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Silicone Molding
What is Silicone Molding?
Silicone Molding is an alternative of low-volume manufacturing. It is often favoured by casters, because of its ease to use and high replicability. In general, Silicone Molding means that an object is modelled by its own surface in a silicone mould.
How to make Silicone Molds?
The master model needed for Silicon Molding can be 3D printed, created with CNC-machines or manufactured in any other traditional way. Although the creation of a master model might be time-consuming, the Silicon Molding Technique can save a large amount of time during the manufacturing phase.
The wished form (=master model) is placed in a closed environment and afterwards a (semi-) liquid moulding material (=e.g. silicone) is placed all around the object, creating a thick coat around it. The curing time of the silicone depends on the type of silicone being used. Do not touch or move the mould during the curing phase.
After the silicone is cured, the silicone coat can be detached from the manufactured object. Gently cut the silicone mould, so you are able to slide the object to the outside. Afterwards, the silicone coat keeps its shape and a hollow space of the master model is left. Now, the created cavities in the silicone can be filled with a casting material (clay, resin …) to replicate the shape.
Tips for Silicone Moulds:
- spray the inside of your casting tube with “mould release” before pouring any resin to it
- high-quality silicone is produced utilizing professional casting materials
- silicone moulds are not made to last forever – manufacture a new one before the old one is producing bad-quality parts
- avoid touching silicone with your hands – it might irritate your skin