silicon didn't cure properly. I assume the sla caused it. Is this true? Is that why you primered before making the silicon mold?
Cagney Moreau correct, you MUST seal a fresh SLA part or it may cause platinum inhibition. Sorry you learned the hard way. Our intro mold making videos go over this issue. th-cam.com/video/iRj6xzNx7P4/w-d-xo.html
@@bjbenterprises Thanks for the fast response. that was much faster than the 16 hours I waited the first time. lol. I just realized you guys are down the street from me. Awesome!
Hello, a question is bothering me, why did you put metal inserts to plug the holes? since leaving the holes apparent would have been reproduced as well? I don't understand, thank you
That is a good question. If we don't use a metal pin for some of those deep holes, you will have a very weak and flexible silicone post sticking out instead. The silicone will fill those cavities if nothing is there and create a "positive" post or pillar sticking out of the mold surface. The silicone post will likely tear off after a few castings. We also use some of those metal pins to locate very accurate holes (so you don't have to drill them out later) for the many screws and electronics. This part has a lot of detail and screws involved in making the final unit, so it is one of the more complicated molds we have shown.
@@bjbenterprises okay thank you so much
In how much time the Polyurethae cures?
As fast as 10-15 minutes, as slow as 2-3 hours depending on the material system used (at room temperature). Some people will use heat to accelerate the process and allow faster production. Also, depending if you have access to a vacuum chamber or a pressure tank, you may choose to use a different speed system depending on the equipment you have.
Hi, I am from India. Can I get your products as well as technical guidance for material selection here in India?
We ship all around the world. It can be expensive to ship small quantities to India but we have several production customers there that use BJB products. You would need to email us for technical help: info@bjbenterprises.com
Why did you place the printed part on the bed so skewed? Putting it outer face down, as I printed this with a traditional printer for my cousin, would have saved all the material spent on supports
Ephestione's HQ The Form 2 builds parts differently than a traditional FDM printer. The software orients the part and generates supports automatically based on the optimal build. It’s a little confusing compared to FDM printers but they have tutorials on the concept and reasoning behind it.
Which silicone did you use here?
5:25 TC-5041: bjbenterprises.com/index.php/tc-5041-a-b/
Any reason why you can't just 3D print the Injection mold Directly?
Donelle Reed great question. In some cases it may be possible to 3D print the mold but depending on the surface and inner geometry, it may not be practical. You need to consider the desired surface finish you want from the cast parts and if it’s possible to sand, seal, and polish the 3D printed Mold surface. In our case it would be extremely difficult and time consuming if not impossible in some of the tight areas. Also, it’s much easier to remove rigid cast parts from a flexible mold while it is very difficult to ensure sufficient mold release coverage on a mold like ours and still remove a rigid cast part from a rigid mold. If the geometry is simple and fairly smooth, you may have an easier time. Also, depending on the vents and fill port situation, you may have a hard time with getting mold release in them. If the vents are on the split line that may work ok, but in casting we don’t have the high pressure advantage of injection molding so filling and venting strategies are totally different. Be sure to watch our other mold videos to learn more and some of your other questions may be answered.
Please how can have this material in Egypt Cairo please
Hello, we ship our products all over the world. It can be expensive to ship small quantities of material. It would be best to contact us through our website for costs on product and shipping: www.bjbenterprises.com
How many Times the mold ca be used ?
It can vary depending on a few factors, but a safe number is 25 with a possibility of getting up to 50 parts if mold release is used and the grade of polyurethane is not overly aggressive on silicone molds. Keep in mind the gloss of the parts out of the mold would likely go down, but if this were a part to be painted it would not be an issue. We also find that the softer polyurethane casting materials are less aggressive on silicone molds so part yield is often higher than rigid polyurethane castings. Occasionally we do have customers getting 75-100 parts from a silicone mold but the conditions and variables are often unique.
Couldn't you also print the vents?
In theory it's possible, but in the practical sense you might end up knocking them off during clean up because they would be rather delicate. Since you are usually sanding the 3D Printed SLA pattern and adding a coat of primer and/or paint, it would be tough to navigate through a cluster of vents to effectively prep the surfaces. Great question, though! If you end up trying it successfully, please let us know. Thanks for your comment.
I see, thank you!
Can anyone link me to the curing station he used?
Here is the forum article listing dimensions and details: forum.formlabs.com/t/uv-cure-chamber-design-dimensions-and-pics/11192
BJBEnterprises wow didn’t even realize you made it, thought it was a full enclosed machine you bought somewhere ...nice work
One of the most over engineered Mold castings I've seen 🤔- But! The results are fabulous 👍
It's true this is a complicated mold. However, we receive a lot of questions on how to approach pins and slides in silicone molds. This particular mold is still producing parts to this day for short run production.
@@bjbenterprises How many parts can you make with this mold in an 8 hour day?
@@LukePighetti It depends highly on what material system you use. We have materials that can demold as quick as 15-20 minutes using heat and dispense equipment. Some systems might take 1-4 hours depending on what working time you are capable of dealing with (vacuum pump strength for degassing material, time needed for pressure pot if used, etc). So it really depends on an individuals equipment and capabilities. Many professional shops try and turn the mold in an hour or less allowing time for clean up, mold release, and re-strapping the mold together.
@@bjbenterprisesDo you guys have experience or opinions on rigid tooling for resin? I am able to create aluminum injection tooling in house but don't have access to an injection molding machine. Trying to find a way to do about 12 parts a day, each part about 2cc.
hello, i ran into mad inhibition issues when molding sla parts with platinum silicone (from several brands except bjb) and thought they were inherently incompatible - until i saw you doing it. is the used sla-resin or silicone in any way specially formulated to allow this combination? or do you have any other insights or expriences addressing this topic?
