Casting silicone parts with 3D printed inserts to improve stiffness

Prolific manufacturer [Jan Mrázek] He shared the process of casting soft silicone parts, but these parts have some extra rigidity. This is what he passed Embed porous 3D printed “ribs” into the part during the casting processThe 3D printed plug-ins act as a kind of skeleton. Therefore, these parts have a soft silicone surface, but the obtained structure and rigidity cannot be obtained if the parts are completely cast with silicone. The advantage is that no new materials or tools are needed; [Jan] The molds and structural inserts of the parts were 3D printed. This is always good when one can use the same tools and materials to accomplish different functions.

Component [Jan] The production is also very interesting. He observed that the process of replacing resin in the molding tank of the printer is an unpleasant experience for many reasons. The main reason is that the resin is sticky and dirty, and the shape of the molding tank does not make the resin poured out of it become a kind of Clean work.

His solution is to design a pouring spout that can be pressed on the build tank, and some specially designed squeegee that can easily scrape the tank clean. Silicone is an ideal material for parts, because it has been proven that viscous resin can adhere well to the surface of silicone. Anywhere else, the resin tends to spread out and form a viscous mess, but on silicone resin, it forms neat droplets and is easier to clean.

This is a technique worth remembering, because people never know when it will come in handy. For example, manufacturing soft robots often involves silicone casting and clever technology.Look [Jan]The part works in the video and is embedded below.