How to understand rapid prototyping

Silicone mold

1. Silicone mold is one of the ways of rapid prototyping. The advantages are fast time, low cost, and low probability of processing failure. About 20 pieces of the same product can be made using a silicone mold.

2. The silicone mold can be used to make product materials: ABS, PC, PP, PA, soft rubber, transparent samples.

3. The production steps of the silicone mold can be divided into three steps:

1) Prototype: Before making a silicone mold, a prototype needs to be made. Prototypes can be made by laser rapid prototyping machine (Rapid Prototyping) and CNC machining.

2) Silicone mold: After the prototype is ready, start making the silicone mold. After eight hours of drying, the silicone die was cut open to remove the prototype. The silicone mold is now ready.

3) Injection molding: inject the liquid gum material into the silicone mold and dry it. The service life of the silicone mold is about 20 mold times.

ABS mold

1. CNC machining to make ABS mold.

2. Pour the prepared liquid silica gel into mold A and mold B, and place it in a vacuum machine to drain the air bubbles.

3. Take out the A mold and B mold from the vacuum machine, then 2 in 1, fix it with a bracket, and then the silicone can be cured.

1) ABS mold has higher precision and better molding effect than silicone mold.

2) It needs CNC machining into mold, the production cost is slightly higher, and only soft rubber castings can be made.

Metal mold

1. CNC machining to make metal molds.

2. The mold is fixed on the machine, injected with liquid rubber, and after vulcanization treatment, it can be rapidly formed.

1) Metal mold castings, the development cycle is longer than that of silicone molds and ABS molds

2) High cost, but the highest precision and best quality, suitable for mass production.