3D Printed Molds | Tips/Tricks/Ideas 

Awesome, thanks for sharing!

Glad you found it useful.

Thanks for the comment! Sounds like you found a successful technique for your parts. Were these clear parts you cast or something else?

Clear parts - essentially copies of commercial lenses using their own provided CAD files

That's great, thanks for sharing!

Wow, 3D molds for optics? That’s amazing! I wonder what the limitations are...

And don't forget flexible filaments

That’s what I do but in the long run it’s better to print the actual mold and cut expenses.

obligatory "the real info is in the comment section"

Jon Dixon yes, having a mold that seals well is very important and can be difficult with 3D printed molds. You will likely need to add a thin gasket to the flanges to prevent it again.

Are you asking about a 3D printed mold or silicone mold? How high is "High Temperatures?" You don't provide enough details to provide an answer.

We don't specialize in injection molding so we can't give you any technical advice on this topic. Our products are cast at close to room temperature and with very low pressures.

If you are referring to casting a 2-part rigid polyurethane foam like we mention in the video, then yes. Typical white beaded foam is formed in a completely different process involving steam and metal tools. See this video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KweiHPE4Ftg.html

In the Cura slicer there is a built in function to automatically convert a normal STL into a mold, IE it inverts it. Not tried to actually print something like that, but the function is there.

We have had customers do very similar techniques. This would be great for quick prototypes and proof of concept parts.

Hi Taffie, there does appear to be people using 3D printing for candle making. You need to choose your wax carefully and build a leak-proof mold like this Instructable: www.instructables.com/3D-Printed-Candle-Mold/

Yes, it's possible and has been done. The main issue will always be applying sufficient mold release or the cast urethane will try to bond to the TPU. We usually like to first apply a wax (paste or liquid) to seal the porosity/lines, and then follow up with an appropriate spray release like our E236 Urethane Release or E302 Rocket Release.

thank you!

We have used both with success. It really comes down to using sufficient mold release as mentioned in the video. We like to use a base layer of paste wax and then apply a spray release on top of any rigid mold material, whether it is aluminium, tooling board, or 3D Printed material.

It depends on the "resin" you are using. If you watch our other 3D printed mold video, we explain in detail at around 4:50 what mold release methods work well for polyurethane: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KweiHPE4Ftg.html

@@bjbenterprises thanks a lot

Yes, that's possible. You may still have a fair amount of flashing to clean up on the part, but better to stop a lot of leakage.

Yes, this is what we did at 4:33. The mold was printed in many parts.

You can honestly use multiple types of filament depending on what your printer does best or what level of material performance you may need. PLA works fine, but you need to make sure you use sufficient mold release. ABS, PETG, or even Nylon can be used as well if you need additional heat capability (curing cast parts in an oven for example). Great question and thanks for the comment.

3d printing molds??

Yes, PETG is typically compatible with Tin or Platinum based silicone materials.

so we can use it? does it have disadvantage?

por favor, póngase en contacto con nuestro equipo técnico para responder a este tipo de preguntas. info@bjbenterprises.com

You can do whatever you want man..

P Pugalia 3D printed molds are typically used for product development to make functioning prototypes and also to make short run production that may not require a large number of parts. Molding and casting itself is used widely throughout manufacturing for many decades for prototyping, short to medium run production, and also in applications where injection molding may not be possible (like skateboard wheels).

I believe you are thinking of ABS which can be smoothed with acetone vapor. PLA does not have a common method for chemical smoothing. Most people sand/prime/or coat with epoxy.

The common filament materials are all fine to make molds; PLA, ABS, PETG, Nylon... you just need to apply a proper mold release which we go over in more detail in the drone video linked in the i-card. When it comes to SLA, DLP, or MJF type resin printed molds, you may need to seal them with a good primer to avoid any chemical incompatibilities when casting something like Platinum Silicones (which are sensitive to UV cured resins). Good question and thanks for the comment! -BJB

@@bjbenterprises WOW! So informative and such a quick response! Thanks so much!

@@BookOfMorman No problem, always happy to help. Our Tech support is also a great resource to ask questions like this if you are working on a molding and casting project. info@bjbenterprises.com

Ah yes, the early 2000's. When people still took the time to make thoughtful, informative videos instead of click-bait that just goes for views. Got it!

@@bjbenterprises yeah indeed, love it haha

We do sell a range of products for mold making, casting, mold releases, and accessories. We also deal with a huge range of clients that use a variety of mold methods, including 3D printed molds for casting materials into. On top of that, we receive a lot of tech calls from new customers looking to learn how to make 3D printed molds or to find out if it's practical to do so. The video highlights many of the pros and cons of both processes based on our customer feedback, company experience, and common issues with the process from failed mold attempts. We don't take a stance on whether we are for or against, the application and expectations of the end user determines what method may work the best. To date, the biggest rapid prototyping companies (that also design and develop 3D printers) still use a majority of silicone molds for their short to medium run production parts for the reasons mentioned in the video.

​@@bjbenterprises As stated before, I didn't know what your company sold until after the video. I skipped a lot of the early parts of the vide to get to the meat of it. All, but without knowing anything more it seemed like you favored not using 3D printed parts for molds. That's just what I got from watching the video regardless of what the intension was. If you meant to be impartial I think you might have tried but missed the mark - but I could be wrong. I would certainly encourage people to watch it. I should have mentioned that I did enjoy the video and learned some things from it. I appreciate that regardless of other comments I have made. I would certainly consider watching other videos you have made because of the quality of the explanations in this video. You did a good job with most everything. I would certainly consider your company if I were in the market for the material you sell. And I should have included this in my original reply, "Thank you for the video."

@@jbbw667 we appreciate the feedback. It helps us continue to keep relevant to the market and technology that is used in the industries we serve.

@@bjbenterprises You are welcome. I am going to subscribe. I think it's worth it.

You have valid points. The sample molds shown were not printed at the best resolution or settings, but it's also a common sight from end users that contact us looking for help getting 3D printed molds to work for them. We have also seen some fantastic mold work like the molds you describe from your Flashforge. Ultimately, the video touches on the topics we receive a majority of common questions on and equipment and techniques are always evolving. Thanks for your comment!

I saw that too. Those build lines indicate either a lack of experience or a lack of trying. It's part of the reason I posted my response. Otherwise it's not a bad video.

Yes, we find this as well. We know that 3D Printing is a powerful tool and is changing our world fast, but like any tool it needs to be understood when and where it works best for a given application. We typically hear from customers after they are struggling to make something work when we may have solutions to achieve results quicker, easier, and repeatable. It's great to have so much enthusiasm and creativity using new technology so we enjoy showing where we can enhance or be relevant in the process. Thank you for the comment!