We assume every SLA resin will give us issues when molding against it, so we are sure to seal it with a good primer like the SEM shown in the video at 2:12. There are so many formulations of SLA resin out on the market, unless a resin manufacture has specifically run tests and makes a statement, we can't answer that one. SLA has been around for 20+ years and it's always been an issue in Rapid Prototyping. Sealing the pattern is simply part of the process.
How much does this mold cost
For the silicone material only, you would likely need to purchase a Gallon kit: bjbenterprises.com/index.php/silicones/platinum-based/tc-5041-a-b-1087/ Add a couple cans of mold release, some primer for the pattern, and miscellaneous supplies, add another $30-50.
You could have laid it on its side in the slicer so you would have used less support and also less resin
Thanks for the tip. We used the Formlabs software to auto-orient the part in this project. Now that we're more familiar with the build process we've learned to set up things more efficient. Thanks for watching!
why didn't you just printed out the mold?
Z264 Good question. First, you won't achieve the nice surface finish seen here in the silicone mold. Second, you will have much more work in applying sufficient mold release on all surfaces to prevent parts sticking. Silicone is inherently non-stick so only a light application of mold release is needed. Third, you are limited in shape and geometry. Silicone molds can deal with deep drafts and small undercuts because they can flex away from the cured cast parts. In some cases 3D Printed molds are used. We made a video showing the process here: th-cam.com/video/KweiHPE4Ftg/w-d-xo.html
Couldn't you just do some post-processing? Seems like with some engineering work, it would be a lot faster. Examples could be: pre-printing the alignment pins, using some kind of bondo or sandable material where you needed a perfect finish. In the end, you'd have a rigid mould that could have flanges or ears for clamping.
Hi David, in some cases it may be possible but once again it depends on the application. For quick test parts and R&D, it may be fine. If it was a cost effective method we would see many of our short to medium production customers using the method as they are typically using the latest 3D Printing Equipment and processes, but the silicone mold is still king for this volume of production and finish quality of cast parts. Silicone has pros and cons like other processes, but the advantages like surface quality, undercuts, and mold halves that seal without leaking (like many rigid tools) continue to prove its worth. Ultimately things progress and processes improve, and we are in the mix with material and technical solutions within the industry, so things are constantly changing and we progress with it as a company. Thank you for your comment! -BJB
Cool! Didn't mean to call you out, but was just curious. Also, I have to justify my recent purchase of a 3D printer somehow...
No worries, we enjoy questions and discussions like this. It's good to see what folks are interested in learning about and it's good to weigh the options for making parts. If a mold making video like this spurs ideas and conversation then we are doing our job right! Although 3D Printing has been around for 30 years, the availability to the consumer level has spurred a whole new interest in education to learn how to expand their usefulness. Be sure to check out the other videos in the "Beyond 3D Printing" Playlist to learn more.
hi I'm India please provide material
Hi Abrar, please visit our Website for material information: www.bjbenterprises.com
No way to buy your products in europe...!!!
We ship Internationally and have a Distributor in Germany as well as the UK. Visit our website to see their contact info: bjbenterprises.com/index.php/distributors
BJBEnterprises:
I know that you have two distributors in europe, but in their web I coudnt find any info about your mold silicone, and neither the price or the shippment costs, it will be far more easy if you sell directly via amazon or ebay... Many thanks, and by the way your silicone and vids are awesome!!!
Thank you for the compliment! Our distributors import materials for production customers and will also carry some stock of commonly used products. We are also adding products to Amazon but local stock in Europe will be difficult due to shelf-life concerns. This is why our distributors are helpful in those areas and can manage stock. Let us know if you need anything specific, our customer service can ship all over the world: info@bjbenterprises.com
oky
I rather print all of them instead of casting them
Hi Keith, in some cases it is fine to simply print the parts. However, in the world of short-to-medium run production you will find that the reality of cleaning up a 3D printed part, even a high resolution SLA print, will become more time consuming than casting into a well-designed mold such as this. You are also limited in color and physical properties. With FDM parts, the clean up is even more time consuming and your finished aesthetics are may not be acceptable for the customer. 3D Printing is also much slower than the casting process. Molding and casting from 3D Printed parts is a decades old process and the service bureaus that do this work for production choose to cast parts beyond a few 3D Printed prototypes for efficiency and cost. Thank you for watching!
As BJB says, try making dozens of SLA prints and see how well that works for you (don't forget to factor in cost!). Also the standard resin has limited deformation properties, so it tends to fracture during decent impacts. I think Formlabs' new fuse 1 would be better suited towards direct printing small production runs. Although we'll have to wait and see how good the print quality is on that unit.
Wouldn't it be less time consuming and or cheaper too just print a mold and cast resin directly into it?
You could print an mold with an flexible SLA resin however that mold would not last as long as one made out of silicone. In addition you would lose the ability to get an perfectly smooth surface finish with that method (flexible resins do not sand well).
Funny how people suddenly become experts when I watch this videos from proffessionals..
way too much work! I print the whole mold in the printer!
For some parts that works fine. We have videos showing how to work with 3D printed molds. For some complicated parts with undercuts, texture and detail, silicone molds are still the most popular technique in rapid prototyping due to the surface replication and ease of release.
@@bjbenterprises True! I completely forgot I'm 100% doing silicone parts and not rigid!